TUSHETI FOREST BIODIVERSITY AND ITS ECOLOGICAL CONDITION

Abstract

Tusheti is located on the southern slopes of the northern (opposite) ridge of the greater Caucasus main ridge, on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus main ridge and in the Tusheti basin between them. Unique pine trees occupy a large part of the total area of Tusheti protected landscape. Subalpine birch and pine forests are also common in small areas. Vital populations of large mammals, a variety of communities including predator-victim systems, can exist in Tusheti protected areas. Tusheti Protected Areas are an important part of the large biological corridor of the Caucasus Mountains. It is especially important for endemic species such as Caucasian tur, Caucasian grouse and partridge. In terms of flora and vegetation, Tusheti is one of the richest places in Georgia. Of the more than 1,000 vascular species of 92 families distributed here, 231 are endemic to the Caucasus. Tusheti vegetation includes forests, subalpine forests and shrubs, subalpine and alpine meadows, subnival and deciduous floristic complexes. Each of these basic cenoses, in turn, is still represented by many private variants that differ from each other in structure and species composition.