Rud-i Jowin and Rud-i Kalshur (8099)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Rud-i Jowin and Rud-i Kalshur
Central coordinates: Latitude: 36.7500, Longitude: 57.3333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1000 to 1300
Area of KBA (km2): 2816.49482
Protected area coverage (%): 2.52
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A vast area of cultivated upland plains and gently undulating hills, c.90 km from east to west and 30 km north to south, including the broad valleys of the Rud-i Jowin and Rud-i Kalshur rivers. The rivers flood in winter and spring and are reduced to a series of stagnant brackish pools by late summer. There are some seasonally flooded brackish marshes. Other habitats include cultivated land (mainly cereals), salt-tolerant vegetation in depressions on the valley floors, and Artemisia steppe on the rolling hills. There is some livestock grazing.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. A wintering area for Otis tarda in the 1970s, with birds present from November until late February; up to 13 have been recorded by Department of the Environment personnel, but local farmers have reported flocks of up to 70. The site is also a wintering area for ducks, mainly Anas platyrhynchos and A. crecca. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 90 | |
| Grassland | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No conservation measures are known to have been proposed and there is no information on threats to the site.
Additional information
References: Adhami (1972b), Eftekhar (1973b), Kharom (1976).