The Mangrove forests of Qeshm or Hara forests of Qeshm, are the

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

forests on the southern coast of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, particularly on and near the island of Qeshm in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. Dominated by the species '' Avicennia marina'', known locally as the "harra" tree (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: حرا), the forests represent an

ecological Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...

resource. The "Hara Protected Area" on Quesm and the nearby mainland is a

biosphere The biosphere (), also called the ecosphere (), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on the Earth. The biosphere (which is technically a spherical shell) is virtually a closed system with regard to mat ...

reserve where commercial use is restricted to fishing (mainly

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

), tourist boat trips, and limited mangrove cutting for animal feed.

Hara tree characteristics

The hara tree, ''Avicennia marina'', grows to heights of three to eight meters and has bright green leaves and twigs. The long, narrow, oval leaves of the tree have nutritious value for livestock roughly equivalent to

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

and

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, ...

Forest extent and significance

The hara forest on Qeshm and the opposite mainland covers an area of approximately 20 km by 20 km, with many tidal channels. In 1972 the Hara Protected Area was established to preserve suitable conditions for the growth and maintenance of the forests. The area is a habitat for migratory

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s in the autumn and winter, and for

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

, and varieties of

arthropoda Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated ( metameric) segments, and paired jointed appendages. ...

and

bivalve Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed b ...

Ecological characteristics

The Mangrove Biosphere Reserve is located in the Mehran River Delta in southern Iran. The area is located between Qeshm Island and the Persian Gulf and is a key focal point of biodiversity due to its mangrove ecosystem. The reserve is primarily a marine area. The main topographic features of the area include a lagoon with a series of small islands (similar to mud hills), mangrove forests, tidal marshes, and small, shallow bays. The reserve also hosts the largest mangrove ecosystem along the Persian Gulf coastline. Sea snakes use the aquatic habitats of the mangroves for feeding, reproduction, and livelihoods. Khoran Strait, where the reserve is located, is a Ramsar site that provides habitat for pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) during the winter months and serves as a regular feeding ground for green turtles (Chelonia mydas).

Fauna

The reserve is an important breeding ground for

herons Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus '' Botaurus'' are referred to as ...

, especially the

great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret, or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. R ...

, and species of

Finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...

that pass through the area during migration. In winter, the protected wetland area is of particular importance as a feeding station for herons and Finch. The reserve is of further importance for wintering flocks of pelicans and greater flamingos.

History

Centuries ago, Asian elephants (the Indian or Syrian elephant) once lived in the region of Qeshm and other regions of southern Iran. Distribution map's evolution of Asian elephants (Elephas Maximus) between the beginning of 20th century (pink) and early 21st century (red).

References

External links

*
''Events Magazine'' article on Qeshm Island

Discussion of Hara Forest on Minâb website
{{Hormozgan Province Biosphere reserves of Iran Global Geoparks Network members Forests of Iran Geoparks in Iran Geography of Hormozgan province