Dasht-e Naz Wildlife Refuge (8083)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 1994

National site name: Dasht-e Naz Wildlife Refuge

Central coordinates: Latitude: 36.7000, Longitude: 53.2000

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): -12 to -12

Area of KBA (km²): 0.56148

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Dasht-e Naz Wildlife Refuge, c.25 km north-north-east of Sari on the coastal plain of the South Caspian, protects an 'island' of dense scrub-forest of Quercus (dominant), Alnus, Parrotia and Crataegus, with an intermingling of large trees and surrounded by cultivation. This is the last remnant of native lowland forest on the plains of Mazandaran. Land ownership is public.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. The resident forest bird fauna is impoverished, because of the small size and isolation of the reserve, but a number of woodland species occur in large numbers on passage, including some raptors and Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus (up to 50 in autumn). Large concentrations of Columba oenas (several thousands) and C. palumbus occur in winter, along with high densities of Scolopax rusticola. Haliaeetus albicilla is regular in winter and Phasianus colchicus is present. At least 92 species have been recorded in the reserve. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Delineation rationale: 2009-11-30 (BL Secretariat): area of site has been increased from 55 ha to 56 ha, so as to match the current size of the Wildlife Refuge (according to WDPA 2009).

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area was originally set aside as a private reserve. The Department of the Environment gained control of the area in 1964, and immediately introduced wild-caught Dama mesopotamica from the dwindling native population in the riparian forests along the Karkheh river in Khuzestan. The entire refuge is fenced with deer-proof fencing, and is intensively managed as a captive-breeding facility; Axis axis were also introduced into the reserve in 1966. There has been some replanting of native species to improve forage for the deer.

Additional information