Senior Research Expert, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
Iranian mangrove forests are located in the coast and islands of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, started from the Goiter Gulf in the East (Oman Sea) to the Nayband Gulf in the West Persian Gulf. Two endemic species i.e., Avicenia marina and Rhizophora mucronata forms the mangroves in Iran. For growth and development in an environment which is constantly under the influence of sea tide and flooding, mangroves produce aerial roots and viviparous seeds and change the anatomy of their leaves. Mangrove forests are also related and compatible with lots of lands and natural phenomena, affecting their development. The core area of mangrove forests in Iran is 13214.16 ha of which 9777.96 ha is related to the Qeshm Island and Khamir port. From total area of marsh and tidal lands, 8273.5 ha have the capability to be developed to forests. This figure is calculated to be 4017 ha and 1000.15 ha for the lands between forest communities and other lands, respectively. Therefore, the total area of non-forest lands is 13290.3 ha and the total area of established forests and the lands that could be converted to forest is 26504.5 ha. Due to the large surface area of the mentioned lands, it is evident that management of mangrove forests in Iran should be based on development management, executed with careful planning and short-term and long-term plans.
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