Search

The primary aim of this study was to communicate a method for locating natural habitats where trees grows under conditions that are comparable to those in urban environments in terms of water stress. This is presented by analyzing five different forest reserves in the southern Caucasus (Republic of Georgia) where calculation of net water balance over the period of a year was conducted. This provided an insight into the drought at the sites during the growing season. The data were thereafter compared with similar calculations for five different cities in Western Europe in order to see if there were any matches in drought stress between the cities and the forest reserves. To extend the analysis, conditions in the five cities were assessed for high density and low density areas, and for the current climate and a future climate scenario. The comparisons revealed some matches between conditions in the forest reserves and those in different scenarios/areas in the cities. A secondary aim was to identify specific ecotypes in the wild demonstrating great potential to handle growing conditions similar to those in urban environments based on inventories of woody plants in the forest reserves. A total of 44 woody species were found in the forest reserve systems with a random distribution throughout the five study sites. Based on the commitments presented above a preliminary screening can be done where future tree selection focus can be directed towards highly promising species and ecotypes, which would undoubtedly limit the time lag before proper plant material can be released.

Ecological and biological characteristics of eight, endemic, economically important, Georgian Red Data species (Convallaria transcaucasica Utkin ex Grossh., Cyclamen colchicum (Albov) Albov, Dioscorea caucasica Lipsky, Erythronium caucasicum Woronow, Gymnospermium smirnowii (Trautv.) Takht., Iris iberica Hoffm, Paeonia mlokosewitschii Lomak and Tulipa eichleri Regel) were studied. The current status of wild populations was assessed throughout their distributional area; exact locations of target populations were recorded using GPS, and fertility and vitality of individual populations were evaluated. Structural aspects of seed formation were studied, reproduction capacity was calculated, and the ratio of seed production (actual seed-forming capacity) to the number of ovules (potential seed-forming capacity) was determined. Optimum periods for the collection of mature seeds were identified for each target species. Seed germinability, sprouting capacity and potential for seedling development were tested experimentally in the laboratory on Petri dishes, in pots and outdoors. Ex situ conservation activities have been carried out: a seed bank was established and a stock of seedlings was produced for the purpose of in situ restoration of species with high conservation value.