Ajameti Managed Reserve


Ajameti Managed Reserve is a protected area in the Baghdati Municipality, Zestafoni Municipality region of Georgia. It protects famous oaks of Ajameti and other local flora. Some of the trees are from 120 to 200 years old. Reserve also protects local fauna.

Geography

Ajameti Managed Reserve is located 15 km from Kutaisi. It was first founded in 1935. Reserve has two protected areas: Azameti Mukhnari, in the area of Rioni River left tributaries between Kvirila and Khanistskali and Vartsikhe massive, on the left side of Khanistskali.

Flora

4723 hectares of the area is covered by the oak forests, 93 hectares – hornbeam forests and 23 hectares oriental hornbeam.
The forested area of Vartsikhe is included into Ajameti Managed Reserve and was first established in 1946 in order to preserve rare Tertiary era relicts: Imeretian oak and caucasian elm trees.
Dendroflora has variety of 60 species. Understory with covered with rhododendron, medlar, sweetbrier and common hawthorn.
Some species are on the Red List of Georgia: Imeretian oak and Zelkova or caucasian elm as well as Pastukhov's ivy, Georgian hazelnut, wych elm, wingnuts and some others.

Fauna

There are mammals in the Ajameti State Reserve, namely roe, foxes, European pine martens, badgers, rabbits, squirrels and dormouse. The forest chicken is also noteworthy.
Among more than 60 species of birds observed in the reserve only 21 are nesting species in local oak forest. All other birds are either migratory birds or have their wintering grounds in reserve.
Amphibians are represented by one species of triton, marsh frog, common frog and green frog. Reptiles are represented by grass snake and dice snake.
Rare and endangered species included into Red List of Georgia: noctule bats, Caucasian squirrel, dormouse, Forest dormouse and Caucasian otter.
There are also endemic species in protected areas: southern white-breasted hedgehog, Caucasian mole, Gueldenstaedt's shrew, Mehely's horseshoe bat,, common bent-wing bat , European hare, ordinary squirrel and others.