Abstracts

Databases and GIS Technologies

Due to mountain relief Armenia supports 25 wetland types (according Ramsar classification), which occupy 6% of the territory of the country. Wetland biodiversity consists of 245 lower and 757 higher plant, 446 invertebrate and 190 vertebrate animal species.

To create scientific backbone for national wetland policy in the frames of the project No.: 562/1999 supported by the Research Support Scheme of the Open Society Support Foundation (RSS/OSSF) the database, computer models and interactive automated open system had been elaborated for the problem concerned.

The database Wetlands of Armenia (Excel) consists of two parts: Wetlands with a list of Armenia’s wetlands (Rivers, Lakes, Reservoirs), and Wetlands Biodiversity with lists of Flora, Fauna and Communities with further subdivisions. Each wetland is provided with data concerning Physical (Climate, Hydrology), Ecological (link with Wetlands Biodiversity sheet) and Socio-economical Features. Each species of Flora and Fauna has data concerning habitats (region, altitude range, type of wetland).

This interactive automated open system is aimed on complex decision making in the field of valuation of the wetland biodiversity BIOWETOS - (BIOdiversity WETland Open System).

The following advantages should be mentioned for BIOWETOS:
- use of different informational databases;
- use of the same information for solutions in different sectors;
- use of results of one pack in calculations by other packs;
- porting of other computer models and packs;
- exclusion of old computer models and packs;
- creation of computer program sets and data packs in interactive regime;
- comparative appraisal of results by means of given criteria;
- intermodule optimization in diverse scenarios.

The structure flowchart of BIOWETOS consists of:
- BIOWETOS.INFO, which is intended for dataware of the system, data retention, modification and information accordance to other models;
- BIOWETOS.SUBSYS which is intended for union and launching of different models and systems;
- BIOWETOS.MAKER which is intended for union, renaming and deleting of models, standard programs and systems in BIOWETOS.SUBSYS;
- BIOWETOS.PRINT which is intended for printing of results.

BIOWETOS aimed for modeling of different situations, i. e.: the model of vulnerability of the water resources from the climatic conditions; the model of seasonal variation of the water resources; the model of dependence of particular plant species and communities on climatic conditions; the model of dynamic of commercial fish stocks in Lake Sevan depending on fishery efforts and fishing gears; the model of wetland waterfowl dependence on forage, etc.

The modeling of dependence of plant species and communities on climatic conditions shows that wetland vegetation is especially fragile to air temperature and precipitation changes, particularly in Ararat Valley (as it happened in unusually hot and drought 2000). The risk of transformation of existing marshes into saline lands is evident, as evident is the risk of loss of several plant species, including threatened.

Note. Abstracts are published in author's edition

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