Heavenly Plant Explorations in the Celestial Mountains of Kazakhstan

John and Hilary Birks

NBF 8th December 2009

Where

Why

How & When

How does one identify Tian Shan plants?

General ecological setting

Northern Tian Shan

Western Tian Shan

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

WhereKazakhstan (=Kazakstan)

Extends from Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east, and from Siberia in the north to the Tian Shan in the south

Twice as large as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan together.

2.7 million km2 – ninth largest country in the world, about the size of western Europe

Population 17.2 million; one of the least densely populated places on Earth (6.3 people per km2)

Broad ethnic mix –

40% Kazakhs 5% Ukrainian

38% Russian 2% Uzbekian

6% German 2% Tartar

100 other ethnic groups – Koreans, Greeks, Poles, Jews, Turks, etc.

We visited the Tian (=Tien) Shan mountains in Kazakhstan

Tian Shan – massive mountain range mainly in Kyrgyzstan and NW China, with northern and western spurs extending to Kazakhstan

Tian Shan is Chinese for Celestial Mountains, sometimes written as ‘Tien Shan’. Tien is the older romanisation of the Chinese word and is not in general use any more. Tian Shan has replaced the original Kyrgyz name Tengri-Tag meaning ‘Mountains of the Spirits’ or ‘Mountains of Heaven’.

Tian Shan – Celestial Mountains – Mountains of Heaven

Hence ‘Heavenly plant explorations in the Celestial Mountains of Kazakhstan’

Tian Shan is biggest of the three major mountain ranges of the former Soviet Union

Total length is 2800 km and 800 km wideFour different chains within the Tian Shan all running west-east- Central - Northern - Western - Inner

Visited Western and Northern Tian Shan

Central Tian Shan is the highest, reaching 7439 m (Pik Pobedy or Peak of Victory) and 7010 m (Khan-Tengri). Most central and northern mountains above 7000 m.

Eastern Tian Shan is mainly in China – many magnificent peaks.

Majority of summits are 4500-5000 m, many passes between 3500 and 4500 m, and more than 30 peaks over 6000 m.

Very well glaciated due to high altitude and abundant snow. Has 7787 glaciers, with the biggest (South Engilchek) 60 km long. Not retreating quite as rapidly as Sino-Himalayan glaciers (12.5% since 1965).

Old and dynamic geological history. Former marine sediments folded during the Caledonian and later by Hercynian and Alpine orogenies and modified by high temperatures and pressures to various metamorphic bedrocks. Limestone is relatively rare, shale and slate are common.

Climate is strongly continental with January temperatures often below -20°C, mean July temperature of 20°C, and long summers.

Snow-line about 3500-4500 m.

Most distinguished animal is the elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncla). Thought to be about 450 animals in Tian Shan, about 60% of world’s population.

Ste

ve W

inte

r

Why

Very rich flora consisting of European, Siberian, Chinese, Mongolian, and Himalayan elements, plus some endemics. Plant geographical ‘meeting-point’.

Over 5000 species recorded.

Much unspoilt alpine areas.

New adventures!

How and When

GreenTours Expedition 6-21 June 2008

London → Almaty

4x4 land-cruisers in Northern Tian Shan

Overnight train (!) Almaty → Zhambyl and Dzhabagly

Horses (!!) into and within Aksu-Dzhabagly Reserve (est. 1923), Central Tian Shan

4x4 land-cruisers in Northern Tian Shan

Almaty → London

AlmatyZhambyl

How does one Identify Tian Shan Plants?

With great difficulty!

Flora of Kazakhstan (3 volumes) 1978-1987 – long out of print and impossible to find. Also in Russian and no pictures!

Also:

Pavlov 1980 Ivaschenko 2008Ivaschenko 2005

The key is …

Anna Ivaschenko Vladimir Kolbintsev

Two outstanding local botanists and all-round natural historians

General Ecological Setting

Strong east-west gradient in precipitation and in precipitation seasonality. Major differences between northern Tian Shan and western Tian Shan in terms of tree-line composition and structure.

1. Northern Tian Shan, near Almaty

Mildly Asian monsoon climate with summer precipitation

About 800 mm yr-1

Tree-line about 2500 m

Miehe et al. (2007)

Conifer forest ‘islands’ in Central Asian Mountains (Picea, Larix, boreal conifer forest)

Picea schrenkiana with Sorbus tianschanica and near tree-line prostrate Juniperus sibirica

2. Western Tian Shan near Aksu-Dzhabagly

No monsoon influence, climate driven by Westerlies

Winter precipitation, dry summers

About 300 mm yr-1 (‘Mediterranean’ climate)

Tree-line formed by Juniperus semiglobosa

Tree-line about 1900 m

Above Juniperus semiglobosa, prostrate junipers (J. turkestanica) dominate and merge into alpine tundra at about 2000 m

Juniperus turkestanica

Open forests in arid mountain areas often consist of Juniperus e.g. Utah, Idaho, parts of Oregon (USA); Mediterranean mountains (e.g. Crete, Greece); parts of Armenia, Iran, and Turkey; Hindukush; Karakoram; and parts of central Nepal and Tibet Plateau.

Climate diagrams from areas of open Juniperus forests. All have summer aridity.

Miehe & Miehe (2000)

South-facing slope, 3300-3500 m, Jomosom, central Nepal. Annual precipitation <300 mm

Miehe & Miehe (2000)

• Open rocky, well-drained slopes

• Much destroyed in many parts of Eurasia

• Lower-limit moisture limited, heavily influenced by humans

• Upper-limit possibly temperature limited

• May have been more widespread on Tibetan Plateau in early Holocene

In ravines and sheltered seepage areas in western Tian Shan, local stands of Betula turkestanica and B. talassica, closely related to B. utilis of Himalaya.

Betula turkestanica

Betula talassica

Balance between Juniperus-dominated slopes and Pinus wallichiana or Picea smithiana-dominated slopes within a mountain range can be a result of aspect alone. Critical threshold.

Karakorum

Schickhoff (2005)

1. Major differences in tree-line species between northern and western Tian Shan related to monsoonal or westerly influences.

2. Tree Juniperus forests characteristic of summer-dry climates not only in central Asia but in Europe and USA. Also in Patagonia where Austrocedrus chilensis (looks like a juniper!) dominates in semi-arid areas between steppe and mountain Nothofagus slopes.

3. Local occurrences of Betula spp. in moist areas in western Tian Shan – relics of a once more widespread distribution?

Northern Tian Shan

1. Forested zone 2050-2480 m

Picea schrenkiana forest with Sorbus tianschanica and prostrate Juniperus sibirica near tree-line at about 2500 m

Also species-rich meadows and river gravels and lake-shore vegetation

2. Sub-alpine zone 2480-2890 m

Species-rich grasslands and meadows, and scattered scrub, often amongst rocks and on cliffs

Dracocephalum, Aquilegia, Primula, Cortusa, Anemone, Leontopodium, Ranunculus, Pedicularis, Alchemilla, Viola, Trollius

3. Alpine zone 2890-3550 m

Grasslands, cliffs, screes, and snow-beds

Saussurea, Saxifraga, Draba, Androsace, Gentiana, Papaver, Oxygraphis, Primula, Astragalus

Western Tian Shan

1. Steppe zone 725-1500 m

Dry grassland and steppe, dry rocks

Delphinium, Phlomis, Ephedra, Cousinia, Salvia, Onosma, Rosa, Eremurus, Astragalus

2. Forested zone 1500-1875 m

Open Juniperus semiglobosa and J. seravschanica woodlands with some Betula talassica and B. turkestanica

Campanula, Linum, Aconitum, Codonopsis, Swertia, Pyrola

3. Sub-alpine zone 1900-2300 m

Species-rich steppe, grasslands, and meadows, some Juniperus turkestanica, snow-beds, cliffs, and screes

Iris, Allium, Ligularia, Eremurus, Linum, Tulipa, Corydalis, Trollius, Gagea

4. Alpine zone 2300-2800 m

Grasslands, snow-beds, cliffs, screes, and wind-exposed areas

Androsace, Saxifraga, Parrya, Primula, Erigeron, Astragalus, Veronica, Papaver, Hedysarum

Conclusions

1. Very diverse and challenging flora – many plant-geographical elements.

2. Very rich flora – saw over 420 ‘photo-worthy’ species new to us. Total flora over 700 species in 16 days. On a species seen per day basis, richer than Himalaya.

3. Vast wonderful mountain ranges – much still to be discovered. Added one Draba to Kazakhstan flora!

4. Horses are a (not particularly comfortable) way of getting round in such mountain areas.

5. Wonderful fauna – marmots, ibex, bears, pikas, vultures, etc.

6. Eastern Tian Shan in China rarely visited by western botanists.

Howard-Bury 1990 Konta & Shimizu 1995

Acknowledgements

Anna Ivaschenko Paul Green

Vladimir Kolbintsev Joan & Liam McCaughey

Ian Hedge Cathy Jenks

Sulik & Tora