TEHRAN-- Provincial authorities in involvement with local neighborhoods in Bandar Lengeh port city, southern Hormozgan province, are planning to plant 50,000 mangrove saplings.The saplings are being planted on 86 hectares of seaside lands throughout the port city, IRIB reported.Bandar Lengeh is one of the most important aquatic environments from a natural point of view, and in terms of tides, it has unique conditions for planting mangrove seedlings.Protecting the soil and beaches against waves and sea storms, greening the coasts of the Persian Gulf, lowering seawater pollution, creating a safe location for birds and aquatic life, decreasing the temperature level of the coastal environment, and creating suitable spots for tourism development are among the primary goals of the plan.With more than 25 thousand hectares of mangrove forests, Hormozgan has the most natural mangrove forests amongst the Persian Gulf countries.Only 55 countries worldwide, including 14 Asian countries have large locations of mangrove forests.In terms of mangrove forests, Iran ranks 43rd in the world.A miracle of natureMangrove forests are abundant environments that support the world and humankind in unique methods by providing conditions for fish growth, saving carbon, and combating floods.
They have the ability to store about 6 to 8 tons of carbon per hectare of soil per year.Protecting beaches from floods and tsunamis, preventing coastal erosion, supporting the nutrition cycle in water, ideal habitats for plants and animals, producing oxygen due to photosynthesis, offering resin and tannin raw materials, a food source for fish and shrimp, making use of the genes of these trees in biotechnology as genetic resources, medical homes, charm, and natural landscape and tourist destination are some of the advantages of mangrove forests.Yet mangroves are vanishing three to five times faster than overall international forest losses, with serious eco-friendly and socio-economic impacts.
Current quotes indicate that mangrove coverage has been divided by two in the past 40 years.Due to the importance of these trees, in 2015, UNESCO designated July 26 as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, to raise awareness of the integral function of mangrove environments and to promote solutions for their preservation, sustainable management, and utility.There are 107 species of mangroves, two of which grow in Iran, called Hara and Chandel.
The forests are distributed in 3 provinces of Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, and Bushehr.In 1972, mangrove-covered lands were nationally managed as safeguarded areas.
In 1976, it was accepted and signed up as a biosphere reserve.
In 1977, the pristine areas of mangrove forests, flower gardens, and streams in the Strait of Khuran were signed up as crucial wetlands of global worth (Ramsar website).
The RAMSAR Convention, a worldwide treaty, was adopted in 1971.
Ramsar Wetlands are sites engraved on the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List ) under the Convention on Wetlands.Controlling seaside disintegration suggests avoiding the damage of beaches against waves and storms, stabilizing sedimentation and avoiding its movement with a special root system, and safeguarding coral reefs are essential functions of the mangrove forest in keeping the biodiversity of the area, and the mangrove forest provides the environment needs of water animals so that numerous aquatic types invest their initial phases of growth and recreation in these forests.Some 150 types of migratory birds are wintering in the wetlands and mangrove forests of Southern Qeshm Island.The area is a significant environment for migratory birds in the winter season, and for reptiles, fish, and ranges of Arthropoda and bivalves.
Green (or hooked) turtles and poisonous aquatic snakes are also indigenous to the forests.Beautiful birds such as Dalmatian pelicans, cormorants, European bee-eater, larks, and flamingos concerned the Hara Biosphere Reserve and its wetlands.MG