The Hyrcanian forests ( fa, جنگل های هیرکانی) are a zone of lush lowland and montane forests covering about adjoining the shores of the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad s ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

and part of that of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

. The forest is named after the ancient region of

Hyrcania Hyrcania () ( el, ''Hyrkania'', Old Persian: 𐎺𐎼𐎣𐎠𐎴 ''Varkâna'',Lendering (1996) Middle Persian: 𐭢𐭥𐭫𐭢𐭠𐭭 ''Gurgān'', Akkadian: ''Urqananu'') is a historical region composed of the land south-east of the Caspian ...

. In the

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...

categorization, the

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...

is referred to as the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests. Since 5 July 2019, the Hyrcanian Forests have been designated a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

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 The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs ...

mountains. It covers parts of five provinces, from east to west:

North Khorasan North Khorasan Province ( fa, استان خراسان شمالی, ''Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Shomālī'') is a province located in northeastern Iran. Bojnord is the capital of the province. The counties of North Khorasan Province are Shirvan Count ...

, Golestan ( being its south and southwest plus eastern regions of the Gorgan plain), Mazandaran, Gilan and

Ardabil Ardabil (, fa, اردبیل, Ardabīl or ''Ardebīl'') is a city in northwestern Iran, and the capital of Ardabil Province. As of the 2022 census, Ardabil's population was 588,000. The dominant majority in the city are ethnic Iranian Azerbai ...

. The Golestan National Park spans the boundary of Golestan and Mazandaran provinces. In the Mazandaran province, where the Hyrcanian forest is estimated at , are used commercially, 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 . 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 ; and , respectively. The commercial utilization is and the non-commercial utilization is . 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

the ecoregion spans through the

Lankaran Lowland The Lankaran Lowland ( az, Lənkəran ovalığı, tly, Lankoni çoləriyə, script=Latn) is a narrow strip of lowland in southern Azerbaijan by the Caspian Sea. It is the southward extension of the Kura-Aras Lowland which in itself is an extensio ...

and the

Talysh Mountains Talysh Mountains ( tly, Tolışə Bandon, script=Latn, fa, کوه‌های تالش, Kuhhâye Tâleš; az, Talış dağları) is a mountain range in far southeastern Azerbaijan and far northwestern Iran within Ardabil Province and Gilan Provin ...

. The ecoregion's climate is

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

at lower altitudes; at mid-altitudes it has

oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places *Oceanic, British Columbia Oceanic is an unincorporated set ...

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 The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will c ...

mists, much of the evaporation of the southern Caspian Sea. Annual rainfall ranges from in the east to in the west, making the forests much lusher than the desert, semi-desert, and steppe regions which it borders.

Flora

The natural forest vegetation is temperate

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

broadleaved A broad-leaved, broad-leaf, or broadleaf tree is any tree within the diverse botanical group of angiosperms that has flat leaves and produces seeds inside of fruits. It is one of two general types of trees, the other being a conifer, a tree with ne ...

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

conifer Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ex ...

s; only relics of coniferous species are present, which include European yew (''

Taxus baccata ''Taxus baccata'' is a species of evergreen tree in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the famil ...

''), junipers (''

Juniperus Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

'' 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 ''Buxus sempervirens'', the common box, European box, or boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus '' Buxus'', native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocc ...

''), black alder (''

Alnus glutinosa ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations ...

''subsp.'' barbata''), Caucasian alder ('' Alnus subcordata''), Caspian poplar (''

Populus caspica ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The ...

'') 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 harbor diverse humid forests containing chestnut-leaved oak, European hornbeam (''

Carpinus betulus ''Carpinus betulus'', the European or common hornbeam, is a species of tree in the birch family Betulaceae, native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, ...

''), Persian ironwood (''

Parrotia persica ''Parrotia persica'', the Persian ironwood, is a deciduous tree in the family Hamamelidaceae, closely related to the witch-hazel genus ''Hamamelis''. It is native to Iran's Caspian region (where it is called ) and Iranian Azerbaijan (where it ...

''), Caucasian zelkova ('' Zelkova carpinifolia''), Persian silk tree (''

Albizia julibrissin ''Albizia julibrissin'', the Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, or mimosa tree, is a species of tree in the family (biology), family Fabaceae, native plant, native to Western Asia, southwestern Asia and East Asia, eastern Asia. The genus is name ...

''), and date-plum ('' Diospyros lotus'') along with shrubs holly (''

Ilex ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

hyrcana''), ''

Ruscus hyrcanus ''Ruscus hyrcanus'' is a perennial evergreen woody shrub-like or small compact bush plant. It is in the asparagus family. Description and habitat The species grows to approximately 30-50 centimeters tall and is very prickly. Stems always are gre ...

'', ''Danaë racemosa'' and ''

Atropa pallidiflora ''Atropa pallidiflora'' is a close relative of the infamous deadly nightshade and, like it, is an extremely poisonous plant, containing a variety of tropane alkaloids valued in medicine for their anticholinergic, antispasmodic and mydriatic pr ...

'', and lianas ''

Smilax ''Smilax'' is a genus of about 300–350 species, found in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found (39 of which are endemic), while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico. They are climbing flow ...

excelsa'' and '' Hedera pastuchovii'' (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. At the medium elevations between , oriental beech is the dominant tree species in this cloudy zone in pure and mixed stands with other noble

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes fro ...

s such as chestnut-leaved oak, Caucasian oak (''

Quercus macranthera ''Quercus macranthera'', commonly called the Caucasian oak, or the Persian oak, is a species of deciduous tree native to Western Asia (northern Iran, Turkey; and in the Caucasus in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) that is occasionally grown as a ...

''), European hornbeam (''

''), Oriental hornbeam ('' C. orientalis'') and sweet chestnut (''

Castanea sativa ''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A substantial, long-lived ...

''). 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 Edaphology (from Greek , ''edaphos'', "ground",, ''-logia'') is concerned with the influence of soils on living beings, particularly plants. It is one of two main divisions of soil science, the other being pedology. Edaphology includes the study ...

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,

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ...

s and

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslan ...

Alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

and meadows occur at the highest elevations. Other native tree species include Caspian locust ('' Gleditsia caspica''), velvet maple (''

Acer velutinum ''Acer velutinum'' is a species of tree in the Sapindaceae family. It is referred to by the common names velvet maple or Persian maple, and is native to Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia and northern Iran. It grows in the moist Caspian Hyrca ...

''), Cappadocian maple ('' Acer cappadocicum''), European ash (''

Fraxinus excelsior ''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Albo ...

''), Wych elm (''

Ulmus glabra ''Ulmus glabra'' Hudson, the wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese and Sicily, where the species reaches ...

''), wild cherry (''

Prunus avium ''Prunus avium'', commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, gean, or bird cherryWorld Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. is a species of cherry, a flowering plant in the rose family, R ...

''), wild service tree (''

Sorbus torminalis ''Sorbus torminalis'', with common names wild service tree, chequers, and checker tree, is a species of tree in the mountain ash or rowan genus (''Sorbus'') of the rose family (Rosaceae), that is native to Europe, parts of northern Africa and we ...

'') and lime tree ('' Tilia platyphyllos'').

Fauna

The

Caspian tiger The Caspian tiger was a '' Panthera tigris tigris'' population native to eastern Turkey, northern Iran, Mesopotamia, the Caucasus around the Caspian Sea, Central Asia to northern Afghanistan, and the Xinjiang region in western China. Until the Mi ...

(''

Panthera tigris tigris ''Panthera tigris tigris'', sometimes referred to as the mainland Asian tiger, is the native tiger subspecies of mainland Asia comprising the following tiger populations: * Bengal tiger — occurs in the Indian Subcontinent from India, Nepal an ...

'') was once the apex predator of the biome before its extinction. The remaining large mammals include the Persian leopard ('' Panthera pardus tulliana''), lynx ('' Lynx lynx''), brown bear ('' Ursus arctos''), wild boar (''

Sus scrofa The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is n ...

''), wolf (''

Canis lupus The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...

''), golden jackal (''

Canis aureus The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale crea ...

''), jungle cat (''

Felis chaus The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat, swamp cat and jungle lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to the Middle East, the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, littoral ...

''), Caucasian badger (''Meles canescens''), and Eurasian otter ('' Lutra lutra''). This ecoregion is the main green resting area for birds migrating between central-northern

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

so a key habitat for many bird species. Notable birds seen here are the greylag goose ('' Anser anser''), white-fronted goose (''

Anser albifrons The greater white-fronted goose (''Anser albifrons'') is a species of goose related to the smaller lesser white-fronted goose (''A. erythropus''). It is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill, in fact ''albifrons ...

''), Little bustard (''

Tetrax tetrax The little bustard (''Tetrax tetrax'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Tetrax''. The genus name is from Ancient Greek and refers to a gamebird mentioned by Aristophanes and others. Distribution It breeds in Southe ...

''), glossy ibis ('' Plegadis falcinellus''), Eurasian spoonbill (''

Platalea leucorodia The Eurasian spoonbill (''Platalea leucorodia''), or common spoonbill, is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The genus name ''Platalea'' is from Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the b ...

''), 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 The white-headed duck (''Oxyura leucocephala'') is a small diving duck some long. The male has a white head with black crown, a blue bill, and reddish-grey plumage. The female has a dark bill and rather duller colouring. Its breeding habitat is ...

''), and Caspian snowcock (''

Tetraogallus caspius The Caspian snowcock (''Tetraogallus caspius'') is a snowcock in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is found in the mountains of eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and throughout the Alborz Mo ...

'').

Endemic species

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 Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

of this ecoregion, and is thought to have evolved when mid-

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

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. The bat ''

Myotis hyrcanicus ''Myotis hyrcanicus'' is a bat in the genus ''Myotis'' known only from northeastern Iran. The species was named in 2012 by a team led by Czech biologist Petr Benda. The description was based on a single specimen specimen collected in 2006. Based ...

'' is likely also endemic to this region. The region is also known to preserve a unique lineage of

bicolored shrew The bicolored shrew or bicoloured white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura leucodon'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in eastern, central and southern Europe and in western Asia. It is a nocturnal species and feeds on insect ...

(''Crocidura leucodon'') that diverged from the other lineages during the mid-

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the '' Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed ...

, about 1 million years ago.

Protected areas

The diversity and endemism of the species make the Caspian Hyrcanian forests a priority and unique feature for species conservation. Habitats are threatened by conversion into tea, vegetable, fruit, and vine plantations, unsustainable forestry and poaching. Protected areas in Azerbaijan include: * Gizil-Agach State Reserve – * Hirkan National Park - Protected areas in Iran include: * Golestan National Park *

Jahan Nama Protected Area Jahan may refer to: * Pierre Jahan (1909–2003), French photographer * Shah Jahan, fifth Mughal emperor, reigned from 1628 to 1658 * Jahan Dotson Jahan Waltè Dotson ( ; born March 22, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the Wa ...

Central Alborz Protected Area Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

Lisar Protected Area Lisar ( fa, ليسار, also Romanized as Līsār and Lissar; also known as Līssār Bāzār) is a city and capital of Kargan Rud District, in Talesh County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 2,599, in 679 families ...

Siah Keshim Protected Area Siah may refer to: * She (surname), a Chinese family name * Siah (group), an Israeli left-wing group * Siah, Iran, a village in Ardabil Province, Iran *Siah Jamegan F.C., an Iranian football club People * Siah Albison, British runner * Siah Khan, ...

Dodangeh Wildlife Refuge Dodangeh ( fa, دودانگه) may refer to: * Dodangeh, Kerman * Dodangeh District Dodangeh District ( fa, بخش دودانگه) is a district (bakhsh) in Sari County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 8,140, in 2 ...

Neka Miankaleh Wildlife Refuge Neka ( fa, نكا, also Romanized as Nekā’ and Nekā; also known as Nīkā; formerly, Nāranj Bāgh) is a city and capital of Neka County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 46,152, in 11,941 families. Geogra ...

* Selkeh Wildlife Refuge * Dashtenaz Wildlife Refuge

Gallery

File:Crossing the Alborz Mountains on a private train (41141181750).jpg File:Caspian Forests (207720547).jpeg File:Sisangan National Forest.jpg File:3615551 تصاویر هوایی جاده های پاییزی جنگل های هیرکانی.jpg File:3615550 تصاویر هوایی جاده های پاییزی جنگل های هیرکانی.jpg File:3615567 تصاویر هوایی جاده های پاییزی جنگل های هیرکانی.jpg File:Light pollution impact over Mt. Damavand from Hyrcanian forest.jpg File:هفت آبشار جنگلهای هیرکانی روستای تیرکن شهرستان بابل.jpg

References

External links

Coastal Profiles - I.R.Iran
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests Ecoregions of Azerbaijan Ecoregions of Iran Ecoregions of Asia Ecoregions of Europe Forests of Azerbaijan Forests of Iran * * Alborz (mountain range) Astara District Lankaran District Lerik District Masally District Yardimli District Geography of Gilan Province Geography of Golestan Province Geography of Mazandaran Province Mountain ranges of Azerbaijan Mountain ranges of Iran Palearctic ecoregions Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests World Heritage Sites in Iran