Diversity of fauna and flora in the areas around the Kura River

Abstract

The Kura River and its riparian corridor support a mosaic of aquatic, riverbank and floodplain habitats that provide living space for plants, fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects and small mammals. This study develops an original school research project into a structured academic assessment of fauna and flora diversity around the Kura River. The source project used observation, photographs, maps and online and book-based research to classify representative organisms and compare biodiversity among in-water, riverbank and nearby-land habitats. The student identified reeds, grasses, algae, willow trees, aquatic plants and shrubs together with fish, frogs, turtles, birds, insects and small mammals, and prepared descriptive tables, a classification chart, seasonal river photographs and a river-course map. These materials are retained in the present article as the primary source evidence. The findings indicate that habitat heterogeneity is central to biodiversity: aquatic and riverbank zones were classified as high-diversity environments, while nearby land was classified as medium-high. Pollution, plastic and other waste, removal of riverside vegetation, habitat modification and inefficient water use were identified as principal threats. Recent Kura research supports the importance of water quality, riparian vegetation and ecosystem restoration. The discussion further links biodiversity conservation to ecosystem services, blue-green tourism, nature-based solutions and green finance. The study concludes that protecting the Kura requires integrated water-quality management, riparian restoration, waste prevention, environmental education and systematic biodiversity monitoring.