Karun river marshes (8122)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Karun river marshes
Central coordinates: Latitude: 31.7500, Longitude: 48.9000
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 90 to 90
Area of KBA (km2): 132.61147
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Seasonally flooded arable land (mainly wheat), with scattered ponds and permanent marshy areas, on the east bank of the Karun river 55 km north-north-east of Ahwaz. Most of the area dries out completely in summer, but a few of the deeper pools and meandering watercourses remain wet and provide some breeding habitat for waterfowl.
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 boxes for key species. A very important wintering area for geese, Tadorna ferruginea, surface-feeding ducks, Grus grus, several shorebirds and Pterocles alchata. Motacilla citreola is also fairly common in winter. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | hunting
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There is no legal protection. The area is highly disturbed by farming activity and by hunting.
Additional information
References: Fotoohi and Scott (1975), Scott (1976a,c, 1980), Scott and Carp (1972), Summers et al. (1987).