With acceptance of the National forest program of Turkmenistan in January, 2013, tree and shrub planting works in the country, expansion of man-made large forests have got systematic character and new scale. Creating new forest plantations, people also keep historically developed unique natural communities - light forests of deserts, mountain districts, and river valleys. Scientists, developing work plans for future, conduct the account - peculiar inventory of natural woods, adjust monitoring of condition and provide actions for preservation of similar areas in the country.
Protecting these sites of woods which in the conditions of arid climate can be considered as nature sanctuaries, people often give names to ancient groves or separate trees-old residents. These giants connect the past, the present and the future, giving valuable information, in what environmental conditions our ancestors have lived, what kind of wood cultures planted. Centuries-old trees deserve great attention as stable to tests of environmental conditions of arid zones of deserts with their hot winds, frosty winters, and droughts.
Karayalchy walnut grove (20 hectares) in the gorge of Western Kopetdag, "Charlyk" pistachio grove (20 hectares), oak-old resident “Hero of the Sumbar valley” 125-127 years of age have the status of the natural sanctuary. Though without such status, but remarkable ones are - "Tzar-nut" grove in Aydere gorge, which, according to botanists opinion is about 500 years old, “The Seidi tree” - a mulberry with trunk circle of more than five meters in Karabekaul etrap, and also centuries-old zerawshan juniper, located between Koyten and Hodjapil-ata settlements, unabi grove in Koytendag, where separate trees are 700 and over years old (year rings of unabi very thin).
It is possible to include a 1500 hectares pistachio grove in Hodja-Burji-Belent natural boundary in Koytendag etrap to the list of objects worth admiration and protection, a pistachio light forest and artificial plantings on the area of 10 hectares, a black-saxaul wood in Charlak natural boundary in the territory of Repetek state biospheric reserve.
There are tugai woods in Miskinata natural boundary in the lower reach of Amudarya in the territory of Gubadag etrap, Dashoguz velayat. Tugai wood of Nerezim exists in Farap etrap, Lebap velayat, its other name is “Big river”. There are flowerbeds, areas of tugai woods in good condition named Kabakly, Nargiz, Deynau in the territory of Amudarya reserve and in other places of Amudarya valley. They are made of local kinds of plants - Asiatic poplar and pette.
In Halach etrap of Lebap velayat there is a grove of old "Avdjennel" plane trees in together with an oleaster, a reed, a poplar, it is located near the Pelvert village. The grove of plane trees is well-known also in the Western Kopetdag in Baharly etrap, Ahal velayat named - "Niyazym". Here the age of some trees has passed 300 years. And one of them amazes with its stub diameter - three meters, along the edges of which there are up to ten thirty-year old young growths which continue the life of an old tree. More than 200 years old plane tree named “The hollow giant” is located in Nohur settlement. There are also Eastern planes or junipers - from one hundred to three hundred years of age in adjoining villages. As a rule, they are carefully fenced, their condition is watched by local residents who protect them as a relic. The light forest of a Turkmen juniper or arch is located in timber enterprise of Baharly etrap of Ahal velayat. Age of the bulk of mountain coniferous breed is 600 till 800 years, but some of them are more than 1000. Some old mulberries with huge trunks are located in Koytendag, each of them are 200-300 years old.
Among such remarkable natural objects along with natives ones there are those created by the human being as well. For example, tugai wood in Karabekaul etrap and an artificial large forest in foothills of Kopetdag near Ashgabat named “White wood”. Names of a forest plot, wood, plantings or separate trees are drimonims. For example, a mulberry “Drying out giant” in Karabekaul etrap etc.
In the territory of the Turkmen capital there are trees-old residents protected by ecologists and Ashgabat residents, much of them are coevals of Ashgabat. So, in public park near the Ministry of Railway transport there is an oak and a mulberry, each of which are more than 115 years old. The oldest Eldar pine in Ashgabat grows in Keshi. The radius of its trunk at the basis exceeds three meters. It was brought from Tbilisi botanical garden and planted in this place near kyariz in 1897 by the Head of forestry department of Zakaspiy region D.Morozov. The pine entered into early landings of experimental forest stations, a part of them have remained in the territory of the Turkmen agricultural university and Ashgabat botanical garden. Among the trees of "Ylham" Avenue of inspiration there is an ailanthus with double trunk, and along the sidewalk of Gorogly street there is a Gleditschia, about hundred years of age.
Protecting these sites of woods which in the conditions of arid climate can be considered as nature sanctuaries, people often give names to ancient groves or separate trees-old residents. These giants connect the past, the present and the future, giving valuable information, in what environmental conditions our ancestors have lived, what kind of wood cultures planted. Centuries-old trees deserve great attention as stable to tests of environmental conditions of arid zones of deserts with their hot winds, frosty winters, and droughts.
Karayalchy walnut grove (20 hectares) in the gorge of Western Kopetdag, "Charlyk" pistachio grove (20 hectares), oak-old resident “Hero of the Sumbar valley” 125-127 years of age have the status of the natural sanctuary. Though without such status, but remarkable ones are - "Tzar-nut" grove in Aydere gorge, which, according to botanists opinion is about 500 years old, “The Seidi tree” - a mulberry with trunk circle of more than five meters in Karabekaul etrap, and also centuries-old zerawshan juniper, located between Koyten and Hodjapil-ata settlements, unabi grove in Koytendag, where separate trees are 700 and over years old (year rings of unabi very thin).
It is possible to include a 1500 hectares pistachio grove in Hodja-Burji-Belent natural boundary in Koytendag etrap to the list of objects worth admiration and protection, a pistachio light forest and artificial plantings on the area of 10 hectares, a black-saxaul wood in Charlak natural boundary in the territory of Repetek state biospheric reserve.
There are tugai woods in Miskinata natural boundary in the lower reach of Amudarya in the territory of Gubadag etrap, Dashoguz velayat. Tugai wood of Nerezim exists in Farap etrap, Lebap velayat, its other name is “Big river”. There are flowerbeds, areas of tugai woods in good condition named Kabakly, Nargiz, Deynau in the territory of Amudarya reserve and in other places of Amudarya valley. They are made of local kinds of plants - Asiatic poplar and pette.
In Halach etrap of Lebap velayat there is a grove of old "Avdjennel" plane trees in together with an oleaster, a reed, a poplar, it is located near the Pelvert village. The grove of plane trees is well-known also in the Western Kopetdag in Baharly etrap, Ahal velayat named - "Niyazym". Here the age of some trees has passed 300 years. And one of them amazes with its stub diameter - three meters, along the edges of which there are up to ten thirty-year old young growths which continue the life of an old tree. More than 200 years old plane tree named “The hollow giant” is located in Nohur settlement. There are also Eastern planes or junipers - from one hundred to three hundred years of age in adjoining villages. As a rule, they are carefully fenced, their condition is watched by local residents who protect them as a relic. The light forest of a Turkmen juniper or arch is located in timber enterprise of Baharly etrap of Ahal velayat. Age of the bulk of mountain coniferous breed is 600 till 800 years, but some of them are more than 1000. Some old mulberries with huge trunks are located in Koytendag, each of them are 200-300 years old.
Among such remarkable natural objects along with natives ones there are those created by the human being as well. For example, tugai wood in Karabekaul etrap and an artificial large forest in foothills of Kopetdag near Ashgabat named “White wood”. Names of a forest plot, wood, plantings or separate trees are drimonims. For example, a mulberry “Drying out giant” in Karabekaul etrap etc.
In the territory of the Turkmen capital there are trees-old residents protected by ecologists and Ashgabat residents, much of them are coevals of Ashgabat. So, in public park near the Ministry of Railway transport there is an oak and a mulberry, each of which are more than 115 years old. The oldest Eldar pine in Ashgabat grows in Keshi. The radius of its trunk at the basis exceeds three meters. It was brought from Tbilisi botanical garden and planted in this place near kyariz in 1897 by the Head of forestry department of Zakaspiy region D.Morozov. The pine entered into early landings of experimental forest stations, a part of them have remained in the territory of the Turkmen agricultural university and Ashgabat botanical garden. Among the trees of "Ylham" Avenue of inspiration there is an ailanthus with double trunk, and along the sidewalk of Gorogly street there is a Gleditschia, about hundred years of age.
