Institute of Botany After A. Takhtajyan of the National Academy of Science of the Republic of Armenia

The Institute of Botany After A. Takhtajyan of the national Academy of Science of the Republic of Armenia, is the responsible body for plant collections in Armenia. The Botanic Institute holds rich herbarium as well as collection of 1070 species which represent 40% of the national collection (650 species) and shrubs which represent 51% of the collection (850 species). It holds the important collection of Armenian flora (1.5 ha, with around 750 species). The collection includes around 200 species of endemic, rare and declining plant species, and provides a basis for the study of Armenian flora, and the ecological interactions of species, in a relatively natural environment. The collection and cultivation of endangered plant species is considered as a main task of the garden (there are 400 endangered plant species in Armenia). The collection and cultivation of endangered plant species is considered as a main task of the garden (there are 400 endangered plant species in Armenia). Of particular interest here are Taxus baccata, Hedera helix, Juniperus sabina, Zelkova carpinifolia, Rhododendron caucasicum. Another goal is the environmental education. Scientists around the botanical garden in the past had always appeared in the media and wrote articles about the problems of environmental protection in Armenia. They also offer advice on educational institutions, industry and private plant seeders. Field trips for school children are carried out constantly, many students in agricultural biology make this their field studies. There have also been previously unexplored irregularities; some bushes and trees grew in certain areas unnaturally fast. A large number of local and introduced plants were tested on their growth conditions and later successfully planted around the Lake Sevan. During the great energy crisis in 1988 many trees were cut down for heating, so that the garden was severely damaged. At present, the specialists of the garden remove the damages and keep on expanding the existing collection. The energetic crisis caused also a great damage to the collection greenhouse. The collection of tropical and sub-tropical collection was almost totally destroyed, frostbitten, the whole glass surface was completely destroyed, the watering and heating systems were set out of order, the walls and the shelve stands of the greenhouse fell down, the greenhouse completely terminated its functioning.