FAYVUSH, GEORGE. Institute of Botany, Yerevan 375063, Armenia. - Agrobiodiversity of Armenia.
Human life is absolutely impossible without pants. Plants however, in
most cases, are completely independent from human activity.
Nevertheless, in some cases because of human activity or inactivity,
many species of plants are threatened with extinction. Whereas, among
them there are species with huge significance for human life, and in
the first place representatives of agrobiodiversity. Armenia is a
small mountainous country located in the Caucasus region. Its
territory covers less than 30,000 km2 and presents a complex terrain
with a high diversity of vegetation and ecosystems. The country
combines different habitats like deserts and semi-deserts, alpine
meadows, forests, feather grass steppes, and others. The diversity of
natural and climatic conditions, the location of the country at the
crossroads of different floristic regions, and an active geological
record has resulted in the presence of 3,500 species of vascular
plants. Armenia is a center of species diversity for many genera such
as Centaurea, Pyrus, Astragalus, etc. The local endemic flora
comprises more than 120 species. N. I. Vavilov identified Armenia as
one of the centers of biodiversity for wild relatives of cultivated
plants and as one of the centers of origin of cultivated plants
(wheat, pea, lenses, grape, etc.). Also there is a significant
diversity of other wild relatives of cultivated plants. A total of 543
species has been recorded here. The list comprises of 4 genera (22
species) of wild relatives of grain cultures, 3 genera (6) of
grain-bean plants, 21 genera (366) of fodder, 6 genera (65) of
vegetable crops, and 22 genera (62) of fruit-berry plants. According
our investigations about half of them are endangered. We have
elaborated a project for the conservation and sustainable use of
agrobiodiversity of Armenia. We would like to ask for your assistance
in its implementation.
Key words: agrobiodiversity, Armenia, conservation, sustainable use, useful plants, wild relatives