background

The Republic of Azerbaijan is an ancient country, situated between the continents of Europe and Asia in the southeast of the Caucasus region. It is located on the western shores of the Caspian, to the northwest of the Persian Plateau. The three mountain ranges are the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talish Mountains, together covering approximately 40% of the country. Lowlands and plains make up the other 60% of the country. The main sources of water in Azerbaijan are the surface waters. However, only 24 of the 8350 rivers are greater than 100 km in length. All the rivers drain into the Caspian in the east of the country, through three main river basins - the Caspian Basin, (rivers draining directly into the Caspian), the Kur basin (in western and central Azerbaijan) and the Araz basin.

a z e r b a i j a n

Azerbaijan is a country of varied climates, although it is predominately subtropical. In the lowlands, summers are hot, and winters are moderate, however in the mountains, the summers are cooler, and temperatures in the mountains can reach negative figures.
Approximately 4,500 species of higher plants are recorded in Azerbaijan, which represents around 65% of the floral diversity of the Caucasus region, and 11% of the world’s flora. The main areas of plant diversity in Azerbaijan are the highlands of Nakhchivan (60% of the species occur here), the Kura-Araz plain (40%), the Devechi-Kuba region east of the Greater Caucasus (38%), the centre of the Lesser Caucasus (29%), Gobustan (26.6%), the Lenkoran region in the Talish Mountains (27%), and the Absheron region (22%).
In total there are 89 species of fish in Azerbaijan, of which eight introduced and seven of these have become widespread. Representatives of ten orders of bony fish (Class Osteichthyes) have been recorded from within the Azeri territory of the Caspian Sea, and of 13 orders are found in the inland waters of Azerbaijan. Ten species of amphibians from five families are recorded in Azerbaijan. There are 52 species of reptiles found in Azerbaijan. Most of these species are found in semi-desert areas. Few are found in other lowlands or mountainous areas. Azerbaijan is very rich in avifauna. There are 363 species of birds recorded from 60 families. Around 40% of the species are settled to Azerbaijan, however 27% of these species over-winter here, and 10% pass through on migration. Some 106 species of mammals have been recorded in Azerbaijan, three of which are introduced species.
Endemism. There are over 400 species of plants endemic to Azerbaijan. These include around 210 endemic lower plant species (including ten endemic species of lichen). Around 16 species of algae are endemic to the Caspian Sea . In addition, 210 higher plant species are considered endemic to Azerbaijan, including species from 98 genera and 32 families.
A number of fish species endemic to the Caspian Sea, mainly species from the orders Clupeiformes (herrings) and Perciformes (perch). Fifteen species, and six sub-species of Gobiidae (order Perciformes) in Azerbaijan are endemic, while most of the endemic freshwater fish are from the order Cypriniformes.
Seven reptiles are endemic to Azerbaijan. and three regional (Caucasian) endemics are found in Azerbaijan.
Although there are no strictly endemic mammals in Azerbaijan, there are around 15 regional endemics present in the country.
The major cause of biodiversity loss in Azerbaijan is the decrease in natural environments. This decrease has been due to human (anthropogenic) activities changing or destroying natural habitats. Industry and construction has had an extensive impact on natural habitats. For example, construction on the Absheron Peninsula has reduced the area of natural and unspoilt habitats, and as a result has caused a decrease in the biological diversity on the peninsula.
As a result of political events, 248 000 people fled from Armenia to Azerbaijan, and more than 700,000 people were displaced from the land occupied by Armenia. These people were settled in towns, temporary camps, hostels and incomplete buildings. New settlements have been constructed in order to improve the way of life for these people, but not all people could be resettled. Lack of public amenities is causing both health and environmental problems in these areas.

In years of 1990th, after getting independence by Azerbaijan creation of the National Program on Plant Genetic Resources was started.
Taking into account importance of the problem with a view to preserve and to use steady biodiversity, and also to meet the demands of the population for food-stuffs on the base of the President’s Decree of Azerbaijan a State Commission (SC) on Genetic Resources of the Biodiversity was created. Principal purpose of the SC was directed on creation of Strategy, Policy and Improvements of the National Program.
The principal purposes of the National Program on Plant Genetic Resources are: collecting, renew, duplication, studying, rational use, documentation and preservation of the genetic resources, stable maintenance of the country with the food-stuffs, steady development of the national economy.
For coordination of activity corresponding Ministries, Departments and Organizations a National Council and 8 working groups were created in the Commission.

in situ preservations of a biodiversity
To realize the protection of rare and disappearing species, 3 National parks, 16 natural reserves were organized in Azerbaijan.
Unique natural, at times primitive vegetative landscapes, i.e. a biological variety of flora and fauna of Azerbaijan were taken under protection there.
Side by side with preservation of disappearing species of plants as naturally developing populations (in situ) and with the organization for the purpose of preservations, reserves and etc., large-scale works on preservation of these species outside of a natural area (ex situ) are also necessary. First of all, it concerns to species, which are on the verge of disappearance. These species are also kept in the Botanical Gardens by creation of alive plant collections and seed bank.
As it is known, Azerbaijan is one of the stations of grain cereal origin, legume and some vegetable - melons, fruit-berry-crops and vine.
Now wild relatives of these crops and their areals were not revealed enough completely and purposefully, not collected, not studied, not provided with appropriate protection and were not involved in selection work. Therefore, for creation of new high-yielding varieties, as well improvement the existing ones it is, important not only to collect the big variety of crops of all genera and species, but also is rather valuable to have riches of gene fund, through the centuries being created by the nature, by the people and by the method of selection in various eco-geographical conditions in order practically to protect these plants from destruction and disappearance and to use them rationally for the blessing of mankind.

on farm/in situ pgr management
In Azerbaijan since ancient times local populations, farmers cultivated ancient aboriginal forms and varieties of bred cereals (wheat, barley, rice), legume (chick pea, lentil, string bean, horse beans, everlasting pea), fruit-berry crops (apple tree, pear, peach, apricot, pomegranate, fig, almonds, persimmon, vine, etc.), melons (melon, water-melon), fodder and other crops and they have been interested in their preservation and rational use.
Following industrial, agroclimatic division into districts, precise allocation of belts on thermal resources and zones on humidifying have allowed farmers and other production workers to specify the areas of the basic crops, including such valuable crops as: olive, pomegranate, fig, almond, persimmon, tea, orange, tangerine, saffron, etc. for constant using and preservation.
The National Program realizes and gives preference in the greater degree priority to realization and development of their corresponding methodology and strategy on in situ and on farm management of plant genetic resources which would provide their continuous and inexhaustible use and simultaneous preservation.

ex situ preservations of a collection
Since 1996 works on inventory, collecting, renewing, duplication and preservation of genetic resources are carried out according to the National Program. In this connection much work was conducted on collecting of grain, legume, vegetable and melon crops, fruit-berry crops and vine.
However, financial difficulties do not promote carrying out of planned works according to the programme of plant genetic resources. Nevertheless, ex situ plant genetic resources in the Republic were registered by the working groups.

Ex situ preserved collections

Crop varieties	Collections	Created varieties	Aboriginal varieties	Ancient forms	Wild species
Grain	13218	97	85	190	26
Legume	3824	8	20	5	17
Vegetable & melon	5800	83	232	440	60
Fruit-berry	6192	251	459	284	82
Vine	612	-	250	-	3
Fodder	786	7	10	-	30
Technical	1142	11	-	116	4
Total	31574	457	1056	1035	242

In the Botanical Gardens Collections about 2500 species and forms of arbustrum-scrub and grassy plants were collected. The Institute of Botany has 600 thousand herbaria, which embrace 3800 species.
On the basis of the Genetics and Selection Institute of the National Academy of Sciences the Genetic Resources Institute was created for Centralized Genebank establishment.
According to the National Program activity continuations of corresponding institutes in the field of collecting, studying, evaluation, preservations and rational use of genetic resources was assigned to the Institute.
The institute of Genetic Resources according to the Program coordinates activity corresponding institutes, which deal in grain cereals, legume, fodder, vegetable and melon, technical, fruit-berry, subtropical crops and vine as well wild relatives of the specified crops, herbarium material and microorganisms.
Still in due time, for the lack of necessary conditions for preservation, the most part of collection is given to the former VIR named after Vavilov (the Russian Federation), a few part was in a working collection, and the rest was lost. Therefore at present collecting, renewing and preservation of local genetic resources is the primary goal.
For documentation of Plant Genetic Resources on the world standard a National Inventory is carried out. In this purpose a National Information Network was established. A National Seminar on Training of inventory execution was carried out. Works on the inventory proceed. With creation of the National information infrastructure the system of the information and material exchange will be improved at a regional and international level. As a whole, it will promote improvement of work in this direction.

public knowledge
To provide preservation and rational use of plant genetic resources, for the foodstuffs and agriculture it is rather important constantly to inform interested people. For public notification on attraction of local population, the local and nongovernmental organizations, according to the National Program, articles were periodically published in the mass media, telecasts and performances on radio are prepared. Works with the local populations in provinces also were carried out and was explained the importance of Plant Genetic Resources preservation. The public awareness is a key for popularization mobilized resources and for development and maintenance of corresponding arrangements.
Hence in the Republic the Institutes cooperate with farmers and other private sectors directly by the methods of cooperation, which educates them on preservation and rational use of plant genetic resources.