Repetek (20733)
Turkmenistan, Central Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Repetek
Central coordinates: Latitude: 38.6033, Longitude: 63.2532
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 180 to 220
Area of KBA (km2): 935.09301
Protected area coverage (%): 44.53
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Repetek IBA is situated in the central part of the East Karakum. Typical features of the relief are large-ridge sands with barchan massifs and valley depressions. Large ridges have a meridional and submeridional direction. The slopes of the ridges are asymmetric; from the east - gentle slopes (5-8˚), from the west – more abrupt (23-24˚), passing into valley depressions. The relative height of the ridges is 15-20m, the distance between them is 6-7 km and the length is 8-10 km. Valley depressions adjoining the western slopes are characterized by the lowest hypsometric altitude and extend for 3-7 km with a width of up to several hundreds metres. In the west of the site the valley depressions are gradually replaced with eolian small-hilly dunes. The overall ruggedness of the relief is weak – 3-5m, in some places 7-8 m (Gunin, Darimov, Veyisov, 1972).
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: The avifauna of the Repetek IBA includes 201 species (Turkmenistan total – more than 400 species), including: non-migratory – 15 species, nesting - 18 species, wintering - 24 species, migrant - 125 species, vagrant - 3 species and passage - 16 species (Sopyyev, Atayev, 1991; Kurbanov, Кuzmenko, 2002). The following rare species are listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999): Aquila chrysaetus, Bubo bubo, Passer simplex, Circaetus gallicus, Falco naumanni, Chlamydotis undulata, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Pelecanus crispus, Platalea leucorodia, Aegypius monachus, Buteo buteo, Aquila heliaca and also the globally threatened Circus macrourus, Crex crex and Coracias garrulus. The following А1 species have been recorded but not in numbers sufficient to designate the site under this criterion - Chlamydotis undulata, Aegypius monachus, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni and Coracias garrulus. Criterion А3 applies for 14 species of the CA04b biome. Non-bird biodiversity: Invertebrates - more than 1,100 species, of which: Oniscidae - 1 species (Sabirova, Kaplin, 1974); Ixodidae - 9 (Afanasyeva, Sapojenkov, 1965, Krivokhatskiy 1981), Oribatei - more than 20 (Krivolutskiy, 1975); scorpions - 6 (Fet, 1980), spiders - 50 (Kaplin, 1978, Krivokhatsiy, 1982, Sabirova, 1972), Pseudoscorpiones - 4, phalanxes - 5, Myriapoda - 2 (Kaplin, 1978); insects - more than 1,000 species, including: bugs - 456, Lepidoptera - 171 (Svetaev, 1972), Braconidae - 54 (Alekseyev, 1972). Reptile - 22 species, including turtles - 1, lizards - 12, snakes - 9. The desert monitor (Varanus griseus) and a cobra are listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999) (Shammakov, etc., 2004). Mammals - 29 species: insectivores - 4, Chiroptera - 6, Lagomorpha - 1, rodents - 11, predators - 8, ungulates - 1 species. Porcupine, caracal, lynx and gazelle are listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999). Flora: 134 species: arboreal - 21, grasses - 104, mushrooms - 8 and mosses - 1 species (Mihelson, 1955); soil algae - 68 (Litvinova, 1972), Phycomycetae - 197 species (Veyisova, 1992). The vegetation communities of the barchan sand dunes have the greatest importance: Calligonum arborescens, Calligonum caput-medusae and Stipagrostis karelinii. On fixed hilly sands: white saxaul and Carex sp occur; in the valley depressions: black saxaul, Carex sp and Salsolas (Veyisov, 1975).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The site consists of a sand plain with large sand ridges and valley depressions. The mobile sand dunes (barkhans) have only sparse vegetation. Repetek is one of the few places in the Karakum Desert where desert forest of black saxaul (Haloxylon aphyllum), in the valley depressions, has been preserved.
Land use: agriculture (20%) | nature conservation and research (70%) | tourism/recreation (5%) | urban/industrial/transport (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 95 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: At present, the ecosystem of the IBA is considered to be in a safe condition. The greatest threat is overgrazing.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Nomadic grazing | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Alekseyev, Yu.I. (1972) To fauna and biology of Hymenoptera, Braconidae in East Karakum. Experience of studying and development of East Karakum. Ashgabat: Ylym. 87-95. (in Russian). Atayev, (1974) Some new data on ecology of Circaetus gallicus in East Karakum. Materials of VI Soviet-union ornithological conference. Moscow: Publishing house of the Moscow State University. 19-20. (in Russian). Atayev (1982) Biology of Scotocerca in East Karakum. Ornithology. №.17. Moscow. Publishing house of the Moscow State University. 98-100. (in Russian). Afanasyev, О.V., Sapojenkov, Yu.F. (1965) Materials to the fauna of Parasitiformes, Jxodidae on hare Lepus tolai in Turkmenistan. Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. Biology Science. 4 : 91-92. (in Russian). Veyisov, S. (1975) Short physic-geographical characteristic. Biogeocenosis of East Karakum. Ashgabat: Ylym. 6-13. (in Russian). Veyisova, М.S. (1992) Experience of research of ecology-phytocenotipical distributions of mushrooms in Repetek reserve. Problems of desert development. 6:38-42. (in Russian). Gunin, P.D., Darimov, V.Ya., Veyisov S., (1972) Landscape characteristic of Repetek reserve. Experience of studying and development of East Karakum. Ashgabat: Ylym. 12-22.(in Russian). Kaplin, V.G. (1978) Complexes soil invertebrate animal of sandy deserts of a southern subzone (on an example of East Karakum). Ashgabat: Ylym. 160 with. (in Russian). Krivokhatsiy, V.А., Fet, V.Ya. (1982) Spiders (Aranei) from holes of rodents in East Karakum. Problems of desert development. 4:68-75. (in Russian). Kurbanov, О.R., Kuzmenko, V.D. (2002) About nature monuments of Repetek biosphere reserve. Problems of desert development. 4:16-19. (in Russian). Mihelson, О.А. (1955) Floristic structure of Repetek reserve. Proceedings of reserve. Volume 3. Ashgabat, publishing house Academy of Sciense of TSSR. Sabirova, O., Kaplin, V.G. (1974) Features of distribution and number of Protracheoniscus orientalis in East Karakum. Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. Biology Science 2: 58-61. (in Russian). Sabirova, O. (1975) To studying of spiders (Araneina)of Repetek reserve. Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. Biology Science 6: 79-82. (in Russian). Sopyyev, O., Atayev, K.A. (1991) Birds of the Repetek biosphere reserve (structure, character of stay and distribution). Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. Biology Science 4: 39-47. (in Russian). Sopyyev, O. (1962) Some data on ecology of Aquila chrysaetos and Athene noctua in East Karakum. Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. Biology Science 2: 79-83. (in Russian). Stalmakova, V.A. (1963) Materials on ecology of birds of East Karakum. Ashgabat, Publishing house AS TSSR. 107-123. (in Russian). Fet, V.Ya. (1980) To ecology of scorpions (Arachnidae. Scorpiones) of the Southeast Karakum. Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. Biology Science: 223-228. (in Russian). Svetayev, А.V. (1972) List of butterflies of Repetek reserve. Experience of studying and development of East Karakum. Ashgabat. Ylym. 109-117. (in Russian). Shammakov, S.M, Marinina, L.S., Marochkina, V.V., (2004) Species composition of amphibious, reptile and mammal of reserves of Turkmenistan. Problems of desert development. 4: 45-50. (in Russian).