Fifth National Report of the Republic of Armenia to the Convention on Biological Diversity September 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... 5 PART 1. THE STATUS AND TRENDS OF BIODIVERSITY, THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY IN ARMENIA AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN WELL-BEING ..................... 14 1.1 General information on the country and its biological diversity .............................. 14 1.2 Importance of biodiversity for Armenia .................................................................. 15 1.3 Main changes and trends of the status of biodiversity in Armenia during 2009- 2013 ..................................................................................................................... 18 1.3.1 Landscapes and ecosystems ........................................................................ 18 1.3.1.1 Semidesert zone ............................................................................ 19 1.3.1.2 Steppe zone ................................................................................... 20 1.3.1.3 Forest zone .................................................................................... 21 1.3.1.4 Sub-alpine and alpine meadow zone.............................................. 25 1.3.1.5 Intrazonal ecosystems ................................................................... 26 1.3.2 Flora and Vegetation .................................................................................... 28 1.3.3 Fauna ........................................................................................................... 34 1.3.4 Water biodiversity ......................................................................................... 37 1.3.5 Agrobiodiversity ............................................................................................ 41 1.4 The main threats to ecosystems and important components of biodiversity, their causes and mechanisms of impact ............................................................... 43 1.4.1 Loss of habitats ............................................................................................ 45 1.4.1.1 Open mining ................................................................................... 45 1.4.1.2 Construction (urban development, road construction, reservoir construction ....................................................................................... 46 1.4.1.3 Agriculture ...................................................................................... 46 1.4.1.4 Loggings ........................................................................................ 48 1.4.1.5 Hydropower production .................................................................. 49 1.4.1.6 Recreation and tourism .................................................................. 49 1.4.2 Overuse of bioresources ............................................................................... 50 1.4.3 Environmental pollution ................................................................................ 51 1.4.4 Impact of alien species ................................................................................. 52 1.4.5 Climate change............................................................................................. 55 1.5 The impact of biodiversity changes on ecosystem services, and its socio- economic and cultural consequences ................................................................... 57 PART 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN OF ARMENIA ....................................................................................... 64 2.1 General analysis ................................................................................................... 64 2.2 Activities undertaken in Armenia on implementation of the Convention during 2009-2013 and their main outcomes ..................................................................... 66 2.2.1 Improvement of legislation ............................................................................ 66 2.2.2 Improvement of the management system ..................................................... 67 1 2.2.3 In-situ conservation of biodiversity ................................................................ 68 2.2.4 Ex situ conservation of biodiversity ............................................................... 69 2.2.5 Reforestation and afforestation activities ...................................................... 72 2.3 The role of international cooperation and international programs in biodiversity conservation ....................................................................................... 73 2.4 Mainstreaming biodiversity considerations in the sectoral and intersectoral strategies, plans and programs ............................................................................. 81 PART 3.THE OUTCOMES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AICHI BIODIVERSITY TARGETS IN ARMENIA ............................................................................................... 86 Appendix 1: Information concerning the reporting Party and preparation of the Fifth National Report ........................................................................................................................... 98 Appendix 2: Main features of different vegetation types ............................................................. 101 Appendix 3: Distribution of some animal taxa by landscape belts of Armenia ............................ 103 Appendix 4: Species richness of highest taxa of Armenia fauna ................................................ 104 Appendix 5: Map of the Specially Protected Nature Areas of Armenia. ...................................... 106 2 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ADA Austrian Development Cooperation AMD Armenian Dram ANAU Armenian National Agrarian University ASPB Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds ATP Armenia Tree Project BMU Building and Nuclear Safety, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety of Germany BMZ Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany BSAP Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan CARMC Community Agricultural Resources Management and Competitiveness CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CE Continuing Education CENN Caucasus Environmental NGO Network CEPF Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund CI Conservation International CIMMYT International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CJSC Closed Joint Stock Company CM/ResDip European Diploma of Protected Areas CNF Caucasus Nature Fund CCN Civil Cooperation Network ENA-FLEG Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Programme ENPI-FLEG European Neighborhood Policy Instrument – East Countries Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Programme ES Ecosystem Services EURISCO web catalogue of ex-situ specimens under the European Cooperative Program for Plant Genetic Resources FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FSC Forest Stewardship Council GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environmental Facility GIS Geographic Information System GIZ German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation HPP Hydropower Production ICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature 3 KfW German government-owned development bank LLC Limited Liability Company MSBP Millennium Seed Bank Project NAS RA National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan NGO Non Governmental Organization OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe PoWPA Program of Works on Protected Areas RA Republic of Armenia RECC Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus REDD Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation SHPP Small Hydropower Plants SNCO State Non-Commercial Organization SPNA Specially Protected Nature Areas TEEB Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization USAID United States Agency for International Development WB World Bank WWF World Wide Fund for Nature 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Armenia is a typical mountainous country, where the landscapes and ecosystems form a complex multi-functional system. In general, ecosystems of Armenia are characterized by a number of peculiarities, which all together contribute to formation of rich and unique biodiversity. Geographical distribution of main biotypes of flora and fauna of Armenia is conditioned by vertical zonation and topographic diversity of the area, thanks to which biodiversity of each zone is characterized by its species composition, qualitative and quantitative indicators and consequently its specialized role. Dependent on the geological history of the areas, landscape components and local climate 10 landscape-climatic zones have been formed in Armenia. Their typical conditions contributed to formation of high diversity of habitats of flora and fauna species and as a consequence the presence of unique communities, high level of endemism as well as rich agrobiodiversity. The abundance of species composition of biodiversity