Natural resources of Kurdistan province
Kurdistan province in western Iran is home to a variety of plants owing to its varying climates. Forests and rangelands are found mostly in the western part of the province. Croplands and rangeland plants commonly occur in the eastern part. In general, most of the mountainous areas of the province, which tend to have a colder climate than the foothills, are covered with forest dominated by Quercus spp., along with other species such as Pistacia atlantica Desf., Acer monspessulanum L., Amygdalus lycioides Spach, Crataegus spp., Cercis siliquastrum L., Celtis spp., Pyrus syriaca Boiss and Cerasus mahaleb (L.) Mill.
Location of Kurdistan province in Iran
Forests of Kurdistan province
Forests and croplands of Kurdistan province
Forests, rangelands and croplands of Kurdistan province
It is rare to find forest cover in Kurdistan's foothills. The most common plants in these areas are shrubs and grasses, most notably Astragalus spp., Amygdalus spp. and Onobrychis spp. As far as plant identification and reporting goes, Kurdistan province has 115 families, 660 genera, and 2350 species. The province consists of forest areas covering 373423 ha and rangelands covering 1296901 ha, comprising nearly 13 and 45% of the total area. 240 different medicinal plants have been identified in Kurdistan province, most of them belonging to the families of Compositae, Umbelliferae, and Brassicaceae. Its climatic diversity and specialized ecological conditions have contributed to the survival of 70 endemic plant species, most of which are members of the Papilionaceae, Umbelliferae, and Liliaceae families. This province hosts 25% of the Iranian flora as well.
Some examples of plant species found in Kurdistan province
(Left photo: Mr. Hossein Maroofi, who is one of Iran's top botanists and a retired faculty member of the Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, standing next to Ferula pseudalliacea Rech.f., Right photo: Allium tripedale Trautv.)
As part of the Zagros forest ecosystem in western Iran, there is a high diversity of oak species in the forests of Kurdistan province. Quercus libani G.Olivier and Q. infectoria G.Olivier are among the oak trees that grow extensively in this region, showing that the province's forest habitats have a high potential. Because these oaks are more ecologically demanding species than Q. brantii Lindl., which is widely distributed throughout the Zagros forests.
Forest distribution in Kurdistan province
(Source: Sharifzadegan, M.H., 2019. Reviewing and Preparing the Spatial Planning Document for Kurdistan Province. Report of first chapter: Analysis of the provincial situation; Natural resource analysis. Kurdistan Management and Planning Organization, Sanandaj, 234p.)
In Kurdistan province, rangeland cover is mainly found in the north, northeast, and south. Approximately 34, 38, and 28% of the area are dense, semi-dense, and sparse rangelands, which produce 750, 450, and 250 kg of forage per hectare, respectively. Currently, the province's rangelands can support about two million livestock units on a quarterly basis, but 3.4 million livestock are estimated to graze on them, which is 1.7 times their capacity. 42 types of rangelands have been identified in Kurdistan province, the majority of which belong to the genera Astragalus spp. and Acanthophyllum spp. Additionally, the rangelands are rich in ecological niches and have important biological resources.
Rangeland distribution in Kurdistan province
(Source: Sharifzadegan, M.H., 2019. Reviewing and Preparing the Spatial Planning Document for Kurdistan Province. Report of first chapter: Analysis of the provincial situation; Natural resource analysis. Kurdistan Management and Planning Organization, Sanandaj, 234p.)
Unfortunately, the province's forests and rangelands have declined in both quantity and quality over the past decades. There are several factors responsible for the destruction of these areas, including:
- A severe reliance by villagers on the forests and rangelands as a source of fuel, livelihoods, and construction materials, especially oaks
- Early spring grazing and overgrazing by livestock in the forests and rangelands
- Land-use conversion from the natural resources to croplands and orchards
- The expansion of agriculture in the forests
- Galazani, which is a Kurdish term meaning pollarding oak trees and storing their leafy branches by rural ranchers as winter fodder for livestock, reduces forest regeneration.
- Extensive use of non-wood products such as oak seeds, the resin of wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.), and wild edible plants.
- Intentional, accidental, and natural fires
- Oak decline
- Climate change and recent droughts
- Construction of roads and mining of stone, sand, and gravel in the natural resources sector
- Prevalence of plant pests and diseases and parasitic plants such as mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus Jacq.) and oak tortrix moth (Tortrix viridana L.)
- Other natural factors such as floods, hurricanes, lightning, earthquakes, avalanches, and dust.
Harvested wood from the forests in Kurdistan province by local villagers
The development of agriculture in the forest lands of Kurdistan province
Development of mines and bringing machinery to Kurdistan's natural resources
Seasonal intensive harvesting of wild edible plants in Kurdistan's rangelands
Kurdistan's local markets for wild edible plants
Pollarding oak trees (Galazani) in Kurdistan's forests
Traditional animal husbandry in Kurdistan's forests and rangelands