Rare pear expedition bears fruit in Kyrgyzstan

July 3, 2018 by Tim Knight, Fauna & Flora International

A new population of one of the world's most endangered trees, the Bukharan pear, has been confirmed in a remote corner of Kyrgyzstan. The discovery of an estimated one hundred mature trees in a single location provides a massive boost to the survival prospects of this species, which has virtually disappeared from most of its former strongholds in Central Asia. The last trees standing are confined to tiny, fragmented populations in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and, it is thought, Uzbekistan.

The presence of this previously unrecorded population was first brought to the attention of Fauna & Flora International (FFI) several months earlier by a local villager, but the species is notoriously difficult to identify in the field. The all-important pear review was conducted by Dr. Georgy Lazkov, a botanical expert from Kyrgyzstan's National Academy of Sciences who accompanied FFI staff on a trip to the Bazar-Korgon region and provided official confirmation of the species' identity. A further 29 new Bukharan pear trees were also recorded at other locations during the expedition, which was funded by the Global Trees Campaign.

The fruit-and-nut forests of Central Asia, including those in Kyrgyzstan, are crucial to the livelihoods of village communities. They also represent a priceless genetic resource; many of today's widely cultivated varieties of apple and pear are believed to have originated from the wild species found in these forests. As domesticated strains worldwide become increasingly susceptible to disease, the vital importance of wild populations as a genetic reservoir to provide greater food security cannot be overstated.

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