Chinese and Turkmen Scientists Complete Large-Scale Expedition in the Karakum Desert
Turkmen and Chinese scientists have successfully completed a comprehensive desert research expedition covering several protected natural areas of Turkmenistan. The studies were conducted jointly by the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
During the expedition, researchers surveyed the Central Karakum research station “Garryköl,” the areas of Bokurdak and Yerbent, the Darvaza gas crater, as well as the Kaplankyr State Nature Reserve, the “Bereketli Garagum” natural area, and the Repetek Biosphere Reserve.
The participants carried out geobotanical studies, monitored wildlife populations, collected soil samples, and established special research plots to study desertification processes. At the Repetek Biosphere Reserve, the scientists familiarized themselves with the reserve’s scientific infrastructure, herbarium collection, and protected natural sites.
The materials collected during the expedition will be used in preparing a new edition of the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan and an atlas of desert plants. Chinese specialists, in turn, plan to use the data to study the landscapes of the Karakum Desert and conduct a comparative analysis of the Karakum and Taklamakan deserts.
