ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Conserv. Sci.

Sec. Plant Conservation

Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2025.1629529

Conservation priorities in Central Asia: The Shorsuv Massif IPA and its role in the Fergana Valley's biodiversity

Provisionally accepted
Komiljon  Sh. TojibaevKomiljon Sh. Tojibaev1Hushbaht  R. HoshimovHushbaht R. Hoshimov2Rustam  GulomovRustam Gulomov2Obidjon  Kh. SheralievObidjon Kh. Sheraliev2Avazbek  R. BatoshovAvazbek R. Batoshov2Shukherdorj  BaasanmunkhShukherdorj Baasanmunkh3Ju Eun  JangJu Eun Jang4Joonhyung  JungJoonhyung Jung4Hee-Young  GilHee-Young Gil4*Hyeok Jae  ChoiHyeok Jae Choi3*
  • 1National Herbarium of Uzbekistan, Institute of Botany of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • 2Department of Biology, Namangan State University, Namangan, Uzbekistan
  • 3Department of Biology and Chemistry, Changwon National University, Changwon, Republic of Korea
  • 4Division of Forest Biodiversity, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Introduction: The Fergana Valley (FV), a hotspot of endemicity and one of the most densely populated regions in Central Asia, faces increasing anthropogenic pressure.Methods: In this study, geospatial conservation assessment and grid-based mapping of wild flora were integrated with traditional IPA identification methods recommended by Plantlife, resulting in a significant enhancement of the standard IPA approach.Results: The Shorsuv Massif and its surrounding areas were identified as an IPA, meeting Criteria A and C of the IPA criterion developed by Plantlife. Given the unique biodiversity of the FV, the lack of IUCN Category I protected areas in the Uzbek part, and the increasing pressure of human activities, documentation and conservation of the plant diversity according to Plantlife criteria is of global importance. As a continuation of research in this direction, this paper details the identification of a third IPA in FV, located in the variegated outcrops of the Turkestan Range in the southwest of FV. Detailed field surveys and grid mapping documented 349 vascular plant species, including 42 threatened species under Criterion A of Plantlife International. However, the site and its surroundings are critically threatened by large-scale mining activities (Criterion C).Conclusions: The first results of this study and their discussion with authorized representatives provides crucial data for informing the government's decision to establish a new protected area in the FV. According to Decree No. PP-171 of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dated 31 May 2023, a national park will be created, encompassing 100,000 hectares, including the Shorsuv IPA site and adjacent areas. This initiative also supports global conservation targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC).

Keywords: Central Asia, Threatened species, critical habitats, Variegated outcrops, Fergana Valley, Important Plant Areas

Received: 16 May 2025; Accepted: 02 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Tojibaev, Hoshimov, Gulomov, Sheraliev, Batoshov, Baasanmunkh, Jang, Jung, Gil and Choi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Hee-Young Gil, Division of Forest Biodiversity, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon, Republic of Korea
Hyeok Jae Choi, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Changwon National University, Changwon, Republic of Korea

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