Gumista (134)
Georgia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Gumista
Central coordinates: Latitude: 43.3167, Longitude: 40.6667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 250 to 2200
Area of KBA (km2): 402.05948
Protected area coverage (%): 49.95
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The gorge of the Eastern Gumista river and densely-wooded slopes of the Bzyb range, beyond which to the north lies Pskhu (site 002), between the Black Sea and the Great Caucasus. The principal tree species are Fagus, Castanea, Carpinus, Quercus, Abies, and Rhododendron.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: These records are for the whole Pskhu-Gumista Nature Reserve; see the site-account for Pskhu (site 002), which describes the avifauna of both sites (002 and 003).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 5 | |
| Forest | 85 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threat comes from the use for grazing of the unprotected flower-rich alpine and subalpine meadows lying between the Pskhu and Gumista Reserves: the grazing animals have to be driven through the protected forest areas to reach the meadows; there is pressure from grazing on the forest edge; poaching is a problem in an area above the tree-line which is the habitat of such rare species as Tetrao mlokosiewiczi. This IBA, together with Pskhu (site 002), lies within the Pskhu-Gumista Nature Reserve, which falls within the proposed Abkhazeti Protected Area, part of the Georgian protected-area system whose establishment is now under way.