Armenia is a small country situated in the Transcaucasus on the border of Europe and Asia. For visitors from Central Europe, the huge landscape variety from the perspective of geological, geomorfological and climatic factors is surprising, as well as the vegetation and floristic diversity. Here alpine vegetation, semideserts, phryganoid vegetations and mountain steppes occurre in the same area, together with interesting forest vegetation types. Beautiful country - side rich in ancient historical monuments is a great treasure for this small country lying at the crossroads of cultures, biogeo - graphical regions and migration routes. and Ester Ekrtová, Libor Ekrt.
Forest vegetation occupied some 20 % of this Armenian area, with forests of three types. Open forests consist of short, rather sparse trees (juniper/pistachio/oak). Alluvial vegetation occurs as a narrow belt of trees or scrub along rivers and streams. Deciduous forests usually develop in more humid places and may show interesting parallels to our lowland and upland forests. Traditional management (in Europe practi - sed in the past) is maintained, providing an inspiration for our nature conservation. and Ester Ekrtová, Libor Ekrt.
In Armenia, more than 50 % of the territory lies at an altitude of over 2 000 metres a. s. l. The overall landscape and the mountain flora and vegetation are determined by volcanic areas alternating with crystalline massif or limestone areas. and Ester Ekrtová, Libor Ekrt.
The extremely dry lower altitudes of Armenia are occupied by semi-desert and phryganoid xerophyte plant communities with many rare endemics, useful wild plant species and wild relatives of cultivated plants. The rather high proportion of semi- -desert vegetation was transformed to agricultural areas due to irrigation. At higher altitudes, steppes and meadow-steppes are abundant and thorn-cushion communities are rather widespread too. In regions with high annual precipitation, meadows represent species rich and ornamental forest-free vegetation. and Ester Ekrtová, Libor Ekrt.
In this issue, we feature an article by Professor Jiří Drahoš, president of the Academy of the Sciences of the Czech Republic. The article focuses on a current situation of in the Academy. He emphasises that the ASCR is the most efficient institution in the field of science and research in Czech Republic. What's more, the Aca demy was 99th among 2000 institutions evaluated by Clmago Institutions Ranking: 2009 World Report. In December 2009 at the Academic Assembly, the Czech Science Academy head. Censured the Government Council for Research and. Development and Innovation for downgrading its funding system of support for science. In his speech at the Assembly he also stressed that Academy as a consequence of its research continuously returns to society what it has received for its scientific endeavours from public finances. and Jiří Drahoš.
This article provides a brief summary of initiatives to establish the National Park in 1963 and describes the first activities in its administration and the problems it faced under the impact of industrial pollution in the 1980s. In that time, it was put on the list of the 12 most endangered national parks in the world. In the 1990s the cooperation of the Dutch FACE Foundation with its fi nancial support, the University of Amster dam with its scientific expertise and the enthusiasm of the National Park working team gave rise to a restoration process, which is still going on to this day, bringing the park back to its position as one of the most valuable natural areas in the country. and Josef Fanta.