The spring season of collecting plant species samples continues as part of efforts to replenish the National Herbarium Fund of Turkmenistan within the framework of the scientific project “Central Kopetdag,” under which targeted field trips are conducted during dry weather conditions.
In April, four expeditions were carried out in the outskirts of Ashgabat, the village of Yangala, and the hilly foothills of the Gokdepe etrap of Ahal velayat. These expeditions involved students studying natural sciences who are gaining skills in identifying plants and preparing them for herbarium preservation in field conditions.
For each species, at least five specimens in bloom, including fruiting specimens, are collected. In the laboratory, these samples are systematized and identified using specialized reference guides. The goal of the expeditions is to update the herbarium fund and to search for representatives of botanical families that are either not represented or incompletely represented in the collection.
Mentions of the scientific-reference herbarium date back to 1930, meaning this year marks the 95th anniversary of the recognition of the scientific significance of the collection.
In 2024, the Herbarium changed its “residence” from Magtymguly Avenue to Taslama Street, where the Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University is located. On the university campus is the Institute of General and Applied Biology, which is part of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan but closely cooperates with the university’s educational processes, fostering synergy between fundamental and higher education sciences.
The institute has six laboratories, and the Herbarium Fund became part of one of them - the biodiversity laboratory. According to the head of this laboratory, Maya Lollekova, the botanical collection serves as a clear scientific resource of botanical and ecological knowledge. It introduces unique plants of Turkmenistan’s territory, including rare, endemic, and endangered species. It provides information about the systematic characteristics of taxa, the geographical distribution of species, and changes in vegetation cover under the influence of biotic, anthropogenic, and climatic factors.
The new facility provides proper storage conditions, the necessary level of fire safety, protection against insect pests, and a controlled microclimate. Herbarium specimens are arranged alphabetically, assigned inventory numbers, mounted on sturdy sheets, and wrapped in light paper “jackets.” The packets are stored in wide wooden cabinets with compartments and shelves, which connect together to form continuous storage units from floor to ceiling. The collection holds 250,000 herbarium sheets representing up to 2,500 species from 696 genera and 113 families.
According to the latest data, Turkmenistan’s flora includes 3,140 species of higher plants and 3,924 species of lower plants.
