The Mangrove forests of Qeshm or Hara forests of Qeshm, are the
mangrove forests on the southern coast of
Iran, particularly on and near the island of
Qeshm in the
Persian Gulf. Dominated by the species ''
Avicennia marina'', known locally as the "hara" or "harra" tree, the forests represent an important
ecological resource. The "Hara Protected Area" on Quesm and the nearby mainland is a
biosphere reserve where commercial use is restricted to fishing (mainly
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
), tourist boat trips, and limited mangrove cutting for animal feed.
Hara tree characteristics
The hara tree, ''Avicennia marina'', grows to heights of three to eight meters and has bright green leaves and twigs. The tree is a salt-water plant that is often submerged at high
tide. It usually blossoms and bears fruit from mid-July to August, with yellow
flowers and a sweet
almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
-like
fruit. The seeds fall into the water, where wave action takes them to more stationary parts of the sea. The hara seeds become fixed in the soil layers of the sea and grow. The area on the north shore of Qeshm and the neighboring mainland is particularly suited to the growth of the plant, and large mangrove forests have developed.
The long, narrow, oval leaves of the tree have nutritious value for livestock roughly equivalent to
barley and
alfalfa
Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as w ...
. The roots of the tree are knee-form, aerial, sponge-like and usually external. There is a filtration property in the hara tree's bark which allows the plant to absorb sweet water while salt is eliminated.
Forest extent and significance
The hara forest on Qeshm and the opposite mainland covers an area of approximately 20 km by 20 km, with many tidal channels. The traditional stock breeders of Qeshm Island used the leaves of the hara tree for feeding livestock. In 1972 the Hara Protected Area was established to preserve suitable conditions for the growth and maintenance of the forests.
The area is a major habitat for migratory
birds in the cold season, and for
reptile
Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...
s,
fish, and varieties of
arthropoda and
bivalve
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...
s. Green (or hooked)
turtles and venomous aquatic
snakes are also indigenous to the forests. Bird life includes
heron
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...
s,
flamingos,
pelican
Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...
s, and angler
eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
s. Another important feature of these forests is the appropriate and suitable seabed conditions for the ovulation of fish in the Persian Gulf.
History
Centuries ago,
Asian elephants (the
Indian or
Syrian elephant
The Syrian elephant or Western Asiatic elephant (''Elephas maximus asurus'') was the westernmost population of the Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), which became extinct in ancient times. Skeletal remains of ''E. m. asurus'' have been record ...
) once lived in the region of Qeshm and other regions of southern Iran.
[ Distribution map's evolution of Asian elephants (Elephas Maximus) between the beginning of 20th century (pink) and early 21st century (red).]
See also
*
International Network of Geoparks
*
List of Geoparks
References
External links
*
''Events Magazine'' article on Qeshm IslandDiscussion of Hara Forest on Minâb website
{{Hormozgan Province
Biosphere reserves of Iran
Global Geoparks Network members
Forests of Iran
Geoparks in Iran
Geography of Hormozgan Province
