Kuh-i Bazman (8146)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Kuh-i Bazman
Central coordinates: Latitude: 28.0833, Longitude: 60.0000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 600 to 3489
Area of KBA (km2): 3219.93023
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site comprises the Kuh-i Bazman massif, a very isolated, volcanic peak (3,489 m) between the great Dasht-i Lut desert to the north and the Hamoun-i Jaz Murian basin to the south. The mountain, situated c.180 km south-south-west of Zahedan, rises as an almost perfect volcanic cone from a vast desertic plain. The sandy desert, stony outwash plains and rocky slopes from the base of the mountain at c.600 m up to c.1,500 m support a sparse shrub-steppic vegetation of Haloxylon, Zygophyllum and Artemisia with scattered bushes of Prosopis, Ziziphus, Tamarix, Euphorbia and Nerium, especially in the gullies. From 1,500 to c.2,700 m, the dominant cover is Artemisia steppe with some Zygophyllum and scattered Pistacia and Amygdalus shrubs. Small patches of Pistacia-Amygdalus woodland are present in some of the higher gullies, but above c.2,700 m the rocky scree is almost bare. The area is very remote and sparsely populated, but small springs at the base of the mountain support orchards, date gardens and patches of wheat and livestock are grazed on the lower slopes.
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. The area supports a breeding avifauna typical of the arid mountain ranges of south-east Iran, with a strong Indo-Malayan influence. Alectoris chukar occurs at unusually high densities. Other notable breeding species are Pterocles coronatus, Athene brama, Hirundo obsoleta, Turdoides caudatus, Lanius vittatus, Petronia xanthocollis and Emberiza buchanani. At least 61 species have been recorded in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Canis lupus (V), Caracal caracal (rare), Panthera pardus (rare), Gazella dorcas fuscifrons (V), Capra hircus aegagrus (rare) and Ovis ammon (rare). The rare Baluchistan race of Selenarctos thibetanus (V) is believed to have occurred at least until the late 1970s.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Desert | 43 | |
| Grassland | 43 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 5 | |
| Forest | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A Protected Region covering the whole area was established in 1969. This was reclassified as a Protected Area in the early 1970s, but de-notified in the 1980s. The Department of the Environment is currently investigating the possibility of re-establishing a reserve. There is no information on threats.
Additional information
References: Firouz et al. (1970), Scott (1976b).