Landscape of the Aghgol Ramsar area

Abstract

The article deals with natural conditions and present landscape of the Aghgol National park (Aghgol Ramsar Area). The work has been based on author’s field research and respective scientific materials. A large-scale landscape map of the mentioned national park has been compiled together for the first time with distinctive features of landscape types and kinds. Aghgol, situated in the Mil plain of the Kur-Araz lowlands has a semi-desert landscape and is an important overwintering and nesting place for birds. In the dry areas of the National Park, grass-swamp, gray-grass, saline and silicified grass-swamp, saline and silicified gray-grass soils are widespread. Its largest part is the Lake Aghgol, an internationally recognized area of global importance which was declared as Important Bird Area (IBA) when it was placed in the list of Ramsar wetlands of international importance in 2001. The Aghgol national park was founded on the basis of Aghgol natural reserve, Aghgol state preserve and adjoining territories under a decree of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic dated July 5, 2003. The main purpose of the creation of Aghgol National Park is to protect important wetlands, the semi-desert landscape characteristic of that area, endangered species of fauna living in and around the lake, to reintroduce some species of fauna characteristic of the area to their former territories, as well as to monitor the environment, to ensure the ecological education of the population and the development of ecotourism. The lake is mostly surrounded by reeds. The park is designed to protect the marshy ecological system, as the nesting and wintering places of migratory and water birds. Aghgol has been incorporated into the list of UNESCO’s convention «On internationally important marshy areas as the residing places of birds».