Touran (8098)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1d

Year of last assessment: 1994

National site name: Touran

Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.6667, Longitude: 56.3333

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 600 to 1500

Area of KBA (km²): 14931.63696

Protected area coverage (%): 100.00

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The topography of this vast area, c.120 km south-east of Shahrud, includes arid mountains and desert plains with desert, semi-desert and steppe vegetation, and borders on the salt wastes of the great Dasht-i Kavir desert in the south. The climate is very dry, with most precipitation falling as thunderstorms in spring. Summers are extremely hot, and winters cold. There is Artemisia and Artemisia-Zygophyllum steppe in the north, and mainly sparsely vegetated sandy and stony plains and bare saltflats in the south. According to Spooner (1977), both flora and mammalian fauna generally show great affinity to the Kara Kum desert in Turkmenistan to the north. Land ownership is public.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. The reserve has the characteristic desert avifauna of Iran’s central plateau, and is an important breeding area for Chlamydotis undulata. Podoces pleskei is a fairly common resident (max. 8 birds) in areas of Zygophyllum steppe in the south and south-east. Other notable species include Cursorius cursor, Pterocles coronatus, Ammomanes cincturus, Melanocorypha bimaculata, Alauda gulgula, Hirundo obsoleta, Hippolais rama, Sylvia nana and Rhodopechys githaginea. A wide variety of passerines has been recorded at the many small oases during spring and autumn migration, including Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus and Remiz coronatus (one record, 1975). At least 164 species have been recorded in the reserve. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: 65 species recorded, including Canis lupus (V), Caracal caracal (rare), Panthera pardus (rare), Acinonyx jubatus (V), Gazella subgutturosa (rare), Gazella dorcas fuscifrons (V), Capra hircus aegagrus (rare) and Ovis ammon (rare). The reserve is particularly important for Equus hemionus (V), with c.700 individuals in the mid-1970s. Flora: at least 375 species of plant have been recorded.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Desert	5
Grassland	95

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A reserve of 1,810,400 ha, comprising a Wildlife Refuge of 434,200 ha and a surrounding Protected Area of 1,376,200 ha, was established in 1973. The Wildlife Refuge has since been enlarged to 537,500 ha and the Protected Area reduced to 1,335,250 ha, giving the present reserve of 1,872,750 ha. Part of the reserve, 1,000,000 ha, was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1976. No threats are known.

Additional information