Hirkan National Park


Hirkan National Park — is a national park of Azerbaijan. It was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in an area in Lankaran Rayon and Astara Rayon administrative districts on February 9, 2004 on the basis of the former "Hirkan State Reserve" which it superseded, on a surface area of. It was enlarged by presidential decree on April 23, 2008 from to.
The area of Hirkan National Park is 99% covered by forests in a primarily mountainous region, and is strictly protected. It constitutes one of the largest contiguous forests in Azerbaijan, which is not interrupted by any settlement or pasture.
The Hirkan National Park protects the humid subtropical and humid temperate forests in the area of the Lenkoran Lowland and the Talysh Mountains, sheltering many endemic plant and animal species.
The ecosystem of the Hirkan National Park, belongs to the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests ecoregion, an area of lush deciduous broadleaved lowland and montane forests that completely cover the Talysh Mountains and partially cover the Lankaran Lowland.

Climate

The Hirkan National Park normally has very high humidity and precipitation throughout the year, averaging from 1,400 mm to 1,600 mm per year in the lowlands to 1,800 mm per year in the mountains. The maximum annual precipitation is the highest precipitation in Azerbaijan.
The Hirkan National Park has a humid subtropical climate in the lowlands, an oceanic climate in the middle elevations and a humid continental climate on the mountain peaks.
The variety of elevations, the abundant rainfall, and the presence of old growth forests give the park an unusual richness of biota.

Flora and fauna

Flora

This area preserves many endemic plants species, relicts of the Tertiary period which were not affected by Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations.
The Caspian Hyrcanian forests account for 150 endemic species of trees and bushes out of 435 species of trees and bushes. Some endemic tree species are, the Hyrcanian box tree, Caucasian pear, Lenkoran acacia, chestnut-leaved oak, Caucasian oak, Caucasian ash, European ash, European hornbeam, Oriental hornbeam, Oriental beech, Caucasian persimmon, Caspian locust tree, Caucasian alder, black alder, white poplar Caucasian wingnut, Persian ironwood, Caucasian zelkova, butcher's broom, velvet maple, Cappadocian maple, wych elm, Caucasian lime tree, wild cherry, wild service tree, sweet chestnut, among many others.
Shrub species occurring in the area include the poet's laurel, Hyrcanian holly, greenbrier, common ivy, etc.

Fauna

There are several endemic subspecies of birds, of which the Caspian tit subspecies of the titmouse; the Caucasus pheasant subspecies of the common pheasant of the Talysh Mountains are common.
The Caspian tiger once roamed these mountains, but is now extinct. Other large mammals here are the Persian leopard, lynx, brown bear, wild boar, wolf, golden jackal, jungle cat, red fox, roe deer, badger, otter, etc.
The Persian leopard subspecies of the leopard, lives in the southern regions in Azerbaijan, primarily in the Talysh Mountains, Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhichevan. Despite occasional sightings, it was not clear whether leopards had been extinct in Azerbaijan by the late 1990s until a species was caught on camera in March, 2007 in the Hirkan National Park.

Expansion and reforestation

The Hirkan National Park was established in 2004 on the basis of the Hirkan State Reserve which it superseded, on a surface area of, it was enlarged in 2008 to.
The plain part of the Hirkan National Park lies within the Lankaran Lowland. The Moscow Forest is the only preserved part of the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests which covered most of the lowland, that was later cleared for agriculture.
However, there is a reforestation program of the lowland, on a designated non-forested lot which is the only non-cultivated land on the plain, in order to restore the ecology to its previous forested state. This lot will become the second forest in the lowland after the Moscow Forest and once it is reforested, it will become an additional part of the Hirkan National Park in the lowland.

UNESCO Status Application

For the purpose of including the Hirkan National Park and the Caspian Hyrcanian forests respectively into UNESCO's World Heritage Site list of cultural and natural heritage and Biosphere Reserves Programme, documents substantiated from the scientific point of view have been prepared and introduced to the UNESCO Secretariat.

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