Mardakan Arboretum

Mardakan Arboretum
Location	Mardakan, Baku, Azerbaijan
Area	12 ha.
Created	In 1926, by well-known botanist and academician N.I.Vavilov

Mardakan arboretum-is settled in Mardakan township in semi-arid Absheron peninsula, 40 km away from Baku.

History

•In 1926, was established by well-known botanist and academician N.I.Vavilov in Mardakan township in semi-arid Absheron peninsula. The Eastern trans-Caucasian branch of the Institute was organized on the basis of former suburban state farm.

•In 1930, after the reorganization of All-Union Institute of applied botany and new cultures, the branch was entered into the system of All-Union Institute of Horticulture as its department.

•In 1936, received the name of experimental station of dry subtropics.

•From 1945 to 1964, there located research and development base of gardening, viticulture, subtropical cultures Institute of Mardakan.

•In 1945-1963’s, works of introduction were carried out. This helped to ground the development of subtropical plant cultivation, selection and improvement of the sorts of pomegranate, olive, fig, Asian persimmon, and also to divide it into districts scientifically.

•In 1964-1966’s, it was situated in the system of the Ministry of Health of the Azerbaijan SSR.

•In 1966, it was given to the botany institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Activity of the arboretum

Mardakan arboretum is settled 4,5 km away from the shore of the Caspian Sea. The territory of the arboretum is 12 ha. 80-85% of the arboretum is covered with limestone, covered with its airing products. Soil cover of Mardakan arboretum is represented by various soil combinations. With increasing distance from the sea heavier and lighter sandy-loam grounds are encountered, which consists of insignificant depth-0,5-1,00 to 1,5 m. Ephemers predominate in vegetable cover. Only natural lignose and shrubs are almost absent. Cascara buckthorn, Georgian honeysuckle, tamarix, feral fig and other plants are encountered between the rocks.^[1][2][3]

Arboretum’s vegetation exists on the ground, imported from Lankaran and with artificial watering. The water is taken from deep wells, struggled through the thickness of limestone, 30-80 m depth. Water from the wells is pulled into pools, from which it’s diverged through the territory of the park through pipes. Pools were built in 1903-1905’s.

According to Tofig Mammadov-director of Mardakan arboretum, overall quantity of flora and fauna in arboretum is about 1700.^[4]

Photos

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See also

Mardakan Arboretum

References

1. ^ "Ботанический сад - Дендрарий". http://all-pages.com/city_photo/3/6/7/483/2.html. 
2. ^ "Mardakan Arboretum". ANAS. http://www.science.az/en/merdekan/index.htm. 
3. ^ "Arboretum of Mardakan". News.Az. http://www.news.az/articles/15305/images. 
4. ^ "Тофик Мамедов: «Наш дендрарий по уровню выше, чем большинство европейских дендрариев»". 1news.az. http://www.1news.az/society/20070831054127496.html.