Submitted by Albina Mamedova on Mon, 29/04/2024 - 20:12
Ormon Sultangaziev, a current student in the MPhil in Conservation Leadership programme has made a significant contribution to the discovery of a new tulip species in his home country of Kyrgyzstan. The species, formally described as Tulipa toktogulica, was found by the team of researchers from the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Fauna & Flora, and local experts as part of the "Securing wild tulips and montane grasslands in Kyrgyzstan" project.
Ormon provided essential support to the PhD student Brett Wilson, throughout the discovery process. He recently presented his work at a talk held at St. John's College, where he shared insights into the importance of this finding and the broader context of tulip conservation in Central Asia.
The discovery of Tulipa toktogulica comes at a critical time for Central Asian tulips. More than half of the 53 species recently added to the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. Collaborative conservation efforts, such as the "Securing wild tulips and montane grasslands in Kyrgyzstan" project, are making substantial progress in protecting these remarkable plants and improving the management of 500 hectares of tulip-rich pastures in the region.
Rasima Sabzalieva, a 2022-23 alumna of the MPhil in Conservation Leadership programme, also contributed to the project by supporting tulip surveys in neighbouring Tajikistan. The involvement of both current students and alumni in this conservation initiative highlights the programme's commitment to fostering collaboration and making a tangible impact in the field of biodiversity conservation.
To celebrate this conservation success story and raise awareness about the importance of protecting wild tulips, a display of tulips grown from Dutch bulbs has been arranged in the Fore Court of St. John's College.
