Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information About 180 species have been recorded: nesting - 51, resident - 17. Many species of biomes CA04a and CA04b are recorded and populations appear to be stable. During the last 3 years there has been an appreciable increase in numbers of Pygmy Cormorant. Species listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999) and potentially occurring are: Platalea leucorodia, Buteo buteo, Porphyrio porphyrio, Tetrax tetrax, Burhinus oedicnemus, Cursorius cursor and Bubo bubo.

Site description The IBA is located 45 km to the north-east of Ashgabat in the landscape unit (stow) "Kulan-Kyrlan". In the west it borders with the "M.Sopyyev" farm, in the south with the "Suytchilik" farm and in the north with the "Altyn-asyr" farm. The "Mergen" hunting-fishing base was established in 1998 on the site of the Gyaurs nursery for rearing rare animals formerly belonging to the Turkmen Society for Nature Protection (since 1993). The site covers just over 289 hectares: fallow lands, pastures, sands and open water. The main source of irrigation water for the arable lands is water from the Garagumdarya, arriving by pipeline and a collector network. In the IBA there is one discharge canal from which waters coming from 2 lakes arrive. In the centre of the site, running from south-west to north-east, is the К-3 collector channel. The climate is extreme continental, with large fluctuations of daily temperatures, high in summer (+28 to +30C) and low in winter (+1 to +4C). The average minimum in January is 3C, the maximum in July +37.5C. The absolute minimum temperature is –26C and the absolute maximum +46C. The duration of the frost-free period is 231 days. The average annual rainfall is 195 mm. East and north-west winds are dominant. The relief is basically hilly fixed sands. In the site takyr-desert soils prevail. Typical vegetative cover is: Salsola-grass, Calligonum-Salsola with grasses, grasses with ephemerals, and Karelinia-Alhagi-Phragmites.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Mammals - 29 species. Large mammals include wild boar, jackal, fox and nutria (introduced in 1986). Two to three species of chiropteran can be found in constructions and tree hollows. Amphibians - 2 species: lake frog and green toad. 13 species of reptile. The following vegetation types are characteristic: Salsola-grass, Calligonum-Salsola with grasses, grasses with ephemerals, and Karelinia-Alhagi-Phragmites. On the shore of flooded areas there are patches of oleaster, poplar and tamarix.

Management considerations Renewal and expansion of the agricultural use of the site, increased livestock grazing, and possibly reductions of water supply.

Protection status Not protected.

References Dementyev P.G. (1952) Birds of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences TSSR, Volume 1. 546p.(in russian). Rustamov A.K. (1958) Birds of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences TSSR, Volume 2. 333p. (in russian).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Mergen. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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