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2025
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17992154 |
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| author | Karimi Baghmaleki, Majid |
| author_facet | Karimi Baghmaleki, Majid |
| contents | <p>The Hyrcanian forests, extending along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, represent one of the world’s most ancient temperate broadleaf forest ecosystems and were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. Encompassing over 1.9 million hectares across the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, these forests harbor exceptional levels of biodiversity, endemism, and ecological complexity. However, anthropogenic pressures—including deforestation, agricultural encroachment, and climate-induced shifts—have significantly altered their composition and functioning. This study synthesizes the ecological patterns, biodiversity gradients, and conservation challenges of the Hyrcanian forests using an integrative framework that combines species distribution data, ecological trait analysis, and landscape-scale conservation approaches. Data were gathered from 40 peer-reviewed studies (2000–2024) and international databases (GBIF, FAO, UNEP-WCMC). The results reveal high spatial heterogeneity driven by topographic gradients and climatic variability, with Fagus orientalis–dominated forests occupying mid- to high-elevation zones and mixed Quercus–Carpinus communities dominating lower elevations. Threat assessments show that more than 40% of the Hyrcanian area has been degraded, with the most significant pressures arising from illegal logging, infrastructure expansion, and <br>overgrazing. Conservation recommendations include expansion of protected areas, ecosystembased management, and the adoption of community-based conservation models. The study concludes that preserving the Hyrcanian biodiversity hotspot requires integrated policy frameworks, trait-based restoration planning, and climate-resilient management strategies. <br>Keywords: Hyrcanian forests, biodiversity, conservation ecology, ecosystem management, Iran, restoration, endemism </p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_17992154 |
| institution | Zenodo |
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| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology of the Hyrcanian Forests, Northern Iran: Patterns, Threats, and Management Perspectives Karimi Baghmaleki, Majid <p>The Hyrcanian forests, extending along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, represent one of the world’s most ancient temperate broadleaf forest ecosystems and were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. Encompassing over 1.9 million hectares across the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, these forests harbor exceptional levels of biodiversity, endemism, and ecological complexity. However, anthropogenic pressures—including deforestation, agricultural encroachment, and climate-induced shifts—have significantly altered their composition and functioning. This study synthesizes the ecological patterns, biodiversity gradients, and conservation challenges of the Hyrcanian forests using an integrative framework that combines species distribution data, ecological trait analysis, and landscape-scale conservation approaches. Data were gathered from 40 peer-reviewed studies (2000–2024) and international databases (GBIF, FAO, UNEP-WCMC). The results reveal high spatial heterogeneity driven by topographic gradients and climatic variability, with Fagus orientalis–dominated forests occupying mid- to high-elevation zones and mixed Quercus–Carpinus communities dominating lower elevations. Threat assessments show that more than 40% of the Hyrcanian area has been degraded, with the most significant pressures arising from illegal logging, infrastructure expansion, and <br>overgrazing. Conservation recommendations include expansion of protected areas, ecosystembased management, and the adoption of community-based conservation models. The study concludes that preserving the Hyrcanian biodiversity hotspot requires integrated policy frameworks, trait-based restoration planning, and climate-resilient management strategies. <br>Keywords: Hyrcanian forests, biodiversity, conservation ecology, ecosystem management, Iran, restoration, endemism </p> |
| title | Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology of the Hyrcanian Forests, Northern Iran: Patterns, Threats, and Management Perspectives |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17992154 |