Here, we aimed to identify important plant areas (IPAs) in the Fergana Valley, one of the most densely human-populated regions in Central Asia with a diverse array of endemic and endangered species. The IPA programme in FV aims to identify and protect a global network of plant conservation sites. We conducted a field survey from 2018 to 2021 to re-identify specimens collected from Fergana Valley and stored at the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH). An analysis of the floristic, geobotanical and collected data allowed for the identification of the badlands in the northern foothills (Chap tract and surrounding areas) as an IPA site. We modified the interpretation of criterion A for IPAs to suit the circumstances of Mountainous Central Asia and documented the distribution of 29 species in the IPAs under these sub-criteria. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify an IPA in Uzbekistan and provide geographic coordinates with locations for the herbarium specimens used to create the IPA set for Central Asia. Our study provides a foundation for applying future IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving rare and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species.
This paper discusses identifying Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in one of the most densely populated regions of Central Asia—the Fergana valley. The recognition of IPA sites is an attempt to introduce new ways of conserving local plant diversity with a high concentration of endemic species in Central Asia, where conservation methods of the former Soviet Union still prevail. The research revealed the current state and geography of many rare species and enriched the flora of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan with several rare species. The second IPA is the transboundary territory of the Fergana valley, uniting the southern spurs of the Chatkal range and the Ungortepa-BozbuToo massif. We documented the distribution of 62 species in the IPAs under the sub-criteria of Plantlife International. Our study aimed at continuing studies on the IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving national endemics and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species.
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