BESH ARAL

The Besh-Aral Zapovednik (Bio-diversity Reserve) is situated in the Chatkal Valley of the Jalal-Abad Oblast 340 km from Jalal Abad the oblast centre and 25 km from Kanysh-Kiya the Chatkal Rayon centre. It represents a mountain region with undisturbed wild landscapes, turbulent rivers, picturesque alpine meadows and clear mountain air, and a great diversity of plants and animals.

The Reserve (with a total area of 63200 hectares) was created to preserve the habitat and to restore the populations of several endangered species found in the Western Tien Shan. In particular the Menzbir«s marmot and the Kauffmann and Greig tulips. There is a wide variety of both plants and animals, due to the different reliefs, remoteness and difficult access. (Although an ancient link of the Silk Road passed through the Chatkal valley, access is over either the Kara-Buura pass (3305 m), or the Chapchim pass (2841 m) by gravel roads that are often impassable during winter and spring.

The reserve occupies the mountain slopes of the western end of Chatkal valley that includes a number of landscape types — meadow-steppe, alpine-meadow-steppe, high mountain-steppe, mountain coniferous forest, and mountain deciduous forest. It is host to three state forests : the Ken-Bulun, Barkyrak and Arab forests.

Deciduous forests comprise trees such as walnut, apple, pear, almond, maple, hawthorn and also an undergrowth of shrubs such as honeysuckle, cotoneaster, Meyer"s currant, laxative buckthorn, spirea and dog rose to mention only a few. Woodlands of poplar, birch and willow are found on the floodplain along the river valleys, with an undergrowth of sea buckthorn, honeysuckle, willow, cotoneaster, dog rose, and the dove-coloured blackberry. Amongst the herbs growing here are liquorice, yarrow, St. John»s wort, and many grasses.

The mountain coniferous forests comprise stands of juniper on the North facing slopes at elevations of 1700 to 3000m with trees between 4 and 7 m. high, and also spruce, with an undergrowth of mainly honeysuckle, barberry, spirea and dog rose. Meadow-steppe species grow in the open areas; and shade-loving forest grasses and mosses under the juniper trees.

In the Soviet period the reserve was important for livestock breeding with large numbers of cattle were summered on the high pastures and for haymaking. The decline in the number of sheep grazing here since the fall of the USSR has been instrumental in the restoration of the biodiversity and the recovery in numbers of Menzbir"s marmot. Agriculture has not recovered since the demise of the Union — although fruit trees are reported to give good yields. The major areas of walnut and other fruit trees are in the western end of the Chatkal Valley, which is accessible only by horseback.