The state of sea water in Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea is controlled by the State Committee of the Hydrometeorology by 54 stations. The complex valuation of the ecological state according with microbiological and hydrochemical indices shows that waters of the Middle Caspian are contaminated from Russian border till Sumgayit; waters of the South Caspian are dirty from Apsheron peninsula till Lenkaran; waters of Baku Bay and Sumgayit beach are dirty and the dirtiest. Analysis of results of the bacteriological researches on 18 stations of the Azerbaijan coast showed that density of bacterial settlement is higher in waters of Baku Bay, here their number is 1-3 m. in 1 ml of water. Such great number of bacteria confirms that waters in bay are too dirty. In the rest parts of Azerbaijan coast the number of bacteria varies from 100 ths. to 500 ths. in 1 ml of water.

In the Middle and the South Caspian the water environment is characterized from the moderate-contaminated up to contaminated. Due to water contamination the variety of benthonic fauna had reduced from 3 to 10 times. Near Sumgayit and Baku Bay there is a sharp reduction of crustacea and some species of mollusks is observed there. The same picture is observed in region of Kura beach. The catastrophic ecological state had been formed in Baku Bay the bottom of which is littered by living waste, oil products, heavy metals and various organic combinations, and the benthonic fauna is nearly absent there.

The main sources of the Caspian contamination are river flows, oil-gas production, oil products transportation, throwing of non-refined sewage by industrial enterprises, reservoir-drainage waters of irrigated lands and living flows of the inhabitant localities. The USSR collapse had led to that many industrial enterprises had stopped their activity completely or partially. It brought to reduction of throwing down the sea and was the reason of some normalization of the ecological state on the Caspian Sea.

According with water protective organizations in 1999 there had been thrown 169.11 m.m³ of contaminated and 240.49 m.m³ conventionally refined sewage from the coastal zone down the Caspian Sea. The majority of flows falls to Apsheon EGR lot (Baku and Sumgayit) - 159.73 and 237.11 m.m³ accordingly.

Annually Azerbaija throws down the Caspian Sea up to 4 ths.t. of oil and oil products, 500 ths.t. of dry residue, over 70 ths.t. of sulphates, over 300 ths.t. of chlorides, about 50 ths.t. of SSAS, up to 30 ths.t. of phenol and mineral acids, dissolved iron, nitrates, phosphates, pesticides, etc. as well.

As usual the main contaminators of water area are oil products the share of which reaches 95%/ The increased level of coastal waters contamination by hydrocarbons (4-6 MPC), phenols (7-12 MPC), detergents and nitrogen combinations (1-2 MPC) is observed near Sumgayit. Waters of this zone are characterized as from dirty to the dirtiest.

In the near-shire waters of the north Apsheron eastward from Sumgayit river the hydrocarbons' content exceeds MPC in 2-10 times, phenols - 8-10 times as well; the content of other contaminators varies within 0.5-1.0 MPC.

The most contaminated region of the Caspian is Baku Bay. Over 440 m.m³ of sewage (155 m.m³ contaminated and 210 m.m³ conventionally refined) had been thrown here down in 1999. The hydrocarbons' content in bay exceeds MPC in 10-50 times, phenols - 18-30 times, mercury and detergents - 2-5 times as well. Moreover, the concentration of phosphates (12-15 mg/L), nitrates (2-3 mkg/L), ammonia nitrogen (25-60mkg/L) are 40-50 % higher than in the rets parts of the Caspian Sea. According with classification the waters of Baku Bay are corresponded to as dirty and the dirtiest.

Neft Dashlary region is contaminated by oil products basically. They are brought out by winds and streams in the south-eastern and southern directions. Owing to the influence of dynamic processes the concentrations of dissolved oxygen vary within 6-12 mg/L, hydrocarbons - 0.06-1.25 mg/L as well. The phenols content exceeds MPC in 5-20 times. The concentrations of the rest indices of water quality don't exceed MPC. Waters of Neft Dashlary region are classified as dirty.

On the water area of Kura beach the hydrocarbons' content varies within 0.07-1.8 mg/L, it exceeds MPC in 1-36 times. Phenols exceed MPC up to 10 times. Water quality is valued as from contaminated to dirty.

Near Lenkaran shore the hydrocarbons' content varies from 0.05-1.40 mg/L, it exceeds MPC up to 28 times, the phenols' concentrations exceed the sanitary norms in 4-10 times (0.04-0.1 mg/L). According with water quality the region is characterized from contaminated to dirty.

Practically the concentrations of heavy metals, detergents, chlorine-organic pesticides and biogenic elements in water of Azerbaijan sector of the Middle and South Caspian don't exceed the fixed norm except for Sumgayit coast and Baku Bay.

Eutrophication. Anthrpogenic change of biogenic load tells in any case on the change of sea ecological system structure: bioproductivity level increasing, species composition of biological associations changes, the stability of trophic relations is disturbed, physical and chemical properties of water change. But this process of the Caspian Sea anthropogenic eutrophication is not balanced.

So, the eutrophication centres had been observed only on the isolated areas along the Middle and South Caspian coast. But in 90s beginning the eutrophication centres had united and widened in latitude directions.

In the Middle Caspian the process of anthropogenic eutrophication are observed nearly everywhere stimulating the biological consumption of dissolved oxygen. Over 30 years the suppress of mass development of phytoplankton, phyto- and zoobenthos had been taking place in water areas to 25-35-m isobath beginning from Sumgayit beach and southward up to Alyat zone. The main degradation reason of the basic lows' representatives of flora and fauna of the region was the general contamination. Intensive anthropogenic eutrophication takes place in the South Caspian as well. But this process is stable in so-called "contact zone" having the stationary relation with contaminated water flows. In addition the eutrophication character differs noticeably from such one on the South Caspian. The difference is that zone of phytoplankton maximal development here is displaced into deeper areas. The phytoplankton degradation in relatively shaloow zones is observed in water areas of Sumgayit, Pirallakhi, Shikhov, Garadag-Alyat sections. In Pri-Kura, Kyur-Kosin, Lenkaran and Astara areas the anthropgenic eutrophication had begun to form from the coastal zone. In water areas the suppress of algae physiological activity, microorganisms' number and value of biological consumption of water dissolved oxygen are maximal. The results of long-standing researches had shown that in this region the formation of general biological productivity basement takes place in ecological conditions complex enough.

Since 1960 to 1989 the total number of microorganisms had grown in 2-4 times, the number of saprophytic bacteria - 5-10 times as well. The biological consumption of dissolved oxygen was growing everywhere as well. It is specifically that in water areas of Baku Bay, Shikhov beach and in Pri-Kura region the water oxygen is consumed completely during 8-18 hours.

The anthropogenic eutrophication progresses significantly in the regions southward Kura river mouth where the stable flowering of water widens to the south-east and the sea central part. The hypoxia zones takes the whole water area of the Leser Gizilagach gulf, depths of Pri-Kura region and the western part of deep-water depression. The hypoxia stability in the South Caspian deep-water part of proved by that processes of stagnation, water-change, temperature regime and other factors don't influence on enrichment of the prebenthonic layers with oxygen.

The ecological consequences of anthropogenic eutrophication in the Caspian Sea and also appear or observed in depth reduction of throphogenic layer in water areas of flowering and in intensive development of bacteria of anaerobic forms.

It is characteristically that in thermocline layers the biomass of bacterioplankton had become more significantly. If in 60-70s the number of saprophytic bacteria in layers of change was 35-40% more than in surface layers then according with data of 1987, 1993 and 1997 it exceeds the number of heterotrophes of the surface layers in 1.5-2 times. Obviously the increase of water oxygen consume for 40% is connected with microorganisms' activity, i.e. their mineralizing activity regarding the organic matter. It is necessary to mention that anaerobic bacteria - dinetrifying, sulphate-reducing, methane-forming, anaerobic cellulose decomposing became usual not only in shallow waters but in bacteriocenose of water prebenthonic layers deeper 75-100-m isobath for the last 8-10 years. It was also determined that increase of the primary production growth, the values of the organic matter destruction and decrease of water saturation with oxygen influence positively on quantitative and qualitative composition of anaerobic bacteria in Caspian Sea.

In coastal line the benthonic deposits are contaminated basically by oil products, phenols, heavy metals. According with summary index of contamination (SIC) with chemical elements the benthonic deposits of nearly the whole coastal line (15-m shelf zone) are very contaminated: in the Middle Caspian SIC exceeds the background in 8-64 times; in the South Caspian it exceeds in 64-128 times. Anomalies of strontium, barium, zirconium, boron and nickel have more wider areal and technigenic influence among the heavy metals. Anomalies of chrome, tin, lead and manganese have local character.

The benthonic deposits of Baku Bay reaching 2.7-m thickness are contaminated intensively with such chemical elements as strontium, lead, mercury, copper, chrome, nickel, molybdenum, barium, zinc and tin. Each kilogram of sediments contains up to 150 g. of hydrocarbons, 5-10 g. of phenols. Each kilogram of sediments from upper layers of Sumgayit beach water area contains 0.5-7.0 g. of hydrocarbons, up to 1 g. of mercury, phenols and heavy metals. In benthonic deposits of Apsheron northern shores eastward from Sumgayit the oil-products accumulation in 1 kg of sediments reaches 1-2 g., phenols - 0.5-1.0 g., mercury - 0.10-0.6 g.

On water area of Kura beach the oil products content in benthonic deposits reaches 0.5-0.15 g., mercury - 0.1-0.2 g. per 1 kg of sediments.

Benthonic deposits of Lenkaran beach are characterized with content of 0.2-1.5 g. of oil products and up to 0.1 g. of mercury per 1 kg of sediments.

3.5.1.2. Surficial waters of land

Rivers. Nearly all the rivers of the coastal zone are contaminated more or less. The most contaminated river is Kura delivering the transit industrial and living flows from Georgia and Armenia and the state western side. Annually Kura transports 520-530 m.m³ of contaminated sewage, up t 500 m.m³ of them fall to Georgia and Armenia lots. In addition up t 5 m.t. of chemical contaminators and over 40 m.t. of detritus material come into the Caspian Sea. In the river's lower and middle parts the water contamination with phenols, oil products, heavy metals, ammonium nitrogen exceeds the background values (5-15 MPC). Moreover, the incoming of non-refined sewage leads to sharp increase of value oxygen biological consumption.

23 elements-contaminators had been determined in the benthonic deposits of Kura lowers. 13 of them are the basic ones and spread in benthonic deposits on 20-42% of river bed total area. They are as follows: W, Sr, Nb, P, Zn, Ag, Cu, Co, Sn, Sf, Pb, V, Y, B. Their concentration is 1.5-14 MPC. Such elements as B, Mo, Cr, Li, Mn had been discovered on local areas with concentrations 1.2-8 MPC.

The quantitative composition of water in the rest rivers of the coastal zone varies from clean in uppers to the moderate contaminated in middle and lower parts. The main contaminators are economic-living flows of the inhabitant localities and enterprises, and also the washing of mineral fertilizers and pesticides out the soil cover of irrigated lands. According with degree of influence upon the qualitative composition of surficial river flow the coastal zone is subdivided into the territories of influence within MPC (foothills and mountain zone of the northern slope and the Greater Caucasus south-eastern submersion, Mountain Talysh), the MPC predominance on individual components (Shollar plain, Devechi-Sumgayit coastal line, North-East Gobustan, Lenkaran lowland) and the MPC predominance on some components (South-east, Central and West Gobustan, Central Aran).

Interior reservoirs. Lakes and reservoirs of the coastal zone are contaminated by rivers flowing into them and also the sources of contamination located on shores. In rural provinces they are economic-living-flows, mineral contaminations, pesticides basically.

Reservoirs of Apsheron peninsula are mainly undergone to industrial and economic-living contamination. Relict lakes (Beyukshor, Ganligel, Byul-Byula, Masazir, Mirzaaladi, etc.) are contaminated by oil and oil products (1.5-14 MPC), phenols (3-32 MPC), detergents (up to 2 MPC), synthetic-surficial active substances (SSAS) (3-4 MPC). Biochemical changes are reflected in increased content of ammonium nitrogen (2-4 MPC), nitrites (2-5 MPC), phosphates (1.5-5 MPC), ammonia (1.5-7 MPC). The oxygen regime of lakes is also unsatisfied.

The significant sources of contamination are oil field waters and sewage of oil and gas processing enterprises concentrating in numerous ponds and artificial lakes-accumulators. Thus, the sewage of NGDU (oil-gas producing board) after A.Amirov transports over 50 t. of oil products, 300 t. of sediments, 6 t. of SSAS, 52 t. of sulphuretted hydrogen, 1 t. of sulphates, 2.5 t. of chlorides, 1 t. of phenols during a year. Sewage of oil processing enterprises contain 200 t. of oil products, 1100t. of sediments, 60 t. of SSAS, 27 t. of sulphuretted hydrogen, 76 t. of phenols, 2 t. of manganese every year. Accumulating in ponds these substances also infiltrate into zone of aeration and first horizon of the ground waters.

3.5.1.3. Underground waters of land

The main sources of the underground waters contamination are the industrial waste and flows, economic-living sewage, and in rural province the waste of stock-breeding, poultry farming as well and also the residual quantities of mineral fertilizers and pesticides penetrating through the aeration zone into the ground water bearing horizons.

The ground waters of Apsheron peninsula are mainly contaminated. So, in region of Baku iodine-bromine plant, in zones of direct influence of the infiltration waters (sewage ditches) of oil field enterprises in the ground waters the increased content of chlorine (11-50 g/L), iodine (0.005-0.029 g/L), boron (0.005-0.28 g/L) had been determined there. The buoyant oil film with thickness from some millimeters up to 0.7-1.8 m had formed over the ground waters level on local areas as a result of leakage from pipelines pumping oil and oil products from the oil refineriers.

Infiltration from the damaged sewage systems and construction of Baku ad Sumgayit, other towns and settlements promotes to chemical; and biological contamination of the ground waters. The main contaminators are nitrates and ammonium ions. They also come from cultivated cover. At the same time the contaminators' content is determined by age of urban buildings, density and sewage systems' state.

The most negative element of the geoecological state are the anthropogenic swamping and flooding of the territories, it is mainly observed on Apsheron peninsula.

The swamping differs from flooding mainly in that they are as suspended, basically their waters have no hydrodynamic connection with ground waters level increase and represents the element of unite hydrodynamic system. Swamping of the anthropogenic origin are mainly observed within the central Apsheron and corresponded to the cultivated lands. Vaster swamped lands locate on the outer margin of Baku trough representing a chain of wide flat-bottom valleys with small inclination. The main artificial factors here are oil fields' flows.

The regime formation of Apsheron peninsula ground waters takes place under the intensive anthropogenic influence that expresses in water-supply or infiltration of surficial waters of the technogenic character. It draws the change of the ground waters occurrence depths with various rates of lifting and lowering. The uplift of the ground waters level is observed on the majority of peninsula except a small area on the north-east where the ground waters level don't change or had decreased for 1-2 m due to intensive water-supply.

The central part of peninsula from Kyurdakhani settlement on the north-west up to Govsan settlement on the south-east is flooded or under the menace of flooding.

By its origin the flooded area was obliged for the first turn to oil field flows and later to Apsheron arterial canal (AAC). Regime wells drilled here in 50s show a smooth uplift of the ground waters level under the influence of oil fields' flows before the beginning of AAC exploitation. Since 1959-1960 on the north-west and 1964-1966 on the south-east of the present territory the levels of ground waters began to uplift sharply with beginning of AAC exploitation and irrigate crop-growing. The value of uplift was 10.0-15.0 m here from 1962 to 198. The uplift of the ground waters level keeps on at present.

The second flooded territory according with area is on the north of Jeiranbatan reservoir. The flooded territory is formed due to Samur-Apsheron canal and flows of industrial enterprises of Sumgayit and stretches from the reservoir northern end up to Sumgayit. The considerable areas within the town are flooded due to leakage from sewage systems. Results of chemical analysis of water samples taken from flooded basement rooms and from water supply and sewage system showed the identity.

The decrease of sea level observed since 1966 promotes to drying up of those parts of coastal line of the coastal zone which were flooded as a result of transgression in 1976-1995.

The present state of soil cover is very various: from nearly clean areas which haven't undergone the negative anthropogenic influence, through the intermediate areas where weak or moderate contamination is, up to completely damaged zones.

The main sources of the soil cover contamination are the residual quantities (RQ) of mineral fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture regions and waste of industrial production in cities.

In cotton-growing regions of the Central Aran the average RQ of pesticides (DDT, DDE, phasanol, trephlan) made 8-10 MPC in 90s beginning with increase up to 50-60 MPC on local areas. Soils of winter pastures of the present region are corresponded to regions with moderate contamination (0.4-1.1 MPC).

In soils of Samur-Devechi, Pri-Caspian-Apsheron, Gobustan and Lenkaran regions the maximal levels of pesticides content (on average levels 1-10 of MPC) were 20-28 MPC under the vegetable plants, 20-25 MPC under the grains, 20-42 MPC under the fruit gardens, 2-50 MPC under the grape plantations. Use of lands taken for a long time under cotton and grape plantations had shown that RQ content of total DDT in fodder crops, grains, root-crops, onion, maize were 3-12 MPC, i.e. the degree of pesticides accumulation in the agriculture was 13-15% of the content in soil.

The increase of nitrates content is observed as a result of mineral and organic fertilizers use in soils of irrigated lands and country pots of the regions and on local areas of Apsheron peninsula. Sandy and subsandy soils have more nitrate contamination. Strong nitrate contamination is observed in hotbeds growing flowers and vegetables.

Geochemically the coasts of the Middle Caspian from Samur river till Apsheron peninsula are relatively clean. 40 microelements were determined in soils. Only strontium differs with abnormal concentrations, it is associated with the nature factor - wide development of young (Holocene) deposits rich by strontium.

Generally 17 elements-contaminators had been distinguished in soil of Apsheron peninsula (Cu, Sr, Mo, Cr, Ni, Co, Zr, Ti, Yb, B, Ba, V, W, Pb, Sn, Ga and Ag); on territory of Baku there are 34 elements-contaminators (in addition to generally spread on the peninsula - Zn, Bi, Mn, La, F, Ce, Li, Y, Hg, Cd, Hf, As, Sb, P, etc.); in Sumgayit the following elements are more spread - Zn, Mn, Cu, Cr, B, Mo, Sn, F, Hg, Sr. As a result of specialized studies on territories of Baku and Sumgayit there had been established 7 and 6 toxic polygons accordingly. Here the total content of elements-contaminators exceeds the background values within from 3-20 to 150-300 times, and 600-800 times on some areas. Unprecedented situation had arisen on Sumgayit chlorine-alkaline factory where over 80 t of mercury had accumulated in soils on depth up to 6 m as a result of long-standing leakage connected with obsolete technological process and defects in shlames' storage.

In inhabitant localities with active infrastructure of Baku and Sumgayit characterizing by low technogenic load the main contaminator is motor transport the harmfulness of which is increased by accumulation of lead and zinc in soil.

Generally the areas of middle and strong contamination are 50-55% of these cities territory and 37% of total area of Apsheron peninsula.

On the South Caspian coast the studies had been conducted in flood-lands of Kura river and Lenkaran lowland.

In first case there had been determined 23 elements-contaminators, 6 elements (P, Pb, Cu, B, Mn, Zn) are the main ones being spread in soil of 25-32% of the studied area with concentrations 1.5-10 MPC. The rest contaminators (Sr, La, Zr, Cr, Ni, Bi, Ba, Ti, Sn, Nb, Y, V, Mo, Ag, W, etc.) are spread on local areas with concentration 3-10 MPC.

On Lenkaran lowland the main soil elements-contaminators are Ag, Sn, Sr, Be, Cr, P (1.5-11 MPC); Zn, Pb, Ni, Ba, Li, Yb, Y, Mn, B, Ti, Nb, V with concentrations 1.5-9 MPC are determined on local areas.

The significant source of soil contamination are oil-production waters and oil flows on the oil-production fields within the north-eastern foothills of the Greater Caucasus (Siazan monocline), Apsheron peninsula, Gobustan, South-East Shirvan, and also the oil products and oeaee of oil-refineries.

The average quantity of oil and oil products exceeds the background level in 10-60 times in 0-5-cm layer and 100 time on some local areas. On Apsheron territory the total area of oil-contaminated lands exceeds 10.000 ha, generally the contamination area on the coastal zone is valued within 18000-20.000 ha.

Soils round Sumgayit and Baku are contaminated with benzopirene and toxic polychlorided bipheniles on the territories of enterprises of the electrotechnical industry over the permissible level.

One of the main factors complicating the radioeological state are oil production and processing. During the long-standing exploitation of oil fields the radionuclide accumulation in oil fields soils had led to that on some places these soils must be buried as radioactive waste according with level of radionuclide content in them. Oil and associated formation waters, coming to the surface with it, contain radium, thorium and radioactive calcium as well. They penetrate into soil, deposit on pipe walls, concentrate on refining installations, in industrial-repairing rooms on oilfields making areas with abnormal high radioactivity exceeding the background values in 50-150 times (500-600 mcR/h). Abnormal high concentrations of radionuclide are also fixed in production waste of oil-processing, chemical and iodine-bromine productions. The dangerous reality is that many places of old oil production and also the places of oil-processing slag storage are use now under the inhabitant territories, some dwelling houses are too close to wells. The presence of radon gas prevails in these rooms. This gas constantly emanates from soil contaminated with radium-226.

157 zones of local and areal contamination with radionuclide with radiation level from 120 to 3000 mcR/h had been determined by the specialized studies on the Great Baku territory in 1988. At present only 31 zones had been rendered harmless, mainly in the city central part.

3.5.3. ATMOSPHERIC CONTAMINATION

Stationary resources. The atmospheric air of Apsheron peninsula is more intensively undergone to the industrial contamination. There is the concentration of enterprises of fuel-energetic, petrochemical, metallurgic, machine-building complexes and building materials industry and in Ali-Bairamly where the fuel-energetic complex is developed as well. In the rest inhabitant localities the main stationary contaminators are local boiler-rooms and heat-supply systems for light and food industry enterprises. But due to sharp decrease of production and energetic crisis the degree of air contamination from stationary sources had significantly reduced for the last 10 years as shown on Tables 3-22 and 3-23.

Table 3-22. Dynamics of the contaminating substances outburst into the atmosphere of the coastal zone from the registered stationary sources

Motor transport. In conditions of production decrease and the corresponding decrease of outbursts from the stationary sources the share of motor transport in outbursts total volume increased sharply, in 1999 it was 47% in comparison with 26% in 1990. Simultaneously the share of coastal zone in outbursts total volume of the state motor transport increased as well. It is valued within 60-65% in comparison with 35-40% in 1990. Proceeding from the available quantity and quality structure of coastal zone motor park and fuel used for a year the total outbursts were 197.2 ths.t. in 1999 concerning three cities - Baku, Sumgayit and Ali-Bairamly. These outbursts included carbon oxide - 138.5 ths.t., hydrocarbons - 37.3 ths.t. and nitrogen oxide - 7.8 ths.t. From total volume of outbursts 191.5 ths.t. falls to Baku lot, 4.4 hts.t. - Sumgayit and 1.3 ths.t. - Ali-Bairamly as well.

Loads of atmospheric precipitation of the chemical combinations are valued according with materials of Committee of Hydrometeorology. This Committee carries out the environment monitoring on the hydrometeorological stations in Khachmaz town, Pirallakhi is. (Apsheron), Neftchala town and Lenkaran town. Results of studies for 1999 are in Table 3-24.

Share of regions in total load of the atmospheric precipitant on the coastal zone is: Guba-Khachmaz EGR - 13.6%, Apsheron EGR - 38.6%, Central-Aran EGR - 29.0% and Lenkaran EGR - 18.8%. The correlation of sulphur and nitrogen contribution in convenient total load is 2.7:1 on average, but it varies depending the region: Guba-Khachmaz EGR - 2.5:1, Apsheron EGR - 5:1, Central-Aran EGR - 3:1 and Lenkaran EGR - 1.4:1.

Insecticides, acaracides, fungicides, herbicides and defoliants, growth stimulators, perpetrates for animals' health used in great volumes in period to 1990 promoted the production of agriculture production in great amounts. But simultaneously it led to intensive chemical contamination of soil, water flows and ponds. The residual quantities of contaminators are still kept on various areas of the coastal zone. Economical crisis of 90s and the agriculture reconstruction with land and state and collective farms' properties transfer to individuals brought to sharp reduction of pesticides and mineral fertilizers import and use in country in conditions of poor financing and credit of the agriculture sector. In addition in the coastal zone the pesticides' use had reduced more than 10 times in comparison with 1990 and approximately made 1300-150 t. in 1999, i.e. 10% of minimal necessities. Moreover, the annual expenditure of pesticides on places is 2.5-3.0 kg/ha on the cotton plantations, 5-6 kg/ha in fruit gardens, kg/ha on water-melons, melons and gourds. Insecticides, fungicides and herbicides used at present are classified as rapid-destroy substances and practically don't accumulate in the environment.

The alien species of organisms having come into the coastal zone mainly under the influence of anthropogenic factor (artificial settling, penetration on water artery), represented by invertebrates, crustacea, fishes, birds and mammals.

Invertebrates are represented by 7 species penetrated into the Caspian Sea after the opening of Volga-Don canal. They are: Bougainvilla megas (Kinn), Blackofordia virginica (Mayez), Balanus improvisus Darvin, Balanus eburneus Gould, Nereis aiversicolor Muller, Mytilaster leneatus Gmel., Abra ovata. They take part in covering of ships, hydrotechnical and port constructions, rigs and piers. Mytilaster had forced dreicena (Dreycenus) out which was the valuable fodder animal. But it itself is a fodder for marketable fishes and birds.

Crustacea are represents by two species of shrimps (Palaemon adspersus rathke and P.elegans) and Holland crab (Rhithropanopeus harrisii tridentatus Maitland) which also penetrated into the Caspian Sea by Volga-Don canal. Larvae and adult individuals are a fodder base for marketable fish and birds.

Fishes came into the Caspian Sea in different ways. Two species of grey mullet are specially acclimatized - little mullet (Lisa saliens Risso) and golden mullet (Lisa auratus Risso), Mississippian gambusia (Gambusia affinis Boejardet Girard), hunchback salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbusha Walbaum), golden and silver crucian (Carassius carassius L., C,.auratus.Bloch.) occasionally brought here, river or european eel (Anguilla anguilla L.). Mississippian gambusia does damage to fish eating their caviar and fries.

Birds, not typical for autochthonous ornitofauna, are represented by annulated and little turtle-doves (Streptopelia decaocto Frivaldzk, S.senegalensis L.) and black-head seagull (Larus melanocephalus L.). They do a definite damage (except seagull) feeding with seeds and berries of cultivated plants.

Mammals are represented by coypu (Myocastos coynus Mollina) and raccoon (Procyon iotor L.) acclimatized in 30-40s. Raccoons do a great damage to ornitofauna basically, eating eggs, nestling and adult individuals of valuable birds.

The following illnesses and vermin are mainly spread in the low-lying forests of the coastal zone:

• illnesses: mealy (farinaceous) dew of oak (Microsphera alphitoides fungus), oak drying up (Ceratocystis roboris fungus), nummulariative necrosis of oak (Nummularia bulliardi), holland illness of elms (Ceratocystis ulmi);

• vermin of saplings: east may cockchafer (Melolontha hippocastani), june cockchafer (Amphimallon solstitialis);

• vermin of adult trees: unpaired bombyx (Lymantria dispar.), oak green leafwig (Tortrix viridana).

The coastal zone of Azerbaijan is one of the ancients places of human society appearance and development and cultivated agriculture origin. Here the natural complexes were undergone to the anthropogenic influence for thousands years. In this connection the different formation accompanied with soil erosion and degradation had a wide development here for some centuries and had sharply intensified in XX century. The reasons of desertification processes are:

• vegetative cover destruction and damage of soil layer as a result of industry activity, carrying of living and irrigation works;

• degradation of soil-vegetative cover due to excessive cattle pasture;

• vegetative cover destruction due to use of trees and bushes as firewood;

• reduction of soil fertility as a result of dry-farming land agriculture;

• the repeated soils salinization and growth of natural salines as a result of the ground waters level uplift on areas of artificial irrigation and on the Caspian shore as well (due to its level uplift).

Due to prevent the desertification process spread the planning scientific-research studies were carried out and the correspondence measures were conducted for many years. The annual antierosion, forest-reclamation, irrigation-reclamation works on thousands hectares lands undergone to desertification in this or that degree were conducted in former USSR time. Considerable assignations were used for these purposes. But the dessert formation process couldn't be stopped. At first it was connected with gradual increase of anthropogene influence and intensive methods of agriculture. The situation had deepened in 90s due to considerable worsening of social-economical conditions and sharp reduction of finances allotted for measures for lands protection, re-cultivation and rational utilization.

3.5.8. OTHER ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS

The significant changes of agriculture in 70-90s, the transition from rice-and grain-growing to vegetable-growing, vine-growing related with drying up of swamped territories and reservoirs, water usage of rivers feeding the reservoirs for irrigation, arable lands had significantly changed the conditions of animal kingdom living in the low-lying parts of the coastal zone. Moreover, due to water high level in Khazar, Akshin floods, canals, reservoirs, supporting by fish-breeding farms, there took place the replacement of various-grass vegetation being the forage reserves for birds with reeds and juncaceae vent. associations on significant areas. Water regime doesn't change for a long time and stagnates in ponds on Gizilagach reserve territory. All these promoted to biomass sharp reduction - the main forage of ducks, water hen and swans and reduction of number of hibernating colonies from 10 m. individuals in 50s to 0.5 m. individuals in 1999.

Intensive anthropogenic influence upon the coast of the Central Aran also reduce the prospectives of increase of water-fowls and near-water birds' number.

Hunting, fish and coypu farms had been organized on Agzibir of the Middle Caspian shore. Their activity does a significant damage to water-fowls and near-water birds during all seasons. Grey goose, swans, shelduck had disappeared completely due to excessive throwing of water down the sea lock through and usage of river waters for surrounding fields irrigation. Hydrological regime of lakes gets worse, it leads to worsening of lake forage reserve.

3.5.9. WEAK PUBLIC AWARENESS

A network of non-governmental organizations (NGO) had been formed in Azerbaijan for present moment. Scientific societies must be mentioned for the first turn. Their activity is related with scientific aspects of biological varieties - Botanic societies, Zoological societies, Geographical societies, etc. The Society of fishermen and hunters represents another type of public organizations; they use hunting and fishing areas on which the protection, reproduction and rational use of the animal kingdom is carrying out.

Over 30 ecological non-governmental public organizations and associations act in Republic. Their main target is teaching of ecological knowledge, ecological information, ecological education, studies conduction, etc. Some NGO act in the field of biological variety preservation in frames of education and enlightenment, it is very important for public awareness regarding with biological variety value and its preservation. Thus, Ecological Union of Azerbaijan takes part in some programs and projects oriented directly for preservation of the state biological variety.

Movement of Greenpeace, Nature Preservation Society and other NGO carry out the execution of public control for biological variety preservation, solve informative-enlightenment tasks.

But the activity of many NGO is not supported by real practical acts, often it is caused by inadequate material-technical base, absence of due attention and support from the state institutions, and also low social activity of population in the field of ecological tasks solution. The involvement of publicity and, partially the rural population into ecological measures is low enough. The example of mass ecological actions in the republic regions are nearly absent. There is a passivity of population in discussion and acceptance of decisions in the field of the environment and biological variety protection. The development and realization of ecological projects and programs on the population awareness, training, issues of scientific-popular literature are on low level.

Many NGO directly dealing with ecological problems weakly collaborate with each other and nearly unknown for publicity. At the same time NGO playing more noticeable role in nature protection activity have all the grounds to be an effective public power but there is a necessity of closer collaboration between them and the state organizations.

Reference

1. State report on the environment state and nature protection in Azerbaijan Republic. – Baku; "Ergun", 1993.

2. Azerbaijan animal kingdom, v.III, Vertebrates. – Baku; "Elm", 2000.

3. Kasymov A.G. Ecology of the Caspian lake. – Baku; "Azerbaijan", 1994.

4. Salmanov M.A. Ecology and biological productivity of the Caspian Sea. – Baku, "Ismail", 1999.

5. Reports of the State Committee of Hydrometeorology for 1995-1999.

6. Reports of the State Committee of Geology and Mineral Resources for 1995-1999.

7. Reports of the State Committee of Ecology and Control for Nature utilization for 1995-1999.

8. Reports of the Ministry of Agriculture for 1995-1999.

9. Reports of the Ministry of Economics for 1995-1999.

10. Environment in Azerbaijan Republic for 1998. – State Statistical Committee, Baku, 1999.

11. Initial National Communication of Azerbaijan Republic under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. – State Committee on Hydrometeorology, Baku, 2000.

12. National Environmental Action Plan. – State Committee on Ecology and Control of National Resources Utilization, Baku, 1998.

INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

SECTION 5

APPENDIX 15

APPENDIX 16

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