Sevan National Park, is one of the four protected national parks of

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, founded in 1978 to protect

Lake Sevan Lake Sevan ( hy, Սևանա լիճ, Sevana lich) is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, ...

and the surrounding areas.Sevan in Armenia
/ref> It is under the jurisdiction of the

Ministry of Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

and includes a research center, which monitors the ecosystems, and undertakes various conservation measures. Licensed fishing on the lake is also regulated.

Fauna

Mammals

Scientific knowledge about the mammals of the Sevan basin is quite poor and fragmental.

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

jackal Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed ...

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on t ...

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

, small

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are nat ...

are usually mentioned.

Avifauna

Sevan lake and its vicinity are rich in avifauna. Up to 267 bird species have been recorded in Sevan Basin. The known avifauna can be grouped into the orders: Podicipediformes,

Pelecaniformes The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such ...

Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteriformes is a group of water birds which comprises flamingos and their extinct relatives. Flamingos (Phoenicopteriformes) and the closely related grebes ( Podicipedidae) are contained in the parent clade Mirandornithes. Fossil rec ...

Falconiformes The order Falconiformes () is represented by the extant family Falconidae (falcons and caracaras) and a handful of enigmatic Paleogene species. Traditionally, the other bird of prey families Cathartidae (New World vultures and condors), Sagitt ...

Anseriformes Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

Galliformes Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often ...

Gruiformes The Gruiformes are an order (biology), order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird family (biology), families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and t ...

Charadriiformes Charadriiformes (, from ''Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water an ...

Columbiformes Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

Cuculiformes Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separa ...

, Strigiformes,

Caprimulgiformes Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tal ...

Apodiformes Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts (Apodidae), the treeswifts (Hemiprocnidae), and the hummingbirds (Trochilidae). In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodi ...

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

Piciformes Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes , the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives. The Piciformes contain about 71 living genera with a little over 450 species, of ...

, and

Passeriformes A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

. 56 species are included in the Red Book of Animals of the Republic of Armenia. Two of the species are regional endemics

Armenian gull __NOTOC__ The Armenian gull (''Larus armenicus'') is a large gull found in the Caucasus and the Middle East. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the European herring gull (''L. argentatus''), but is now generally considered to be a ...

(''Larus armenicus'') and Mountain Chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus sindianus''). The Lake's avifauna faced significant decline after lowering the water level and drying the Gilli marshes, however, started from 2007, the return of some bird species was noted. With strengthening of protection regime, which was started in 2013 the returning of species continues.

Herpetofauna

In the Masrik River valley, the following species of reptiles and amphibians can be found: ''

Bufo viridis The European green toad (''Bufotes viridis'') is a species of toad found in steppes, mountainous areas, semi-deserts, urban areas and other habitats in mainland Europe, ranging from far eastern France and Denmark to the Balkans and Western Russi ...

'', ''

Hyla arborea The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126. but b ...

'', ''

Rana ridibunda The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia. Description The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...

'', ''

Rana macrocnemis The long-legged wood frog (''Rana macrocnemis''), also known as Caucasus frog, Brusa frog, or Uludağ frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae found in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. Its natural h ...

'', ''

Paralaudakia caucasia The Caucasian agama (''Paralaudakia caucasia'') is a species of agamid lizard found in the Caucasus, E/S Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Dagestan (Russia), E Turkey, Iraq, N Iran, Afghanistan, NW Pakistan, and parts of Kas ...

'', ''

Anguis fragilis The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. Th ...

'', ''

Eremias arguta The steppe-runner (''Eremias arguta'') is a species of lizard found in Turkey, Romania, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Tajikistan, Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: ...

'', ''

Lacerta agilis The sand lizard (''Lacerta agilis'') is a Lacertidae, lacertid lizard distributed across most of Europe from France and across the continent to Lake Baikal in Russia. It does not occur in European Turkey. Its distribution is often patchy. In the ...

'', '' Lacerta strigata'', '' Parvilacerta parva'', '' Darevskia unisexualis'', ''

Darevskia valentini ''Darevskia valentini'', also known commonly as the Caucasian rock lizard or Valentin's lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. There are three recognized subspecie ...

'', ''

Platyceps najadum ''Platyceps najadum'', also known commonly as Dahl's whip snake, the slender whip snake, and the Zagros whip snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Eurasia. Four subspecies are recognized as being valid ...

'', ''

Hemorrhois ravergieri ''Hemorrhois ravergieri'', commonly called the spotted whip snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Western Asia, Central Asia, and South-Central Asia. Etymology The specific name, ''ravergieri'', is ...

'', ''

Coronella austriaca The smooth snake (''Coronella austriaca'')Street D (1979). ''The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. . is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in northern and ce ...

'', '' Eirenis punctatolineatus'', ''

Natrix natrix The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies are recogni ...

'', ''

Natrix tessellata ''Natrix'' is a genus of Old World snakes found across Eurasia (although the range of '' Natrix tessellata'' extends into Egypt and those of '' N. astreptophora'' and '' N. maura'' into north-west Africa) in the subfamily Natricinae of the fa ...

'', ''

Vipera ursinii :''Common names: meadow viper, Ursini's viper, Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. . meadow adder,Brown, John Haynes (1973). ''To ...

''.

Ichtyofauna

Masrik river and its tributaries flow in the proximity of the urban areas. The river is of great importance, since it is a spawning place for such endemic species as

Sevan trout The Sevan trout (''Salmo ischchan'') is an endemic fish species of Lake Sevan in Armenia, known as ishkhan (իշխան, ) in Armenian. It is a salmonid fish related to the brown trout. The fish is endangered, because various competitors were in ...

(''Salmo ischchan''), Sevan koghak (''

Capoeta capoeta ''Capoeta capoeta'' is a species of West Asian cyprinid fish, including forms called the Caucasian scraper. The scientific name is derived from the Georgian and Azeri local name ''kapwaeti''. Some taxonomic authorities classify Capoeta sevangi a ...

sevangi'') and Gokcha barbel (''Barbus goktschaicus''). Besides, the young fish of the aforementioned species also live in these rivers till one year of age. This period is very important for the future survival of the species. Sevan trout and Gokcha barbel are included in the

Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

of Armenia as

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

Terrestrial Invertebrates

On the whole territory of Gegharkunik marz in general, there are 55 groups of invertebrates, mainly arthropoda, mollusks, crustacea, arachnida, etc. There are a few dozens of endemic species, of which 44 coleoptera, 2 lepidoptera, 2 оrthoptera, 2 mollusks. In the Red Book of the USSR, there were 12 species of arthropoda, of which 6 butterflies, 5 hymenoptera and 1 cricket. In the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Red List, there are 4 invertebrate species, inhabiting Sevan Basin, one of which is included in the list of

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, also known as the Bern Convention (or Berne Convention), is a binding international legal instrument in the field of Nature Conservation, it covers the natural h ...

(Bern Convention). Among butterflies (Rhopalocera), the following species are included in the Red Book of the Animals of the Republic of Armenia:

Parnassius apollo The Apollo or mountain Apollo (''Parnassius apollo''), is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. Etymology The species is named in the classical tradition for the deity Apollo. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''Parnassius apollo apollo'' L ...

, Parnassius mnemosyne,

Brenthis ino ''Brenthis ino'', the lesser marbled fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Subspecies * ''B. i. ino'' in Europe * ''B. i. achasis'' (Fruhstorfer, 1907) * ''B. i. acrita'' (Fruhstorfer, 1907) * ''B. i. adalberti'' (Fruhstorfer, 19 ...

Phengaris alcon ''Phengaris alcon'', the Alcon blue or Alcon large blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae and is found in Europe and across the Palearctic to Siberia and Mongolia. Description from Seitz ''L. alcon'' Schiff. (= areas Esp., ''euphemu ...

, Phengaris arion,

Phengaris nausithous The dusky large blue (''Phengaris nausithous'') is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro ...

, and Polyommatus ninae. Part of the area is recognized as Artanish-Shorzha Prime Butterfly Area.

Flora

The basin of Lake Sevan is a crossroad for mezophile and Armenian-Iranian xerophile flora belts. In the territory of Sevan National Park 1145 species of vascular plants can be met, in the protection belt – 1587 species. The flora of the park is presented by 28 species of trees, 42 species of bushes, 866 perennial herbs and 307 species of annual and biennial plants. The territory of Sevan National Park and its protection belt, which also includes Vardenis, 23 plants, endemic for Armenia, can be met, of which 13 are endemic for Sevan floristic area. Only on the territory of Sevan National Park 3 Armenian endemic and 5 Sevan basin endemic plant species can be met. 17 species are included in the Red Book of Armenia (in the protection belt there are 48). In the territory of Sevan National Park and its protection belt, about 60 herbs can be used for officinal purposes. More than 100 are edible.

References

*Khanjyan, Nazik. 2004. Specially protected nature areas of Armenia. Ministry of Nature Protection, Rep. Armenia. (downloadable fro
here
*Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան.

Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia'' ( hy, Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան, ''Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran''; ASE) publishing house was established in 1967 as a department of the Institute of History of the Armeni ...

*REC Caucasus. 2009. Report on the Status of Environmental Situation in Vardenis. {{authority control National parks of Armenia Tourist attractions in Gegharkunik Province

Fauna

Mammals

Avifauna

Herpetofauna

Ichtyofauna

Terrestrial Invertebrates

Flora

See also

References