Part I

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Draft Black Sea Regional Transmission Project ESIA 4.1.6.1.1 Gardabani Managed Reserve The transmission line crosses a narrow part of Gardabani Management Reserve very near the line’s origin at the Gardabani substation. The zone of significant ecological risk is associated with the floodplain forests in the Managed Reserve, which include relict mature floodplain forests formed either by floodplain oak (Quercus pedunculiflora), poplar (Populus hybrida), or both species. Associated components of the forests are comprised of approximately 30 species of trees and shrubs including many relict species, such as ivy (Hedera helix, H. pastuchowii), wild vine (Vitis sylvestris), greenbrier (Smilax excelsa), common privet (Ligusrrum vulgare), etc. Figure 4.1-13 shows an example of this forest. Such relict floodplain forests are very rare in Georgia. As a result, the forest in Gardabani Managed Reserve has the highest conservation value in the entire lowland. Apart from main components forming the forest being relicts (upper layer - Quercus pedunculiflora, Populus hybrida P. nigra, Ulmus minor, Salix wilhelmsiana, Crataegus curvisepala, C. pentagyna; lower layer - Hedera pastuchowii, H. helyx, Smilax excelsa, Vitis sylvestris, Clematis vitalba, Tamarix ramosissima, Cornus mas, Prunus spinosa, Ligustrum vulgare, Lonicera caprifolium, Elaeagnus angustifolia), the forest itself is unique in phytocoenological terms. Figure 4.1-13. Tugai forest in Gardabani Managed Reserve It is important to note that foundations for the line in the Managed Reserve were constructed from 1989 to 1991, so foundations should already exist in this area, and possibly towers as well. The Reserve is considered to be of high sensitivity (Figure 4-11a at the end of this chapter), but no other areas in this section are considered to be high or medium sensitive. 4.1.6.1.2 Other lowland and foothill areas The lowland areas of Gardabani and Kvemo Kartli section of the Project Corridor are represented mainly by agricultural lands and their associated irrigation systems (canals- Marini canal). The natural vegetation in these areas is very changed and reduced due to agricultural activities. The semidesert wormwood (Artemisia fragrans) communities are dominant here. Together with pure and mixed variants of worm-wood communities there also occur intermediate types mixed diffusely or completely with the variants of saltwort (Salsola spp.) desert. From other components one can see here Agropyron cristatum, Alhagi pseudalhagi, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Kochia prostrata, Limonium meyeri, Salicornia europaea, Salsola dendroides, etc. Wormwood communities with ephemers are found in Gardabani and Marneuli districts. They are dominated by the following ephemers: Adonis aestivalis, Astragalus brachyceras, Koelpinia linearis, Medicago minima, Queria hispanica (Minuartia hamata), etc. The foothill landscapes of Rustavi and Marneuli environs as well as eastern part of Trialeti region are characterized by semidesert, steppe vegetation and partly fragments of open woodlands (“light forests”). Present-day expansion of steppes is due to the anthropogenic influence on 58
Draft Black Sea Regional Transmission Project ESIA forests arid light forest and even on secondary shrubwoods (Sakhokia, 1961). The dominant species of steppe vegetation is beard-grass, Bothriochloa ischaemum (Andropogon ischaemum).. Beard-grass steppes are composed of 150-200 species of higher plants (Ketskhoveli, 1960; Gagnidze et al., 1996) and they are typologically very diverse. In pure beard-grass steppes the co-dominant positions are occupied by Eryngium campestre, Festuca valesiaca (F. sulcata), Cynodon dactylon, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Teucrium chamaedris, Teucrium polium, Thymus tiflisiensis, Galium verum, etc. The Gardabani plain foothill areas are Bothriochlota–Festuceta steppe, distinguished with greater species diversity (figure 4.1-14). In this community the co-dominant species are Festuca valesiaca, Medicago caucasica, Teucrium polium. There also occur Scorzonera eriosperma, Eryngium campestre, Thymus tiflisiensis, Onobrychis radiata, Medicago minima, Sideritis montana, etc. Undulate plain near Kvemo Samgoris Arkhi (Kvemo Samgori Canal) are represented by beard-grass (Bothriochloa ischaemum) – speargrass (Stipa capillata, S. lessingiana) Figure 4.1-14. Altered steppe near Marnueli steppe and Shibliak. Besides, there are fragments of hemixerophilic shrubwoods dominated by the single trees and shrubs (Celtis caucasica (GRL, RDB), Pyrus salicifolia, Rhamnus pallasii, Ulmus carpinifolia, Spiraea hypericifolia, etc.). From herbaceous components there are also Festuca valesiaca, Stipa lessingiana, S. stenophylla, Astragalus microcephalus, Gypsophila acutiloba, etc. Together with Celtis caucasica are found single GRL, RDB plants, viz. Pistacia mutica, Celtis glabrata and Astragalus caucasicus. Fragments of Festuceto (Festuca sulcata) – Bothriochlota communities, which are restricted to the slopes of hills, remain only at Jagluja (Nakhutsrishvili, 1999). In addition, hemixerophilic shrubwoods (like shibliak) fragments and almost semidesert wormwood (Artemisia fragrans) communities occur here. Leading species in these communities, Artemisia fragnans, is associated by the following perennials: Salsola dendroides, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Elytrigia repens, Agropyron cristatum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Cynodon dactylon, Petrosimonia brachiata, Daucus carota, Falcaria vulgaris, Limonium meyeri, etc. The geophytes are represented by the species of Iris, Tulipa, Gagea, Allium. Among the RDB plants, Iris iberica and Tulipa biebersteiniana are notable. The components of the xerophilic and hemixerophilic shrubwoods include such droughtresistant species as Paliurus spina-christi, Spiraea hypericifolia, Rhamnus pallasii, Astragalus microcephalus, Lonicera iberica, Caragana grandiflora. 4.1.6.2 Jagluja Hills – Tetritskaro In this section, the corridor passes from steppe vegetation influenced by humans to oakhornbeam broadleaved forests. Three figures show aspects of vegetation and flora in this section: Figure 4-2b shows ecosystems, Figure 6b shows various types of agricultural and other vegetation zones, and Figure 4-11b shows areas of medium and high sensitivity. All these figures are at the end of Chapter 4. As can be seen, a small length of the corridor east of Tetritskaro passes through an area considered to be of medium sensitivity. 59
Page 1 and 2:
Draft Black Sea Regional Transmissi
Page 3 and 4:
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Ajameti Managed Reserve !( !H Baghd
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14: Draft Black Sea Regional Transmissi
Page 21 and 22: Baghdati Ajameti Managed Reserve !H
Page 29 and 30: Baghdati Ajameti Managed Reserve !H
Page 63: Draft Black Sea Regional Transmissi
Page 75 and 76: Sedge dominated community with hill
Page 109: Draft Black Sea Regional Transmissi
show all

Part I

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?