Climatic conditions, along with other factors, determine the characteristics of biological resources. What is biodiversity? It is the foundation of all natural systems that support life on Earth: water purification, oxygen and carbon replenishment, soil fertility maintenance, and provision of food and medicine. The specificity of the plant and animal world of Kyrgyzstan is defined by the relative abundance of species despite their comparatively low overall numbers.
Mountain forests, landscapes, and biodiversity are the heritage of all humanity. The fate of mountain ecosystems affects the lives of people not only in Kyrgyzstan but also in neighboring republics. Kyrgyzstan is an "island of biodiversity" in the ocean of deserts of Central Asia: in the mountains, there are alpine steppes, forests, high-altitude meadows, and meadow-steppes; in the foothill plains, there is desert and semi-desert vegetation. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan is a zone for the formation of water resources in a predominantly agrarian region. Therefore, the Kyrgyz Republic, having begun the implementation of the idea of an "island of ecology," has the right to expect cooperation with the global community, as it represents a unique concentration of wild plant and animal species in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is home to about 3% of all biological species, while the area of the country occupies only 0.03% of the planet's surface. In Kyrgyzstan, for example, unlike Kazakhstan and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, one can sequentially encounter many landscapes within just a few dozen kilometers, starting from glacial high-altitude deserts to hot deserts. This can be experienced, for instance, on the tourist route "Pik Western Alamedin (near Bishkek) — Moyun-Kum Desert" (on the border with Kazakhstan). The unique diversity of climatic zones and belts provides opportunities for the development and survival of many species of plants and animals, allowing mountains to be viewed as global reservoirs for biodiversity conservation (it has been proven that the probability of species survival in mountains is approximately an order of magnitude higher than in plain areas). Thus, the mountains of Kyrgyzstan have 22 independent ecosystems, the value of which is undeniable, even though it is not expressed in specific economic terms. In this regard, numerous resources and functions of the mountains are largely connected with their unique biodiversity. Mountains often provide the last refuge for those natural species that have already been destroyed in neighboring valleys.
The density of biological species per unit area in Kyrgyzstan is, on average, 100 times greater than that of the planet. This is extremely important for the global community, as the current rate of species extinction exceeds that observed in historical times by more than 1000 times.
Among the plant life of Kyrgyzstan, at least a quarter of the species are endemics (not found anywhere else). In the mountain forests, Tien Shan spruce, walnut, fir, and junipers grow. The highlands are occupied by rich alpine low grasslands. Forests cover about 350,000 hectares in Kyrgyzstan, 53% of which are occupied by coniferous species.
The animal world in the republic is as diverse as the landscape. There are over 80 species of mammals, more than 330 species of birds, and about 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. In the mountains, one can find bears, lynxes, wolves, mountain goats, roe deer, hares, etc. Among the birds, one can see the snowcock, bustard, eagle, griffon, hawk, and the rare mountain turkey—ural. The aquatic fauna of Kyrgyzstan is also rich, with over 50 species of fish (naked osman, marinka, carp, trout, whitefish, pikeperch, white amur), including 12 commercial species. The red wolf, snow leopard, Menzbir marmot, and gray monitor lizard are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Red Book of the USSR included 28 species of animals and 15 species of plants found in the territory of the republic.
The task of species conservation is not simple, as the mountain "islands" of endemic animal and plant species are experiencing increasing anthropogenic pressure: acid rains, global warming, and deforestation and soil degradation narrow already limited habitats, while the inability of species to migrate to other latitudes makes them particularly vulnerable. The decline in biodiversity is an indicator of the decrease in the natural restoration of natural resources. A number of valuable mountain ecosystems have already nearly disappeared; for example, forest cover has decreased by at least 50% over the past 50 years. Currently, 92 species of animals and 71 species of plants are threatened with extinction. This constitutes approximately 1% of the total number of species in Kyrgyzstan, although this figure is unevenly distributed across different reserves. Of this number, 13 species of mammals, 32 species of birds, three species of reptiles, two species of fish, 17 species of insects, and 65 species of plants are listed in the Red Book. The main reason for species extinction is the destruction of natural habitats caused by human economic activities and, consequently, the direct destruction of these environments.
Natural and anthropogenic disasters in mountainous areas are a serious risk factor that local communities, government, and state structures must always be prepared to prevent. These include earthquakes, landslides, rockfalls, snow avalanches, breaches of natural and artificial dams, and floods. More than 3,000 earthquakes are registered annually in Kyrgyzstan, 10 of which are strong. A destructive earthquake occurs every 10-15 years.
A number of calamities and their growing danger are increasingly attributed to human activities, particularly in the mining industry. The social and environmental consequences of these natural disasters are evident. Even people living in the plains near the mountains are sometimes affected by mountain disasters. All peoples who have experienced natural disasters have ultimately developed a series of principles and measures to ensure their safety (building in protected areas, constructing dams, etc.). Unfortunately, these traditional preventive measures are often not implemented today due to economic hardship, lack of modern technology, etc. This leads to numerous material losses and human casualties.
In Kyrgyzstan, there are still almost untouched landscapes free from anthropogenic activities, the purest water reservoirs, and air, which, among other things, have economic value and represent a special commodity of international significance, the price of which will increase over time. The conservation and development of biological resources is not an alternative but, on the contrary, a long-term foundation for socio-economic development. In the territory of the republic, 22 classes of ecosystems have been identified, of which 14 are mountainous.
The table shows that the concentration of species in Kyrgyzstan is an order of magnitude higher for most groups than that of the planet. However, all existing 22 classes of ecosystems in the republic are experiencing strong (often catastrophic) anthropogenic pressure and are hotspots of ecological tension. Only a conscious and systematic exclusion of actions that harm living organisms in the anthropogenic ecosystem can preserve its stability and efficiency as an agrocenosis. All forest ecosystems in the republic are in an extremely threatening position. As is known, ecological problems arise from the interaction of technogenic processes with nature. Uncontrolled logging, thoughtless grazing, and land degradation have led to a reduction in the area of forest ecosystems by half over the past 50 years, and now they constitute only about 4% of the total area. Natural forest restoration has virtually ceased. The reduction in forest area and deterioration of their condition, in turn, threatens ecological balance, air purification, slope stabilization, runoff regulation, leads to soil erosion, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, etc. This requires quite stringent measures for nature protection, for which environmental legislation has been adopted, the Red Book has been created, and 3.9% of the territory has been declared specially protected areas. Currently, there are about 100 specially protected natural areas in the Kyrgyz Republic, which constitutes 3.9% of the entire area of the country.