Georgia: For the first time in Georgia, an electronic database of rare and relic forest species was created under the project “Study of Rare and Relict Species of Georgian Forest.” It was funded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific Foundation of Georgia and led by Nani Goginashvili.
The project was implemented under the leadership of Nani Goginashvili, Head of the Research Service of Agro-Forest Cultures, with the participation of Georgian and Austrian scientists. The purpose of the study was to study rare and relic plants found in the country’s forest ecosystems and to create an electronic database about them.
According to Levan Ujmajuridze, Head of the Scientific and Research Center of Agriculture, the creation of such a base is an important step towards preserving the country’s biodiversity and strengthening international scientific cooperation.
“Our forests are rich in unique genetic resources.” The database of rare and relic species will be an important source not only for Georgia, but also for the international scientific society, noted Levan Ujmajuridze.
During the project, 18 rare and relic species were studied, among them special attention was paid to unique relic species spread in Georgia – Kolkur oak (Quercus hartwissiana), Ponto oak (Quercus pontica), Zelkova carpinifolia. And Lapan (Pterocarya pterocarpa).
“Our forests are rich in rare, relic species, whose locations are small and information often scarce.” We have done an inventory of such species and created a database of Georgian and English languages. “At the same time, the spread maps have been compiled and the results will be posted on the international platform,” said Nani Goginashvili, the head of the Center’s Research Service of Agro-Foreign Cultures.
Scientific expeditions were carried out as part of the project, seed samples were collected and stored in the seed bank following appropriate standards, which ensures the protection of the genetic resources of rare species and the possibility of their recovery in the future.
Within the framework of the international partnership, Dr. Berthold Heinze, Head of the Genomic Research Laboratory of the Austrian Forest Research Center, was involved in the project. According to him, the study of rare oaks of Georgian forests will significantly add to the systematics and genetic database of European oaks.
The project strengthens Georgia’s participation in the global conservation of forest genetic resources. The database will be available in the near future on the international platform – Global Forest Watch.
