Anna Asatryan
Other projects
18 Apr 2006
Contributing to the Identification of Important Plant Areas in Armenia Through the Selection of the Botanical Richness Sites
28 Mar 2011
Identification of Priority Habitats of Armenia (Important Plant Areas, Criterion C) and Promotion of Their Conservation
28 Feb 2014
Identification of the Important Plant Areas of Armenia for Conservation of Plants and Habitats Diversity
Poppies are amongst the brightest components of the scenery of the mountain steppes of Armenia but are under threat through being picked and because of the increasingly agricultural use of the land.
Armenia is a mountainous country noted for great biological diversity - it is estimated that over 60% of all Caucasian flora species are to be found here. Poppies are amongst the brightest and most beautiful components of the scenery of the mountain steppes of Armenia. They grow from 1500 to 2700m above sea level. There are three species of the large-flowered poppy, all of which are Red Data Book listed but relatively un-studied. These poppies are under threat for various reasons: being highly decorative they are prone to being picked/collected and their seed reproduction system is not very efficient because their habitats are areas subject to intensive grazing and mowing.
The project will investigate the distribution and present condition of these poppies in Armenia, collect seeds with the objective of seed reproduction at the Institute of Botany, transplant plants to Yerevan Botanical Garden for ex-situ conservation, prepare recommendations for their conservation in their habitats and publish an illustrated booklet about the poppies for wide distribution in Armenia and abroad.