Research and Conservation

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Air quality

Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia was a largely industrial economy. Between 1988 and 1993 large scale industrial production, especially that of metals, collapsed. As a result, air quality has fluctuated greatly in Armenia over the last 15 years. Major air emissions have decreased by 93% between 1987 and 1998. Besides the collapse of industry, changes in energy production have also led to a decrease in air emissions. The movement toward nuclear fuel and natural gas and away from heavy fuels has increased air quality in the country. As Armenia continues its unrestricted economic growth and large scale industry resumes production air quality will undoubtedly again become a major issue in Armenia. The unregulated development in Yerevan currently threatens urban green spaces and subsequent air quality. The unique topography surrounding Yerevan and other major cities in Armenia makes them susceptible to thermal inversions. Such thermal inversions prevent the dissipation of pollutants and results in unusually high levels of air pollution in the cities. As the temperature increases in the city as a direct result of loss of green spaces, secondary pollutant production increases. These factors combine to make urban air quality particularly poor.

Sources and Links

http://countrystudies.us/armenia/22.htm
http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/armenia/soe2000/eng/air/aimpact.htm
http://www.unece.org/env/documents/2004/eb/Ministerial%20Statements/Armenia.E.pdf
http://countries.eea.eu.int/SERIS/SoEReports/view_on_coverage?country=am
http://www.mnpiac.am/osnoveng.html

Biodiversity

Armenia has an unusually high level of biodiversity because of its unique position geographically and topographically. Armenia is located at the confluence of three biogeographic regions (European, Asian and Middle-Eastern) and is part of the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot. In addition Armenia is extremely diverse topographically with a diversity of temperature and precipitation. Areas range from lowland deserts and semi-deserts to steppe, meadows and alpine and sub-alpine zones, wetlands and forests. Because of this Armenia comprises a wide range of both plant and animal species with nearly 23% of plant species and 10% of animal species being endemic. Armenia is also home to many of the world’s domesticated food plants, including wheat. A stroll through the mountain meadows will reveal many species of mint, thyme, oregano and dill. Armenia’s biodiversity is currently under threat from deforestation, land use change, poaching and ultimately climate change

Sources and Links

http://enrin.grida.no/biodiv/biodiv/national/armenia/
http://www.nature-ic.am/biodiv/index%20eng.html
http://www.rufford.org/rsg/Projects/reports/khorozyan_report_nov_2002.doc
http://www.unece.org/env/epr/studies/armenia/chapter05.pdf
http://www.cac-biodiversity.org/arm/arm_inst.htm
http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/pa/pa0408_full.html

Climate Change

Climate change is a global issue with critical implications for Armenia . Base line predictions for the country include an increase in temperature of 2-3°C and a decrease in precipitation of 10-15% by the year 2100. The implications of increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall are many. Endemic and rare species are threatened as their habitats move and decrease. The areas of the sub-alpine belt and alpine meadows will be reduced while desert and semi-desert areas will increase. River flow is predicted to decrease by 15% resulting in shortages of water for irrigation and electricity generation. Such decreases in river flow will likely cause a significant decrease in the level of Lake Sevan . Increased evaporation as a result of increased temperature will also impact the level of Lake Sevan . Agriculture will suffer as th finest pasture areas in the alpine and sub-alpine belt are decreased 20-60% and crop yields decrease from 7-23%.

Sources and Links

http://www.nature-ic.am
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/climate/country_nar/armenia.html
http://www.undp.am/?page=environment
http://www.climate.org/CI/asia.shtml

CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Illegal logging

Illegal logging threatens the few remaining forest of Armenia . However, the true scale of the problem isn’t well understood an account of a lack of information. In 1991 forest cover was approximately 100%. Today that has been reduced to approximately 8% cover. If cutting continues unabated the remaining forests may be destroyed within the next 20 years. Illegal logging is in large part associated with illegal cutting by villagers for heating and cooking, illegal cutting for use in urban areas and illegal cutting for export. Tax structures within Armenia encourage illegal cutting for export and discourage the import of wood. The loss of Armenia ’s forest will be devastating in terms of biodiversity loss, increasing erosion, increasing desertification and decreasing water supplies.

Sources and Links

www.armeniatree.org
http://www.illegal-logging.info/news.php?newsId=856
www.armenianforests.am
http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/docs/sem/2004-1/full_reports/Armenia.pdf
www.minagro.am

Water Quality

Water quality in Armenia must consider the State of Lake Sevan, the worlds second largest alpine lake with 80% of Armenias water resources, surface water quality and urban water quality. Water quality, both urban and surface, has varied greatly in Armenia over the last fifteen years as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic downturn. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Armenia was largely an industrial country. As a result effluents from industry were a common water pollutant. However, as a result of the large scale collapse of industry, industrial effluents decreased. At the same time, water treatment plants and drainage canals which were once maintained by the Soviet Union fell into a state of disrepair. Currently approximately 30% of urban housing supplies are contaminated and approximately 60% of household sewage is not treated and is discharged into surface water bodies. Lake Sevan, drained of approximately 50% of its volume during Soviet times, suffers eutrophication from agricultural and human waste. As industrial production increases threats to surface water supply from industrial effluents increases.

Sources and Links

http://www.usaid.gov/am/water.html
http://www.grid.unep.ch/product/publication/CEO-for-Internet/CEO/ch2_4_3.htm
http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/aglw/aquastat/countries/armenia/index.stm
http://www.unece.org/env/europe/monitoring/Armenia/en/Part%20I%20-%20Ch.3.pdf
http://www.mnpiac.am/osnoveng.html
http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/armenia/soe2000/eng/sevan/drfor.htm

Past Issues

The “Ani”ecoclub
The "Ani" ecoclub was launched by the Birds of Armenia project and the Shirak Diocese in Gyumri in 2003. Headquartered at the St. Hakob Church of Gyumri, the ecoclub hosted environmental classes and youth activities, and plaid an active role in all ecological actions of the city and marz. Teamed with the "Clear Yerevan" project, the "Ani" ecoclub of Gyumri launched the "Clean Gyumri” project. The last Saturday of every month the youth of Gyumri and Yereven gathered together to clear up trash in Gyumri.
Another action of the “Ani” ecoclub was “Let’s clean up our outskirts”. The area around the "Tsak Kar" natural monument in the neighborhood of Hatsik village in Shirak marz, was once a popular picnic place. More recently, it has become a popular dumping grounds for garbage. BOA is working to reverse the situation and to reestablish the site as a picnic grounds. Members of the "Ani" ecoclub, together with schoolchildren from the village, are now conducting regular clean-ups and tree-plantings at the site which are helping to give a new charm to the monument.
The festival “Let’s Help Birds Together” which was held in the central park of the city of Gyumri, brought young and old together in a real celebration of the natural world. Participants constructed bird-houses from pre-cut boards and then hung them on the trees. There was also a competition which involved identifying birds by their calls and songs, a "best-picture contest", and a number of other games. There were songs and dances throughout the Festival.

Winter Bird Feeding in Yerevan
Yerevan reservoir is a winter refuge for ducks, gulls, and other water birds. In the past when the reservoir froze over, the birds were forced to leave that site. BOA now helps water birds overwinter at the lake through the use of a floating bird feeder. This new food resource allows the birds to remain at the reservoir where they are able to breed the following spring. 2500 of Armenia’s entire population of 4000 ducks now breed in Yerevan Reservoir.

LAUGHING DOVE ON LINE
For the last several years a pair of Laughing Doves has nested in one of the offices of the 10th floor of the building that houses the National Academy of Sciences. BOA placed a web camera above the nest that allows employees of National Academy to watch the breeding process on a TV in the building’s lobby of the first floor. The videos also could be seen by visiting the Birds of Armenia Project web site.
Streptopelia senegalensis Length: 25-27 cm, Wingspan: 40-45 cm
S. s. phoenicophila YEAR-ROUND RESIDENT. UNCOMMON. Pink-brown above with gray-blue midwings and blackish primaries; pinkish below. Throat brown-orange speckled with black. In flight, outertail feathers are white with black bases, inner feathers are grayish. Similar Species Differs from other doves by intense colors, short blunt wings, long tail. Habitat Towns and villages. Food Seeds, green plants. Behavior Rather tame, forms flocks of 5-10 individuals. Perches on balcony railings, TV antennas, other objects, as well as in trees. Nest Platform of twigs in tree or on building ledge. Eggs 28 mm, 2, white. Incubation By both sexes, 12-14 day. Nestling Down hairy and dull yellowish-buff. Nestling Period Young tended by both adults. Begin to move from nest at 10 days, fly at 13 days.
References:
“A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia” 1997
“Handbook of the Birds of Armenia” 1999
“Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of British and European BIRDS” 1980
Pictures of Eurasian Collared-Dove and Eurasian Turtle-Dove are exposed to facilitate the comparison of look-alike species

Summer Biology Activities for 8th-10th Graders
The summer of 2004 was exceedingly interesting for the biology students of “Quant” college. Working together with the BOA they performed outdoor exercises in biology at the summer center of the college. The exercise helped them gain elementary and practical knowledge regarding field work. The students also took a course on the “Basics of Raptor Identification” and went on a field trip to ring and tag several raptors in the steep mountains of Lori. Most importantly, they helped discover three new bird species for the area.

Save the Armenian Gull
Armenian Gull breeds in lakes Sevan and Arpi in Armenia. At Lake Sevan it breeds in “Gull islands” which, as a result of constant of water level lowering in the lake, has joined the coast by the end of 1990-s, thus turning into a peninsula and has become open to predators and domestic cattle. Predators such as foxes and stray dogs caused much harm to Gulls by eating their eggs and nestlings. As for domestic animals, they trampled down the eggs wandering around the island.
The island became open to tourists who frightened the birds and raised panic among them. That harmful circumstance, as it may seem at first sight, had the most fatal consequences: eggs were getting too cold during the first period of nesting and in the period of mass hatching the frightened birds were leaving their nests. The parents in the useless search of their nestlings were pecking the other lost nestlings to death.
The only way to rescue the Armenian Gull was to turn its nesting into an island again. For that purpose, it was necessary to remove the isthmus, digging a channel between the island and the coast. Unfortunately, the corresponding departments didn't take active part in it for certain reasons, though they were well aware of the urgent need of isolation of the nesting place.
Thus, on 14 May, 1999, the project workers, equipping themselves with corresponding techniques, conducted land-utilizing works by digging 18 meters wide breach and 0.8-2.3 meters deep strait. In the same year we organized pilot monitoring of the nesting place of the Armenian Gull in “Gull islands” which testified that our efforts were not vain. The eggs and nestlings were saved! As a result, the generation of Armenian Gull was conserved. Each year before the beginning of nesting season we visit the island and measure the depth and width of the strait in order to step in again in case of need. Finally we would like to extremely thank Mr. Sarkis Acopian from Easton PA, USA who has supported our efforts and to “Hai Ognutian Fond” foundation for money transfer operations.

Toxic metals contamination
ECRC has been involved with research projects in collaboration with the University of California at Santa Cruz, the Institute of Geosciences in Armenia, and Johns Hopkins University in order to assess the environmental impact and public health threats of toxic metals contamination in Armenia's air, soil, and water. These projects were externally funded and have provided the only current and accurate information about metals in the Armenian environment.

Water quality
The Center has an ongoing interest in the conservation of Armenia’s surface water quality. In 2002, the Center designed and specified the equipment and procedures for a $500,000 water quality laboratory being built by USAID in the Ministry of Nature Protection. Also in that year, a student in the Certificate Program undertook the first independent assessment of nitrate contamination of drinking water in over 100 villages of the Ararat valley. She identified concentration gradients and hotspots that will form the basis for more focused research. Water quality also plays a role in wildlife success and distribution. This factor will continue to be a focus of ECRC research efforts.