Preserving Wild Apple Species in Western Tian Shan

Historical accounts indicate that the first apple trees appeared in the mountainous parts of Central Asia, including the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan. Ancient trade routes took its seeds across the world as Egyptians began planting apple orchards along the Nile Delta, and Romans brought them to Britain. Later in the 16^th century, Spaniards took apples across the ocean to the Americas.  

The ancestor of all cultivated apples and eaten around the world, Malus Sieversii, is also a native of Central Asia. This wild apple species can still be found in the Tian Shan mountains, a home to many other wild fruit and nut trees. Unfortunately, about 44 species of trees and shrubs in the region are critically endangered or vulnerable. They have been threatened for decades by overgrazing, diseases, timber-felling for fuel, and more recently, climate change.

To preserve these wild trees, UCA’s Mountain Society Research Institute (MSRI) and the Aga Khan Foundation’s Mountain Societies Development Support Programme are implementing a joint project on the Conservation and Research of Wild Fruit Species in the Western Tian Shan.

Since wild species of apples represent a valuable genetic pool, it is a priceless resource for identifying genes that may code for disease resistance, or flavor. If commercial crops are susceptible to change because of weather or insects, wild species provide a possible solution, because they have the gene pool that might help new varieties of apples to adapt to colder or warmer climates or remain resistant to pests.

The majority of Kyrgyz population in the rural areas rely greatly on forests as a source of income generation. Since walnuts contribute to household income, residents choose to cut down any except walnut trees for commercial or personal use of timber. In addition, livestock browsing freely in the forest, destroy young trees and damage stems and branches of adult trees. People also deplete apple seeds from the forest by crushing for juicing or as dry fruit.  According to Dr Maksim Kulikov, Research Fellow at UCA, all these activities strongly limit the propagation of wild apple species and loss of genetic diversity.

Funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and launched in 2021, UCA’s research concentrates on two nature protected areas of Kyrgyzstan – Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve, and Padysha-Ata Nature Reserve, and additionally in Kara-Alma forestry unit which still contains rare species of apple and pear trees threatened with extinction due to human and climate change impacts.

MSRI conducted environmental and socio-economic surveys that involved mapping of tree groups in the forest and interviewed 220 households in three target villages. The interviews have provided valuable information about local livelihood strategies that should contribute to understanding development needs in the project areas. The results of this socio-economic study will be published in 2022.