Hyrcanian forests

{{Short description|Ecoregion in Iran and Azerbaijan}} {{Distinguish|Hercynian Forest}} {{Infobox ecoregion | name = Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests | image = 3615554 تصاویر هوایی جاده های پاییزی جنگل های هیرکانی.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = Sisangan National Forest, Mazandaran Iran | map = File:Ecoregion PA0407.svg | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = Hyrcanian mixed forests (purple) | country = Iran | country1 = Azerbaijan | border = Caspian lowland desert | border1 = Kopet Dag semi-desert | border2 = Kopet Dag woodlands and forest steppe | border3 = Elburz Range forest steppe | border4 = Eastern Anatolian montane steppe | border5 = Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe | bird_species = 296<ref name = "Atlas"> {{cite book |last1=Hoekstra |first1=J. M. |last2=Molnar |first2=J. L. |last3=Jennings |first3=M. |last4=Revenga |first4=C. |last5=Spalding |first5=M. D. |last6=Boucher |first6=T. M. |last7=Robertson |first7=J. C. |last8=Heibel |first8=T. J. |last9=Ellison |first9=K. |title=The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference |publisher=University of California Press |editor1-last=Molnar |editor1-first=J. L. |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-520-26256-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofglobalcon0000unse |url-access=registration}}</ref> | mammal_species = 98<ref name = "Atlas"/> | habitat_loss = 51 | habitat_loss_ref = <ref name = "Atlas"/> | protected = 10.30 | protected_ref = <ref name = "Atlas"/> | area = 55100 | biome = Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests | embedded = {{Infobox designation list |embed=yes |designation1 = WHS |designation1_offname = Hyrcanian Forests |designation1_date = 2019 <small>(43rd session)</small> |designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1584 1584] |designation1_criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(ix)}}(ix) |designation1_free1name = Region |designation1_free1value = Western Asia, Caucasus |designation1_free2name = Area |designation1_free2value = 129,485 ha |designation1_free3name = Buffer Zone |designation1_free3value = 177,129 ha }} }} The '''Hyrcanian forests''' ({{langx|fa|جنگل‌های هیرکانی}}; {{langx|az|Hirkan meşələri}}) are a zone of lush lowland and montane forests covering about {{convert|55000|km2|mi2}} near the shores of the Caspian Sea in Iran and Azerbaijan. The forest is named after the ancient region of Hyrcania. The World Wide Fund for Nature refers to the ecoregion as the '''Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests'''. Since 5 July 2019, the Hyrcanian Forests have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://financialtribune.com/articles/travel/98765/irans-hyrcanian-forests-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-list |title=Iran's Hyrcanian Forests Added to UNESCO World Heritage List |website=Financial Tribune |date=5 July 2019}}</ref> In September 2023, the heritage site expanded to incorporate portions of the forest located in Azerbaijan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1584 |title=Hyrcanian Forests |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date=17 September 2023}}</ref>

==Geography== In Iran, the Hyrcanian ecoregion comprises a long strip along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and the northern slopes of the Alborz mountains. It covers parts of five provinces, from east to west: North Khorasan, Golestan ({{convert|421373|ha|acre|-3}} being its south and southwest plus eastern regions of the Gorgan plain), Mazandaran, Gilan and Ardabil.

The Golestan National Park spans the boundary of Golestan and Mazandaran provinces. In the Mazandaran province, where the Hyrcanian forest is estimated at {{cvt|965000|ha|mi2}}, {{cvt|487195|ha|mi2|0}} are used commercially, {{cvt|184000|ha|mi2}} are protected and the rest are regarded as forest lands or over-used forests. The total of the forest woods used in this province is estimated at {{convert|770551|m3|ft3|-2}}. The Kojoor, Dohezar and Sehezar forest watersheds are in Mazandaran province, Gilan province (these forests are graded from 1 to 3 with an area of {{cvt|107894|ha|mi2|0}}; {{cvt|182758|ha|mi2|0}} and {{cvt|211972|ha|mi2|0}}, respectively. The commercial utilization is {{cvt|184202|m3|ft3}} and the non-commercial utilization is {{cvt|126173|m3|ft3}}. The Masooleh, Ghaleh Roodkhan and Astara forest watersheds are in Gilan province) and Ardabil Province. At higher elevations to the south, the ecoregion grades into the Elburz Range forest steppe.

In southeastern Azerbaijan the ecoregion spans through the Lankaran Lowland and the Talysh Mountains.

The ecoregion's climate is humid subtropical at lower altitudes; at mid-altitudes it has oceanic features, while in the mountains it is humid continental. Summer is a humid but low-precipitation season. Alborz is the highest mountain range in the Middle East and it captures, by relief precipitation and dew point mists, much of the evaporation of the southern Caspian Sea. Annual rainfall ranges from {{cvt|900|mm|in}} in the east to {{cvt|1600|mm|in}} in the west, making the forests much lusher than the desert, semi-desert, and steppe regions which it borders.

==Flora== [[File:Map iran biotopes simplified-fr.png|thumb|220px|Map of biotopes of Iran {{legend|#aeff2f|Forest steppe}} {{legend|#32cd32|Forests and woodlands}} {{legend|#ffc0a8|Semi-desert}} {{legend|#fff0b9|Desert lowlands}} {{legend|#c8fb98|Steppe}} {{legend|#ffffff|Salted alluvial marshes}}]] [[File:Ghaleye Rud Khan (40) 4.jpg|thumb|Hyrcanian broadleaf deciduous forest in Gīlān Province, Iran]] [[File:Lerik Azerbaijan 03.JPG|thumb|Hyrcanian broadleaf deciduous forest in Lerik District, Azerbaijan]] The natural forest vegetation is temperate deciduous broadleaved forest. 32.7 percent of volume of Hyrcanian forest is of oriental beech (''Fagus orientalis''). A main feature of the region is the lack of conifers; only relics of coniferous species are present, which include European yew (''Taxus baccata''), junipers (''Juniperus'' spp.), Mediterranean cypress (''Cupressus sempervirens'' var. ''horzontalis'') and Chinese arborvitae (''Platycladus orientalis'').

The Caspian Sea coastal plains were once covered by chestnut-leaved oak (''Quercus castaneifolia''), European box (''Buxus sempervirens''), black alder (''Alnus glutinosa ''subsp.'' barbata''), Caucasian alder (''Alnus subcordata''), Caspian poplar (''Populus alba'' var. ''caspica'') and Caucasian wingnut (''Pterocarya fraxinifolia''), but these forests have been almost entirely converted to urban and agricultural land. (Mosadegh, 2000; Marvie Mohadjer, 2007)

The lower slopes of Talysh and Alborz Mountains below {{convert|700|m|ft}} harbor diverse humid forests containing chestnut-leaved oak, European hornbeam (''Carpinus betulus''), Persian ironwood (''Parrotia persica''), Caucasian zelkova (''Zelkova carpinifolia''), Persian silk tree (''Albizia julibrissin''), and date-plum (''Diospyros lotus'') along with shrubs holly (''Ilex hyrcana''), ''Ruscus hyrcanus'', ''Danae racemosa'' and ''Atropa pallidiflora'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rechinger |first1=Karl Heinz |last2=Schönbeck-Temesy |first2=Eva |year=197 |chapter=Solanaceae |pages=100, 102 |title=Flora Iranica: Flora des iranischen Hochlandes und der umrahmenden Gebirge; Persien, Afghanistan, Teile von West-Pakistan, Nord-Iraq, Azerbaidjan, Turkmenistan |trans-title='Flora Iranica: Flora of the Iranian Highlands and the adjoining mountain ranges; Iran, Afghanistan, parts of Western Pakistan, Northern Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan' |language=de}}</ref> and lianas ''Smilax excelsa'' and ''Hedera pastuchovii''<ref name="WWF Full">{{WWF ecoregion|publisher=World Wildlife Fund|id=pa0407|name=Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests}}</ref> (Mosadegh, 2000; Marvie Mohadjer, 2007). Persian Ironwood is endemic to the Talysh Mountains and northern Iran and nearly pure stands of the tree can be particularly dramatic, with lichen-covered branches twisting together and only dead leaves in the deep shade of the forest floor. In addition, the ironwood's yellow leaves turn a faint lilac in the fall.<ref name="mobot Azerbaijan">{{cite web |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |url=http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/russia/azerbaijan.shtml |title=Ornamental plants from Azerbaijan}}</ref>

At the medium elevations between {{convert|700|and|1500|m|ft|-2}}, oriental beech is the dominant tree species in this cloudy zone in pure and mixed stands with other noble hardwoods such as chestnut-leaved oak, Caucasian oak (''Quercus macranthera''), European hornbeam (''Carpinus betulus''), Oriental hornbeam (''C. orientalis'') and sweet chestnut (''Castanea sativa'').<ref name="CEPF">{{cite web |publisher=Conservation International |url=http://www.cepf.net/xp/cepf/where_we_work/caucasus/full_strategy.xml |title=Ecosystem Profile: Caucasus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725052824/http://www.cepf.net/xp/cepf/where_we_work/caucasus/full_strategy.xml |archive-date=2008-07-25}}</ref> From its floristic composition, these beech forests are linked with European forests and with affinities to the beech forests of the Balkans. However, local conditions of aspect and edaphic factors, such as soil moisture and depth, are all of importance in determining the composition of the vegetation, which leads to the establishment of different beech subcommunities. (Mosadegh, 2000; Marvie Mohadjer, 2007)

Upper mountain and subalpine zones are characterized by Caucasian oak, Oriental hornbeam, shrublands and steppes. Alpine tundra and meadows occur at the highest elevations.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Plant diversity of Hyrcanian relict forests: An annotated checklist, chorology and threat categories of endemic and near endemic vascular plant species |date=2022 |last1=Ghorbanalizadeh |first1=Atefeh |last2=Akhani |first2=Hossein |journal=Plant Diversity |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=39–69 |doi=10.1016/j.pld.2021.07.005 |pmid=35281126 |pmc=8897184 |bibcode=2022PlDiv..44...39G }}</ref>

Other native tree species include Caspian locust (''Gleditsia caspica''), velvet maple (''Acer velutinum''), Cappadocian maple (''Acer cappadocicum''), European ash (''Fraxinus excelsior''), Wych elm (''Ulmus glabra''), wild cherry (''Prunus avium''), wild service tree (''Sorbus torminalis'') and lime tree (''Tilia platyphyllos'').

==Fauna== [[File:Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor).jpg|thumb|The Persian Leopard, found mostly in Iran]]

The Caspian tiger (''Panthera tigris tigris'') was once the apex predator of the biome before its extinction. The remaining large mammals include the Persian/Caucasian leopard (''Panthera pardus tulliana''), Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx''), brown bear (''Ursus arctos''), wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), wolf (''Canis lupus''), golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), Caucasian badger (''Meles canescens''), and Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra'').<ref name="WWF Full"/><ref name="Geptner1972">{{cite book |author1=Heptner, V. G. |author2=Sludskij, A. A. |orig-year=1972 |year=1992 |title=Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola |trans-title=Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats) |publisher=Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation |location=Washington DC |url=https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov221992gept#page/83/mode/2up |pages=1–732}}</ref>

This ecoregion is the main green resting area for birds migrating between central-northern Russia and Africa and thus is a key habitat for many bird species. Notable birds seen here are the greylag goose (''Anser anser''), white-fronted goose (''Anser albifrons''), little bustard (''Tetrax tetrax''), glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus''), Eurasian spoonbill (''Platalea leucorodia''), night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax''), red-breasted goose (''Branta ruficollis''), peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), Dalmatian pelican (''Pelecanus crispus''), cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis''), squacco heron (''Ardeola ralloides''), greater flamingo (''Phoenicopterus roseus''), white-headed duck (''Oxyura leucocephala''), and Caspian snowcock (''Tetraogallus caspius'').<ref name="WWF Full"/>

=== Endemic species === [[File:Paradactylodon persicus02.jpg|thumb|An adult Persian mountain salamander, found only in the Hyrcanian forest region]] The Hyrcanian forests are thought to have served as a refugium for certain species during changing climatic conditions. The Iranian edible dormouse (''Glis persicus'') is an endemic of this ecoregion, and is thought to have evolved when mid-Miocene climatic change led to the fragmentation of the ancestral ''Glis'' population, with one such population fragment surviving in these forests and evolving into a new species.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Kryštufek |first1=Boris |last2=Naderi |first2=Morteza |last3=Janžekovič |first3=Franc |last4=Hutterer |first4=Rainer |last5=Bombek |first5=Dominik |last6=Mahmoudi |first6=Ahmad |date=2021-07-01 |title=A taxonomic revision of fat dormice, genus Glis (Rodentia) |journal=Mammalia |language=en |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=362–378 |doi=10.1515/mammalia-2020-0161 |issn=1864-1547 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The bat ''Myotis hyrcanicus'' is likely also endemic to this region.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yusefi |first1=Gholam Hosein |last2=Faizolahi |first2=Kaveh |last3=Darvish |first3=Jamshid |last4=Safi |first4=Kamran |last5=Brito |first5=José Carlos |date=2019-02-04 |title=The species diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the terrestrial mammals of Iran |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=100 |issue=1 |pages=55–71 |doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyz002 |issn=0022-2372 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The region is also known to preserve a unique lineage of bicolored shrew (''Crocidura leucodon'') that diverged from the other lineages during the mid-Pleistocene, about 1 million years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mahmoudi |first1=Ahmad |last2=Darvish |first2=Jamshid |last3=Siahsarvie |first3=Roohollah |last4=Dubey |first4=Sylvain |last5=Kryštufek |first5=Boris |date=2019-03-01 |title=Mitochondrial sequences retrieve an ancient lineage of Bicolored shrew in the Hyrcanian refugium |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2018.06.006 |journal=Mammalian Biology |language=en |volume=95 |issue=1 |pages=160–163 |doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2018.06.006 |s2cid=90173552 |issn=1618-1476|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The Persian mountain salamander (''Paradactylodon persicus'') is an aquatic salamander endemic to high rainfall regions of the Hyrcanian forest. It is primarily known from its aquatic larvae which live in permanent streams with forest cover. This is a very understudied species and very few adults have ever been found. It is under threat from habitat loss due to logging, agricultural development, and urban sprawl.<ref>{{Cite report |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/2665/0 |title=Iranodon persicus: Papenfuss, T., Anderson, S., Kuzmin, S., Rastegar-Pouyani, N., Nilson, G. & Sharifi, M.: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T2665A86081638 |last=IUCN |date=2008-12-14 |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature |doi=10.2305/iucn.uk.2009.rlts.t2665a9465867.en |access-date=30 November 2023 |language=en |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Protected areas== The diversity and endemism of the species make the Caspian Hyrcanian forests a priority and unique feature for species conservation.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=World Wildlife Fund |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/g200/g078.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804002653/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/g200/g078.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 4, 2009 |title=Caucasus-Anatolian-Hyrcanian Temperate Forests}}</ref> Habitats are threatened by conversion into tea, vegetable, fruit, and vine plantations, unsustainable forestry and poaching.

The Caspian forests were nationalized in the 1960s as part of state-led environmental and land management policies. Following this measure, inhabitants of the forested zones—primarily pastoral communities whose livelihoods depended on cattle grazing, seasonal mobility, and access to woodland resources—were compelled by government authorities to relocate to nearby settled villages. This resettlement policy effectively ended long-standing patterns of forest habitation and traditional pastoral land use, transforming both the social organization of these communities and their relationship to the forest landscape.<ref>Habib Borjian and Maryam Borjian. The Last Gālesh Herdsman: Ethno-linguistic Materials from South Caspian Rainforests. Iranian Studies. 2008;41(3):365-401. doi:10.1080/00210860801981336</ref>

Protected areas in Azerbaijan include:

* Gizil-Agach State Reserve – {{convert|88.4|km2|mi2}} * Hirkan National Park - {{convert|427.97|km2|mi2}}

Protected areas in Iran include:

* Golestan National Park * Jahan Nama Protected Area * Central Alborz Protected Area * Lisar Protected Area * Siah Keshim Protected Area * Dodangeh Wildlife Refuge * Neka Miankaleh Wildlife Refuge * Selkeh Wildlife Refuge * Dashtenaz Wildlife Refuge

==See also== *Hyrcania *Geography of Iran *Geography of Azerbaijan *List of World Heritage Sites in Western Asia

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== * {{commons-inline||Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests}} *{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130703233224/http://www.caspianenvironment.org/itcamp/iran2.htm Coastal Profiles - I.R.Iran]}}

{{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests}} {{World Heritage Sites in Iran}} {{World Heritage Sites in Azerbaijan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests}} Category:Ecoregions of Azerbaijan Category:Ecoregions of Iran Category:Ecoregions of Asia Category:Ecoregions of Europe Category:Forests of Azerbaijan Category:Forests of Iran * * Category:Alborz (mountain range) Category:Astara District Category:Lankaran District Category:Lerik District Category:Masally District Category:Yardimli District Category:Geography of Gilan province Category:Geography of Golestan province Category:Geography of Mazandaran province Category:Mountain ranges of Azerbaijan Category:Mountain ranges of Iran Category:Palearctic ecoregions Category:Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Category:Temperate rainforests Category:World Heritage Sites in Iran Category:World Heritage Sites in Azerbaijan