The Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands (Georgian: კოლხეთის ტროპიკული ტყეები და ჭაობები, Romanized: k'olkhetis t'rop'ik'uli t'q'eebi da ch'aobebi) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Georgia. It includes parts of the Colchis Lowland along about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of western Georgia's Black Sea coastline. UNESCO added the site to its list on July 26, 2021, making it the first location in Georgia to be recognized for its natural features. The area has many ancient rainforests and wetlands that are home to numerous species at risk of disappearing.
Description
The World Heritage site includes several ecosystems, such as deciduous rainforests, wetlands, and other types of wetlands, found at different heights from sea level up to more than 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The site has seven parts: Kintrishi-Mtirala and Ispani in Adjara, Grigoleti and Imnati in Guria, and Pitshora, Nabada, and Churia in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. These areas are managed in Georgia as parts of Kolkheti National Park, Kintrishi Strict Nature Reserve, Kobuleti Protected Areas, and Mtirala National Park. The total area of the site is 31,253 hectares (77,230 acres), with a buffer zone of 26,850 hectares (66,300 acres).
Geography and climate
The Colchis Lowland has very high humidity, with some areas receiving more than four metres (13 feet) of rain each year. This happens because the area between the Greater Caucasus, Lesser Caucasus, and Likhi Range acts like a funnel, trapping moisture from the Black Sea. The lowland is a sinking basin that might have formed during the Late Eocene or the Oligocene-Miocene Boundary. Many rivers flow through the region, with the Rioni River being the largest.
Ecology
Located in the Euxine–Colchic deciduous forests ecoregion, the site includes forests that survived the ice ages that happened a long time ago. The Colchic rainforests are among the oldest broad-leafed forests in western Eurasia. During the Pliocene, this area acted as a refuge, allowing evolution and the formation of new species to continue without major interruptions. As a result, the region has a wide variety of plant and animal life, with many species found only in this area or that survived from earlier times. The site is home to nearly 1,100 types of plants, including 44 species that are at risk of disappearing. Examples include the Caucasian walnut, the Colchis ivy (found only here), and the endangered Pontine oak.
Nearly 500 types of vertebrates, or animals with backbones, have been observed in the area. These include 300 species of birds, 67 mammals, 55 fish, 15 reptiles, and 10 amphibians. The region is an important stop for many birds of prey, like the booted eagle, that travel through the Batumi bottleneck during migration. It also supports wetland birds, such as the Great crested grebe. Amphibians found here include the vulnerable Caucasian salamander and the Caucasian parsley frog. Four species of lizards from the Darevskia genus have been identified in the protected areas. The protected regions that make up the World Heritage site are some of the last places where critically endangered species, such as the beluga sturgeon and the Colchic sturgeon (Huso colchicus), can still be found.