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The mountainous nature of Armenia results
in a series of highly diverse landscapes, with variations in geological
substrate, terrain, climate, soils, and water resources. These landscapes
support a great variety of habitats, which support distinctive flora and
fauna, and different human use. These landscapes are generally associated with
particular altitude zones. Each landscape represents a different
ecosystem, with a distinctive group of associated plants and animals.
However, there are also some species that are found in different
ecosystems. For example plants such as fescue (Festuca sulcata) are
common in both steppe and meadow systems.
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a r m e n i a |
Seven distinct landscape zones are
described in Armenia: deserts, semi-deserts, dry steppes, steppes,
woodlands, sub-alpine and alpine lands.
deserts
10 % of national
territory.
Altitude range: 700-1300 (m above sea level): below 900 in the Ararat Valley and at
1200-1300m in adjacent mountain slopes.
Regions: Vayk lowlands, Meghri gorge.
Climate: dry and continental: hot summers and moderately cold winters.
Soils: generally of the semi-desert grey type, and have been managed for
cultivation over the last millennia.
Sand accumulations in the Arax river area result in a desert landscape, which are
also found in saline lowlands.
Cultivation: requires intensive irrigation. Areas do not support fruit,
vegetable, flower, and wine production.
Note! The best studied desert system is that close to the town of Goravan. Deserts
represent threatened habitats, and a number of endemic species would
disappear if these habitats continue to decline. Suffered from human
activities.
Typical Flora
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Group |
Comments |
Distinctive Species |
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Higher plants |
Most
plants are specific to deserts and relatively rare throughout Armenia.
Distinctive vegetation structure and composition is associated with
saline and chalk substrates in the Ararat Valley
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Calligonum polygonoides, Achillea tenuifolia, Seidlitzia florida,
Rhinopetalum gibbosum, Ceratocarpus arenarius, Salsola spp.,
Kalidium caspicum, Halostachys caspica, Halocnemum strobilaceum,
Gypsophila spp., Halanthium rarifolium |
semi-deserts
Altitude range: 800-12000See
Commonly support wormwoods such as Artemisia fragrans and A.
araxina, and other associated plants
Typical flora
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Group |
Comments |
Distinctive Species |
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Higher plants |
Many endemic
invertebrate species. Invertebrates from different regions occur
(including species of Mediterranean, Iranian, Caucasian and Crimean
origin). Some of the same species occur in steppe habitats. |
Phytodrymadusa armeniaca,
Nocarodes armenus, Dictyla subdola, Geotomus punctulatus, Amphicoma
eichleri, Cantharis araxicola, Tomomyza araxana, Bombilius
schelkovnikovi, Shadinia akramowskii, Gabbiella araxena, Pupilla
bipapulata, Zodarion petrobium |
steppes
Altitude range: 1200 and 2000m (sometimes as high as 2500m).
Cultivation: vegetables, frost-tolerant fruit trees (in lower
altitudes) and fodder plants (in highland areas).
mountain steppes
37 % of national territory
Altitude range: 1300
wet grassland): 375-700m. asl
(dry grassland): 1300-1600m. asl
Note! Dominant landscape for most of the country, particularly at altitudes above 1500m (and at
altitudes up to 2000m in the north, 2400-2500m in the south).
meadow steppes
Occur in the highlands, while patches of forest also occur on ridge tops among steppes in
the north-east and Syunik regions. Vegetation cover is varied, but
particularly important plants include fescue (Festuca sulcata) and
feather grass (Stipa spp.).
Climate: generally moderate, with warm, cool summers, and moderate or cold winters.
Soils: generally have a humus content of between 6-7%.
dry mountainous steppes
Found at higher altitudes than semi-deserts (above 1500m) in the Ararat Valley, and some
other areas, but are also found at lower altitudes (above 800m) in the
lowlands to the north-east of the country, which were originally forested.
Climate: in the dry steppes is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters.
A range of soils: are found, but in the Ararat Valley these lands are typically
stony.
Cultivation: of crops, vegetables and fruit is possible due to Irrigation
Suffered severe from human impact.
Typical flora
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Group |
Distinctive Species |
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Higher plants |
Stipa lessingiana, S.
pulcherrima, S. capillata, Festuca sulcata, F. ovina, Bothriocloa
ischaemum, Agropyrum cristatum, Astragalus microcephalus, A. laguris,
Onobrychis cornuta, Bromopsis variegatum, Phleum phleoides, Koeleris
cristata |
forests
20% of national territorySee
Altitude range: 600-2500See
Soil types: red soil in the lowlands and forest gray soils in the highlands.
Generally cover the mid-zone of mountains, occurring at altitudes
between 500m and 2100m in the north (up to 2500m in the south). In
central Armenia forests occur in small areas rather than as a continuous zone,
and forests can be found on steep slopes, and other areas with limited human
access.
alpine and sub-alpine meadows
28% of national territory
Altitude range: 2100
alpine meadows:
Altitude range: up to 3000m in the north, 3800m in the south.
Occupy the highest altitudes above sub-alpine meadows and represent the principal
pasturelands for the country, with meadow and alpine vegetation.
Climate: Severe, with long, cold winters. Annual
temperature is less than -40 average.
Snow cover lasts up to 9 months, and permanent snows may occur in some areas.
sub-alpine meadows
Occur at higher
altitudes than steppes and forests, including highland mountain ranges.
Climate: Moderate with short, cool summers and long,
cold winters. Much of the land here is meadow.
Soils: High humus content.
azonal landscapes 10% of national
territory
Occur independently of altitude (unlike the previously described landscapes). These
include wetlands, as well as saline and alkaline lands, which cover about 25,000
ha, including areas in the Ararat Valley where the underground waters are close
to the earth surface, resulting in water vaporization and salt precipitation.
Upland wetlands are dominated by fresh (non-brackish) water, while lowland
wetlands (particularly those around the River Arax) are usually drained in
summer, resulting in high salinity.
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