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105:). Trials to obtain an original map showing boundaries of the reservation failed. Therefore, it is still unknown whether this discrepancy a result of a different delineation of the boundaries of the reservation in 1959, an approximation or uncertain measurements used in the governmental decision of 1959, historical changes in land use, or from the one or more factors acting together. Conservation of sandy habitats has been formulated a primary goal of the reservation in 1959. However field work done in 1998-2005 show that surrounding rocklands have their own conservation value, which somewhat exceeds that of sandy habitats. Rocky slopes support a number of critical wildlife species which are absent form the sandy habitats, or disappeared from sandy habitats but preserved in rocklands. Either way there is a need in re-determination of the boundaries of the reservation.
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erosion of the bed rock adding even more complexity in the structure of the landscape (Baghdasarian et al., 1971, Tadevosyan, 2001). Sandy habitats of the reservation remained a pretty large and wide ash-grey shore-line, thought there are no seas or lakes around. Presence of diatomite shelves in the sand is an evidence of its lacustrine or marine origin. Today, the closest water body is the river Vedi, which is intermittent in its lower flow, and usually dries out every summer. It is situated within almost 900 meters from the reservation and separated from it by the road and a wide line of agriculture lands. Within the reservation there are no other water bodies except for a few small ephemeral springs at the bottom of the deepest limestone canyons.
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The duration of freeze free period is approximately 200–220 days. Winter starts in the second decade of
November and end in the first decade of March. Depth of the snow cower 100–280 mm. Average temperature in January is - 4 °C. Spring is pretty short (from March to the 2nd decade of May) and dry with cool nights and hot days. An average monthly precipitation in the spring is about 10–15 mm, and an average air temperature is 26 °C. Summer is dry and hot. Fall starts at the third decade of September and ends until the 2nd decade of November. The most humid periods are November–February and then April–May (Baghdasarian et al., 1971).
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ephemeroids including
Rhynopetalum gibbosum, double flower tulip (Tulipa biflora), wolf iris (Iris lycotis), various wild anions (Allium ssp.) etc.,as well as small vertebrates Phrynocephalus helioscopus horvathi, juvenile Testudo graeca, who may get traumatised or even killed under the feet of multiple head herds of domestic sheep and goats, idly scattering the area of the reservation in all directions. Uncontrolled collection impacts Calligonum polygonoides, Phrynocephalus persicus, Testudo greaca. Road mortality does affects Phrynocephalus persicus, Eremias pleskei and Testudo graeca. Irrigation destroys habitats of almost all xerophilic species.
71:. The reservation was established by the government of the former Armenian Soviet Republic in 1959 in order to protect the unique flora and fauna of the largest (about 200 ha) known residual of sandy semideserts in Armenia. This reservation is a home for about 160 species of vascular plants, at least 36 species of vertebrate animals (Tadevosyan, 2001, 2002), as well as numerous lower plants, fungi, lichens, and invertebrates which were not summarised in the literature yet. The reservation supports a number of plant and animal species included into the Red List of Armenia, as well as 4 species included into the 2011 edition of the
97:(Tadevosyan, 2001-2006). One may imagine a landscape of the reservation as a half of a broken plate partly buried in the sand. From the North and the West sandy habitats clearly limited by the village of Goravan with its cemetery, fields, fruit and vegetable plantations. On the South and East Sandy paths create a complex mosaic with dry tan limestone ridges, and the boundary of the reservation in these directions is not defined. The original governmental decision of 1959, and a number of publications cited that document state that the Goravan State Nature Reservation covers 200 ha of sandy desert adjacent to the
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some of the majority of plant and animal species. Rocks of different size and position on the surface of the ground create a kind of shell which protects the soil from fast and deep drying, the plants from losing humidity and relatively heavy-bodied vertebrate animals from overheating and from predators. The characteristic vegetation of this habitat is called phryganoids. Here one can encounter very dryness resistant (xerophylic) relatives of woody plants like
Pallass's buckthorn (
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and travertine mining (few spots), dumping (several spots), military training using numerous heavy vehicles (few spots), agriculture (few spots) and uncontrolled and often illegal collection of wild plants and animals including rare and endangered species. The reservation is listed as an area of
National Priority in "Biodiversity of Caucasus Ecoregion (2001), as well as in the
79:. This means that the area being generally open to recreational and educational use, should be well controlled in order to prevent and manage landscape and habitat changing activities including melioration, reclamation and mining, as well as abuse of natural resources including flora and fauna or their certain representatives through
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Different types of ground and distance from the water source determine different composition of biodiversity (Tadevosyan, 2001; 2002). Limestone rocks and their outcrops were found to be richest in diversity of vascular plants (102 species) and vertebrate animals. Habitats of spring beds support just
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village at 900–950 m above sea level. However, the most recent field surveys and analysis of LandSat satellite images demonstrate existence of more than 10 patches of sandy semi-desert with total area of only 175 hectares and situated between 894 and 1060 m above sea level (Tadevosyan, 2005, 2006a,b)
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Artemisia semi-desert is the most characteristic habitat of the whole arid zone, where the reservation is situated. Artemisia semidesert supports extremely dry-resistant and heat-resistant generalist species. Here one can encounter associations of
Artemisia fragrans with different saltworts (Salsola
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and over-collection of eatable wild plants, etc. However, expert surveys performed in 1998-2008 (Tadevosyan, 2001-2006) show that due to the lack of control and even a formal administration, the land of the reservation was intensively used in very different ways including grazing (whole area), sand
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The
Goravan State Nature Reservation is situated within the arid climate zone. It is considered as a desert ecosystem with cold winters. Average annual precipitation is 200–300 mm; average annual air temperature is +12 °C, Absolute minimum is -25 °C, absolute maximum is 42 °C.
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destroys habitats of
Calligonum polygonoides, Phrynocephalus horvathi, Eremias Pleskei and Testudo graeca. Travertine mining destroys habitats of Rhynopetalum gibbosum, Testudo greaca, Eumeces schneideri, Treachylepis septemtaeniatus etc. Overgrazing impacts Calligonum polygonoides, a number of
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The landscape of the reservation is very mosaic. Sandy deposits which are the core of the reservation along with tertiary clayey deposits historically arose in
Pleistocene over the bed-rock - a Paleozoic limestone (Ararat Travertine). Later tectonic movements along with constant water and wind
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The
Goravan Reservation is situated on the predominantly North-West facing dry piedemonts of the Urtz mountain ridge. Due to the lack of management historically boundaries of the reservation were not well defined and some discrepancies about the position of the reservation have been documented
169:). Many of organisms inhabiting rocky outcrops critically need rock cover for protection from predators, incubation and hibernation. Therefore, extensive travertine mining in the neighbourhoods of the reservation carries a serious threat to the biodiversity of rocklands.
390:, particularly in sandy semi-desert. Native communities collect milfoil and use it for preparation of food. Milfoil is usually surrounded by numerous ant hills. Ants are vitally tied to this as well as other sand species. Links between ants and
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Goravan State
Reservation also supports about 36 species of vertebrate animals from 33 genera and 27 families (Tadevosyan, 2001), as well as various invertebrates. Seven species included into the National Red List: Horvath's sun-watcher lizard
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Tadevosyan, Tigran. 2001. Ex Situ Conservation of Rare and Endangered Psammophilic Species of The Flora and Plant Associations of Ararat Valley. Ph.D. Candidate Dissertation. Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, 161
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Tadevosyan T.L. 2007. The role of vegetation in microhabitat selection of syntopic lizards, Phrynocephalus persicus, Eremias pleskei and Eremias strauchi from Armenia. / Amphibia-Reptilia 28 (3): 444-448 available at (downloadable from
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559:) partition their resources through differences in thermobiology, food preferences, hunting strategies and microhabitat use. Humid habitats of streams, as well as urban lands support relatively large striped lizard
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Habitat of Tertiary Clay Semi-desert; is pretty narrow spread, and usually associated with rocky outcrops. This habitat is poor in biodiversity, It supports a number of saltworts, as well as endemic plant
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Humid habitats around streams and urban lands; look like a green oases. These habitats support some diversity of Tamarix species, different wild and domesticated crops, as well as amphibians and striped
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197:"Sandy Desert/Semi-desert Habitats"; support very specific psammophilic organisms. Many of psammophilic organisms are very sensitive to changes in depth and mechanical composition of the soil.
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Tadevosyan, T.L. 2006. Habitat Suitability for Reptiles in the Goravan Sands Sanctuary, Armenia / Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 1 (1) : 40-45. (downloadable from
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Sandy semidesert, which is the most unusual habitat type of the Goravan reservation is gradually shrinking due to overgrazing, mining and reclamation of neighbouring lands.
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The reservation supports about 160 species of vascular plants from 125 genera and 39 families (Tadevosyan, 2001, 2002). This diversity includes 12 Red List species:
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Tadevosyan, T.L. 2002. On the syntopical distribution of the flora in the ecosystem of "Goravan Sands". Flora, Vegetation and Plant Resources of Armenia
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88:'s list of Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspots. Therefore, there is a hope that changes still can be made in order to save this unique residual ecosystem.
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butterfly. Local people collecting roots and branches of the phog and use it as fuel. Also phog is intensively grazed by domestic goat and sheep.
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with dense white and green branches up to 1m long. Its roots are important for preventing sand movement. Phog is ecologically tied to one of
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Khanjyan, Nazik. 2004. Specially protected nature areas of Armenia. Ministry of Nature Protection, Rep. Armenia. (downloadable from
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The Goravan reservation supports a number of other wild plants in use by local peoples including several species of wild onions (
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The reptile fauna of the sanctuary is most well studied. It includes at least 13 species from 12 genera and 7 families.
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are specifically linked to sandy habitats and their closest neighborhoods. Within sandy habitats 3 lizard species (
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are linked to rock outcrops, which protect them from predators and overheat. Overage sized Shtrauch's racerunner (
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Tadevosyan, Tigran. 2005. Conservation of the Endangered Persian Sun Watcher Lizard: Step 1 (downloadable from
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The Goravan Sands Sanctuary is a protected nature area within the
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3 relatively large lizard species: Caucasian mountain agama
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insect species of Armenia occurring in Goravan sands -
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344:'Sands of Goravan is the only place in Armenia where
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Conservation Program for Persian Toad Headed Lizard
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651:Annotated listing of protected areas of Armenia
433:, fragrant representatives of the mint family (
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462:de Filippi, 1863), Transcaucasian racerunner
477:Trachylepis septemtaeniatus transcaucasicus
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160:Trachylepis septemlineatus transcaucasicus
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77:IUCN Protected Area Management Categories
376:Another notable species is the milfoil (
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484:Testudo graeca armeniaca (Testudidae),
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594:Photograph of lizard native to Goravan
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673:Tadevosyan's Herpetological Resources
497:Meriones meridianus dahli Schidlovski
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453:Phrynocephalus helioscopus horvathi
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886:Rhododendron caucasicum Sanctuary
359:occur. It is a leafless perennial
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468:(Lacertidae), Schneider's skink
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862:Hankavan Hydrological Sanctuary
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39:) is a state protected area in
865:Herher Open Woodland Sanctuary
823:Akhnabad Taxus Grove Sanctuary
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36:Gorravani avazutner argelavayr
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877:Juniper Woodlands Sanctuary
837:Banks' Pine Grove Sanctuary
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287:Calligonum polygonoides
221:Calligonum polygonoides
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17:Goravan Sands Sanctuary
898:Yeghegnadzor Sanctuary
403:Oligochaeta divaricata
334:Oligochaeta divaricata
328:Ceratocarpus arenarius
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889:Plane Grove Sanctuary
490:Bucanetes githagineus
482:spur-thighed tortoise
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251:Neogallonia szovitsii
233:Astragalus massalskii
227:Acantholimon araxanum
215:Salsola tamamschjanae
181:Scorzonera gorovanica
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883:Margahovit Sanctuary
880:Khor Virap Sanctuary
858:Gyulagarak Sanctuary
816:Wildlife sanctuaries
386:associations of the
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843:Gandzakar Sanctuary
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357:Fritillaria gibbosa
337:and numerous other
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59:General information
901:Zangezur Sanctuary
892:Sev Lake Sanctuary
840:Boghakar Sanctuary
833:Arzakan-Meghradzor
656:2011-05-31 at the
520:Eumeces schneideri
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549:P. persicus
339:psammophyte
295:), spurge,
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918:Categories
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581:References
557:E. pleskei
430:Scorzonera
768:Shikahogh
735:Lake Arpi
618:,: 96-99.
435:Lamiaceae
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384:xerophyte
341:species.
30:romanized
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194:lizards.
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21:Armenian
806:Yerevan
758:Erebuni
730:Dilijan
365:endemic
355:), and
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99:Goravan
69:Armenia
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32::
786:Ijevan
725:Arevik
424:Allium
412:, and
346:relict
173:ssp).
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