Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

Protection and sustainable development of natural resources as the most important and global problem of the XXI century is always in the center of attention of the world.

The characteristic of biological diversity which is an integral part of natural resources for ensuring sustainable economic development acts as a basis of environmental policy of the state seeking to keep the biological resources. As a result of the recent strong anthropogenic influence ecosystem degradation takes place, which leads to disappearance of some species and a sharp reduction their numbers.

Quick loss of biodiversity, endangering the Earth globe generally opens the way to a global catastrophe. It has set important challenges for the scientists of the world, as well as to domestic scientists. Order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on approval of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Protection and Sustainable utilization of biological diversity in Azerbaijan creates wide opportunities for the implementation of specific steps and achievement of positive results in this direction. Scientists of ANAS take an active part in the study and rational usage of genetic resources, biodiversity conservation for future generations, promoting environmental education, as well as during the recovery process of endemic plants and rare species of local fauna. These studies are important for solving the problems of poverty, regulation of ecological balance; improve the environment and sustainable development, reducing negative impacts on the environment.

Institute of Botany of ANAS also carries out researches in the direction of studying the diversity of the Azerbaijan flora, protection and effective utilization of the gene pool, studies of molecular-genetic and physical-chemical bases of vital activity of living organisms.

The first Director of this scientific institution, which established in 1936, was a prominent investigator of Caucasus flora, Academician A.A.Grosskheym. The first volume of "Flora of Azerbaijan", which includes 588 species belonging to 178 genuses, 32 families, including 200 new species belonging to 36 genuses and 18 families, was presented for publishing, while volume II, covering 410 species, 91 genus and 24 families was developed.

Today, ANAS Institute of Botany with its important results reached in the priority scientific directions and is one of the leading structures. Today, Institute of Botany of ANAS is one of the leading structures with its important results achieved in the priority areas of scientific directions. About innovative projects which carried out in the institute in the recent years reported Director of Institute, Doctor of Biological Sciences, corresponding member of ANAS Valida Ali-Zadeh.

Thus, by the decree of the Presidium of ANAS dated September 17, 2014 at the Institute was established "Biodiversity and Climate Change" International laboratory, which is the result of joint cooperation of the Institute of Botany of ANAS and the Department of Ecology, Evolution and diversity of the Frankfurt University, Germany. This laboratory allows timely to fix occurring under the influence of climate change in plant diversity, as one of most urgent issues of the biological sciences and their potential for adaptation and sustainable development.

Another international laboratory titled as "Forest Mycology and Pathology" created within cooperation of ANAS Institute of Botany and the Iowa State University State, USA, is based on the long experience of working together.

Institute of Botany of ANAS jointly with the Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics carried out research work on "Predicting and reducing the threat of extinction of species diversity of endemic and rare plants in the flora of Azerbaijan."

The primary data carrier of Electronic information database of the Institute is "Electronic information database of rare and endemic plants of Azerbaijan". The current data array of EHR unites and information on 100 species of 300 rare species of plants that included to the Red Book of Azerbaijan.

At the Institute under the leadership of corresponding member of ANAS Valida Ali-Zadeh has compiled a list of rare plants for population-ontogenetic analysis, is developed the special system of monitoring directed on determination of complex parameters of ontogenetic structure of population.

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