INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Naghi Shabanian, deputy of forest affairs of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization, has said.According to this
document, regional and sectoral actions will also be carried out
One of these measures in line with the biological balance of the Zagros forests is the real participation of the people.This year, the plan
will be piloted in three regions of the country, including Kurdistan, he noted.Referring to the importance of Zagros forests, he said that
these forests play a significant role in the economy and livelihood of locals as well as reducing environmental problems, especially in the
fight against sand and dust storms.Zagros forests are among the most important natural resources of Iran, as it constitutes 40 percent of
such as continuous droughts, improper use, and wildfires, while if we want to have food and biological security and sustainable development,
we must pay attention to these forests.Referring to pests and diseases as one of the main problems of the Zagros forests today, he noted
that these pests and diseases are the results of activities that have disturbed the biological and ecological balance of the Zagros
ecosystems.Zagros forests are among the most important natural resources of Iran, as it constitutes 40 percent of the country's forests, and
Pour-Moqaddam, an official with the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization, said.One of the major problems in these forests
is the drying up of oak trees and a fungal disease that has infected these trees
partially controlled by watershed management and forestry operations, but seeding and rehabilitation operations are required, he said.Zagros
forest steppe ecoregion with an area of about 6 million hectares (3.5 percent of Iran) is located primarily in Iran, ranging northwest to
southeast and roughly paralleling the country's western border
The forest has also been called the western oak forest due to the dominance of oak species.According to Science Direct Western, oak forests
are home to many species including, the Persian squirrel which is the indicator species of this region
Persian squirrels and oak trees have symbiotic relationships, in which forests provide ecological requirements for Persian squirrels such as
including wolves, leopards, and even the Persian fallow deer which was once thought extinct have made their homes in the
mountains.Biodiversity in dangerUnfortunately, the protection of forests, pastures, and agricultural lands in the country has not been
appropriate in recent years
Improper exploitation, land-use change, and land degradation are the main causes of deforestation and consequently, biodiversity, Eskandar
Zand, the national authority for the Convention on Biological Diversity, has said.According to the statistics, there are about 2 million
hectares of forest land and 15.7 million hectares of forests in Iran.Comparing this statistic with the data of 2005 shows that during the
past 16 years, the level of forests in Iran has not changed much, but the quality of forests has been damaged so that about 1.6 million
hectares of semi-dense forests in Iran (with a density of 25 to 50 percent) has been reduced and in contrast to 1.9 million hectares have
been added to forest lands (with a density of 1 to 5 percent), he explained.As a result, the quality of Iranian forests has dropped sharply,
except for dense forests, which cover about 12 percent of the whole forest and are relatively inaccessible, the rest are severely damaged,
he lamented.Iran's biosphere reservesIran is a vast country with a wide range of biodiversity and natural resources, with 13 biosphere
reserves named Golestan, Miankaleh, Arasbaran, Urmia, Arjan and Parishan, Geno, Hara, Hamoon, Dena, Tange Sayad, Sabzkooh, Turan, Kavir and
Kopet Dagh has been registered in the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program, he explained.Biosphere reserves include terrestrial,
marine, and coastal ecosystems
Each site promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use
There are currently 714 biosphere reserves in 129 countries, including 21 transboundary sites.The Golestan Biosphere Reserve is located in
variety of habitats and rich biodiversity can be found in the reserve, including 150 bird species, 54 species of reptiles and amphibians, 8
species of huge carnivores such as the leopard and brown bear, and more than 1,366 plant species.Dena Biosphere Reserve is located in the
Central Zagros Mountains of Iran, with a general slope of more than 60 percent
Dena is also home to a vast range of plant species and several endangered and endemic mammal species
Oak species dominate the highlands, while pistachio and almond are common at lower elevations.FB/MG
