Submitted by Saba Iakobidze, Regional Ambassador in Georgia of the 22nd Eco-generation Program

Tbilisi, Georgia

 

Researching for Georgian red list was quite laborious work as information is specific and resources available in the English language are not that many., Nevertheless, knowing that with my research I would help fellow ambassadors in the different parts of the world to learn about endangered flora and fauna species in Georgia, boosted my motivation and gave courage to me during this work.

 

Every country has its own red list species where endangered or nearly extinct specimens of flora and fauna are written. Unfortunately, new members are continuously added to this red list. I personally think that there should be more strict laws regarding hunting and chopping wood, because as we see the worrisome results with our own eyes and hear them with our own ears, the situation is worsening globally, and Georgia is not an exception. 

 

My region, the Caucasus has rich biodiversity, most of Caucasus’s endemic species are in Georgia. Georgia has both endemic flora and endemic fauna, which are heavily protected under the Georgian law because endemic species are the most crucial and sensitive parts of the ecosystem. One of those species is Georgian Almond; it is endemic to Georgia and Caucasus region, it is called Amygdalus Georgica. It was included in the red list as endangered in 2006. Seeds of Georgian almond are used in medicine. A major threat for Georgian almond is the conversion of habitat and livestock grazing, however, seeds are not used for eating.[1] Other notable specimens are Megrelian birch, which is actually a small shrub located in North-West Georgia; it is a relict species. It was found in 1934, then its seeds were transported to Moscow in 1971 and they grew in Moscow Herbarium until they eventually died. The species were eventually rediscovered in 2013 in the Western Georgian region of Samegrelo. The original name of this relict plant is Betula Megrelica. [2]

 

There are many other species to talk in detail, like Nitaria Shoberi which is considered to be one of the rarest species in Georgia and it got included in the Red List in 2006. These species are a remnant woody which forms small populations and is under a big threat because of cutting and grazing.3

 

I hope with this report I have raised awareness among our group of regional ambassadors about the endangered flora and fauna species in Georgia, and this information will help my fellow ambassadors to acquire information about their own countries. More information we will have about the problems what the endangered species face, more we will be able to think about actions to support and rescue them from full extinction locally and globally.

 

[1] http://globaltrees.org/threatened-trees/trees/betula-megrelica/ – Access date: July 13-14, 2019

2 http://globaltrees.org/projects/supporting-native-plants-conservation-georgia-caucasus/ – Access date: July 15, 2019

3 https://www.bgci.org/our-work/projects-and-case-studies/conservation-action-for-the-georgian-almond/  – Access date: July 16, 2019

 Supporting photos ¹ and ³