WWF PLANTED 2,000 MORE RELICT TREES IN ADYGEA

Planting trees on a site near the mouth of the river Kuzhetka on the territory of the State Forestry of the Republic of Adygea is the result of the work of the Colchis boxwood conservation project in the Caucasus. Previously, boxwood trees grew in these places, but after the invasion of the pest butterfly (boxwood moth), nothing remained here, as well as in many other places. To preserve the relict plant of Krasnodar region and Adygea, WWF-Russia has developed a special project "Saving boxwood trees together!". Thanks to joint efforts, it was possible to grow thousands of seedlings in the Apsheronsk Forestry College and prepare them for planting in nature, where it used to grow.

Adygea Forest Administration provided WWF-Russia's partner – the Association "Environmental Control and Forest Protection "Interuniversity Laboratory" with the planting area for research activities, which is an experimental site where it is possible to monitor plants. This guarantees the protection of young plants from the pest and support in case of illness.

"Spring monitoring in 2022 showed 95% survival rate of seedlings planted in autumn. This is an outstanding result. And we hope that the new seedlings will take root just as well," says Elena Cherkasova, Senior Forest Officer of Russian Caucasus Ecoregional Office WWF-Russia. – We must admit that the main test for all plants is ahead. 5,500 seedlings must have a reality check in the most active season - in the hot summer."

Brief report

Colchis boxwood is endemic to the Caucasus, i.e. it is not found anywhere else on the planet. Due to human fault, in preparation for the Sochi Olympics in 2012, a boxwood moth was brought to the region, which quickly occupied the entire region.  The legislation of the Russian Federation did not allow the treatment of plants in the forest and water protection zone with chemicals or pesticides. Therefore, due to the absence of natural enemies in Russia and the warm climate, in which more incubation periods take place, the insect destroyed 99% of the boxwood tree forests of Russia in just a couple of years.

In 2015 WWF-Russia, with the support of partners and supporters, joined in solving the problem. Work was carried out to monitor the remaining forests, the presence of moth, mapping the original boxwood trres habitats in Krasnodar region and Adygea, to collect seeds of survived plants. In 2018, a nursery was established on the basis of the Apsheronsk Forestry College.

In the autumn of 2021, with the support of the Naturella brand, the first 3,500 seedlings were planted in nature, and 1,500 formed the basis for the creation of a mother plantation, from where in the future it will be possible to take cuttings for planting in a greenhouse and go through a full cycle until the seedlings are ready for planting in nature.