KGZ 29: Key biodiversity area Karkyra

Sibiraea tianschanica

Status: CR. Endemic, ornamental and rare Northern Tien Shan plant.
Biological description of the species: Low shrub up to 0.5 m in height, with thick dark brown stems. The leaves are narrowly lanceolate, sessile, 2 - 6 cm long and 4 - 8 cm wide, with a sharp apex ending in a short point, glabrous towards the base, sometimes with ciliated edges. Flowers 5 mm in diameter are collected in racemes 2.5 cm long, sit tightly on a thin axis, and the racemes are collected in a panicle, the lower ones on pedicels 0.5 - 3 mm in length. The axes of the inflorescences are peduncles and hypanthium with dense and long pubescence. Leaflets are glabrous, up to 4 mm long and 2 mm wide.
Features of biology. Reproduction is by seed and vegetative. Blooms in VI and bears fruit in VIII.
The distribution is general throughout the country. Northern Tien Shan (Ketmen, Zailiysky, Kungey and Terskey Alatau ranges). In Kyrgyzstan - the upper reaches of the rivers Kyok-Jar (Terskey Ala-Too) and Syutty-Bulak (Kungey Ala-Too).
Places of growth. Upper mountain belt: thickets of shrubs and elfin juniper, clearings in sparse spruce forests, cryophytic medium-grass (subalpine) and short-grass (alpine) meadows. Found alone and in small groups.
Number. No information available.
Limiting factors. Suffers from excessive pressure on pastures when grazing livestock. Shoots and undergrowth are almost absent.
Cultivation. It was repeatedly tested in the arboretum-reserve of the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz SSR. When sowing in autumn, seedlings appear in April. With the onset of high temperature and dry air, they die.
Existing security measures. Included in the Red Book of the Kazakh SSR (1981), the Red Book of the Kirghiz SSR (1985).
Recommended security measures. Organize a botanical reserve in the upper reaches of the river. Kök-Jar. In the remaining areas, bring the species' populations under control.
Source of information: https://open.kg/about-kyrgyzstan/nature/red-book/fungi-and-higher-plants/31764-sibirka-tyanshanskaya-tyanshan-sibirchisi-tien-shan-sibiraea.html
Photo source: https://www.plantarium.ru/page/view/item/35579.html



Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)

Description. Much smaller than the gray crane. The general color of the plumage of the body is light gray, the head is black with a narrow gray "cap" and white feathers decorating behind the eyes, the shape of the head is more rounded than that of the Common Crane. The entire neck is black in front, with elongated black feathers hanging down to the chest. Juveniles are brownish and reddish-gray. Weight 2–3 kg, length 90–100 cm, wing 44.0–54.0 cm, wingspan 165–185 cm.
Biology. Nesting migratory bird. Inhabits steppe and semi-desert plains and foothills, often near water, sometimes nests in grain fields. Appears in March - early April in spring. A massive migration takes place in the foothills of the Western Tien Shan at the Chokpak Pass, through which flocks of up to several hundred and even thousands of birds fly day and night, in total more than 15 thousand cranes per season every year. Most birds observed from April 1 to April 20, and the last spring birds were recorded in mid-May, although in other regions the migration lasts until the end of May. Breeds in separate pairs not close to each other. The nest is located on bare ground or on ground with sparse vegetation and a few small stones. Clutch 1-3, usually 2 eggs occurs in late April - May. The female incubates the clutch for approximately one month from the date of laying the first egg, while the male guards the territory within a radius of up to 1.5 km around the nest. Chicks are born in late May - June, both parents take care of the offspring. Young birds begin to fly in late July - August. Autumn migration begins from the end of August, when the broods gather in flocks, and is not as impressive as the spring migration. Separate flocks fly through the mountains, but the number of each of them does not exceed 80-100 individuals. An unusual gathering of about 12,000 Demoiselle Cranes, stopping for rest, was observed on Kyzylkol Lake on September 7-8, 2005. On the Chokpak pass, the last autumn birds are observed at the end of October.
Sources of information: https://birds.kg/v2taxon.php?s=100&l=ru
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. E.I. Gavrilov. "Fauna and spreading of birds in Kazakhstan". Almaty, 1999.
Ryabitsev V.K. "Birds of the Urals, the Urals and Western Siberia". Ekaterinburg. Publishing House of the Ural University, 2000.