Repetek, Repetek Sahara this is fantastic thousand-year old dunes and sand ridges of eolithic origin with shrubs of Conolli sand acacia and Erophaca Boiss scented by the spring on slopes and in lowlands, saxaul forests and bushes, thick grass in wet years and mushrooms, desert moss and mosaic of lichens… Repetek State Biosphere Reserve was founded in 1927 on the base of Repetek Sand and Desert Station, which operated since 1912, the oldest special protected territory in Turkmenistan.
Unique desert flora of various taxonomic units, more than 550 species, 37 percent of which are endemics of the Karakums and Kyzylkums and 6 percent only Karakums.According to the results of studies held recently under the project of Central Asian Desert Initiative (CADI) on protection and sustainable use of Turkmenistan deserts, this list is expanded and the presence of the Red Book species the Dimo wormwood, has been established.
Around 1,350 species of interesting desert invertebrates including more that 1,300 insects, majority of which are the endemics of sand desert, like Pavlov’s and hole grasshopper, Uvarov’s frog, Sumakov’s bush warbler, Anthya ground beetle, Turkmen rhino beetle.
The kingdom of reptiles is represented by 24 species from 3 types 1 tortoise, 13 izzards and 10 snakes, which include one endemic the red stripe racers.Unique representatives of 31 species of mammals from 5 types 3 insectivorous, 4 bats, 12 rodents, 1 heir, 9 predators and 2 cloven hooved.
Piebald shrew, long-clawed ground squirrel, northern three-toed jerboa are endemics.Three species dune cat, caracal and gazelle, are in the Red Book of Turkmenistan (2011 edition), the Red list of ICUN and CITES List.
The central farm of the reserve has a shelter for the gazelles.Big role in the fauna composition is played by birds, especially rare ones like desert sparrow, endemic Saxaul jay and white-wing woodpecker.
Meeting this birds.Almost identical copy of its sister big bright woodpecker, which is widely spread in the forests of Europe, taiga and mountain forests of Asia, Japan and Northwest Africa, in the desert, make big impression on specialists, birdwatchers and tourists.
According to published information, the bird population of the Reserve included around 200 species by the beginning of the 90s including pink and curly pelican, white-eye pochard, osprey, short-toed eagle, eastern imperial eagle, golden eagle, kestrel, Saker falcon and desert sparrow.
The population of the latter in the Eastern karakums by the publication of the Red Book of Turkmenistan in 2011 was 60 nesting pairs.Nesting of two pairs on the territory of the Reserve and two pairs on the border of the Reserve has been discovered.
Two used nests were found in the desert next to Kapakly water well between the Reserve and Eradji.For more than hundred years, name of Repetek sounds like everlasting song of winds, which are so often in open space of sand deserts around the world, for specialists who study deserts and many nature lovers.
Biosphere Reserve has always been and remains to be recognized scientific centre with rich heritage and practice of work in complex conditions of continental northern arid deserts.Goals on current generation of scientific personnel of our country to continue this work with honour.
Appearance of wetland and fish-eating birds (for example an osprey) is explained occasional flight from the valley of nearby Amudarya River but after, there were some process, which have fundamentally changed landscape and structure of neighbouring territories and Eraji Preserve, which would be told in the next publication.