In Kyrgyzstan, locals have long lived off the natural resources of the world's largest walnut-fruit forests. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socio-political changes this brought, the forests - and their rich biodiversity- have come under increasing threat from over-exploitation and grazing. But one local eco-tourism project is hoping to change that.
The fruit and nut forests of Central Asia are of global conservation importance. Characterized by their ancient walnut stands, they include a high diversity of fruit and nut-bearing trees, such as wild apple, pear, cherry, plum, hawthorn, barberry, pistachio, almond, mulberry and maple. Many are the ancestors of varieties now domestically cultivated and consumed around the world.
These wild relatives are an important storehouse of genetic diversity. Evolving in distinct mountainous microclimates, the untapped scientific potential of these species could be used to develop new tree varieties with beneficial attributes, such as disease resistance and climate tolerance.
Despite their exceptional ecological and economic importance, these wild forests are among the most threatened ecosystems
In Kyrgyzstan, just 4.5 percent of the land remains forested; only 630,000 hectares are fruit and nut forest. In nearby Tajikistan, total forest area has fallen to just 3 percent, leaving the country with only 410,000 hectares of forest cover.
Ten years ago, Flora & Fauna International established a partnership with Botanic Gardens Conservation International and a global network of botanical colleagues to preserve the world’s most threatened tree species, to help the local forestry teams carry out their forest management role, providing training and necessary equipment. The project is also teaming with communities to explore options for sustainable harvesting and marketing of natural forest products. In the future, we hope to include a small grants program to enable local communities to develop their own social and environmental initiatives — such as commercial beekeeping — to further reduce the pressure on the fruit and nut forests while improving livelihoods.