CBD Fourth National Report - Azerbaijan (English version)

Country Study on Biodiversity and Fourth National Report
The Republic of Azerbaijan
• State-owned Varvara reservoir is situated on the Kura River, to the south-east of
Mingachevir and covers 2,140 ha. The reservoir supports a high diversity of zooplankton,
algae, phytoplankton, and higher plants. Of the 34 species of fish found in the lake, 16 are
considered economically important.
• Jhandargol Lake is situated on the border with Georgia and covers 1,250 ha. Its water is
used for irrigation, and the lake supports an important fishing industry. The lake is rich in
biodiversity, including four globally threatened bird species 5 , and an important reed bed
community.
There are many wetlands and water bodies in Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, which
support varied hydrophytic vegetation (nearly 210 species or water, wetland or marshland
plants have been recorded). Although water plants have not been well described in the
Republic, they include duckweeds (Lemna spp.) and pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.). Other
species are more associated with water margins and marshes 6 In general cover and
productivity in these wetland and marshland systems is low.
Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
Picture
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of
water in the world, covering 436,000 km 2 , with
borders on five countries 7 . The surface of the
Caspian is at 27 m below the level of the world’s
oceans, although historically the level fluctuates.
The deepest point is 1,023 m (the Lenkoran hollow),
but the average depth is just 184 m.
In general the water of the sea is not fresh, but
brackish, (three times less concentrated than the oceans). The Caspian Sea is not a
homogenous water body due to the influx of water with different compositions in different
areas. In general the north Caspian is less salty (due to the influx of water from the Volga and
Ural rivers), and more species diverse than the middle or southern areas. However, nearly all
of the indigenous species are found in the middle of the Caspian where the water composition
is stable.
The Caspian provides a characteristic ecosystem that differs from the major oceans of the
world. The sea is of global importance due to the high biodiversity, large number of endemic
species (see Table 3.2), and the presence of globally threatened bird and fish species,
including the economically important sturgeon. The region is also a migration route for
millions of birds moving from Africa and the Mediterranean to Central Asia and India. To
date 446 bird species have been recorded in the Caspian, of which 120 species breed, 62
species over-winter, and 278 species migrate through.
Table 3.2 Number of endemic species found in the Caspian
Phylum Subphylum Class Subclass Order Number of
endemics
5 Lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus), pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), Dalmatian
pelican (Pelecanus crispis) and imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca).
6 For example, Convolvulus persicus, Heliotropium ellipticum, Halacnemum strabilaceum, Salicornia
europaea, Puccinellia qiqanteae, and Chenopodium rubrum
7 Russian Federation, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Turkmenistan and
Islamic Republic of Iran.
29
2009