The Kuh Rud and Eastern Iran montane woodlands ecoregion (WWF ID: PA1009) covers hills and mountains in central and eastern Iran. The habitat is wetter and cooler than the surrounding desert of the Iranian Plateau, supporting the vulnerable goitered gazelle and small populations of the cheetah. The ecoregion is under conservation threat from overgrazing and conversion of steep slopes to cultivation.

Location and description

The ecoregion extends for over 800 km along the mountain ridges of the

Central Iranian Range The Sahand-Bazman Volcanic and Plutonic Belt or the Sahand-Bazman Igneous Arc or the Central Iranian Range is a mountain range that is made by (both extrusive and intrusive) igneous and pyroclastic rocks. Located East and almost parallel to the Z ...

, which runs northwest to southeast along western edge of the Iranian Plateau, and along a series of ranges on the eastern side of Iran and a small extension into Pakistan. The mean elevation is , with a minimum of and a maximum of . Peaks include Kuh-e-Kargiz (3,890 m) and

Shir Kuh Shir ( fa, شير, " Lion") may refer to: * Shir, Mazandaran, a village in Fereydunkenar County, Iran * Shir, South Khorasan, a village in Sarbisheh County, Iran * Shir, Syria, a village * Shir (Neolithic site), a site in western Syria, near Hama ...

(4,075 m) in the Central Iranian Range, and the volcanic peaks Bazman (3,489m) and Taftan (4,042 m) in the southeast. At lower elevations the region transitions into the Central Persian desert basins ecoregion, which includes the Dasht-e Lut desert basin between the Central Iranian Range and the eastern ranges. The Registan–North Pakistan sandy desert ecoregion lies in the Sistan Basin east of the eastern ranges. In the south, the lower and drier elevations are in the

South Iran Nubo-Sindian desert and semi-desert South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

ecoregion.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is '' Cold semi-arid climate'' ( Köppen climate classification (BSk)). This climate is characteristic of steppe climates intermediary between desert humid climates, and typically have precipitation is above evapotranspiration. At least one month averages below .

Flora and fauna

Despite the term "woodlands" in the name of the ecoregion, less than 1% of the territory is forested. About 10% has herbaceous or shrub cover; the remaining 90% is bare or with sparse vegetation. The forest-steppe areas feature widely spaced trees/shrubs of genus '' Pistacia'' (pistachio) and ''

Amygdalus ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'' is a subgenus of ''Prunus''. This subgenus includes plums, apricots and bush cherries. Most species inside this subgenus bear fruit that is sugary, storing large amounts of energy, which is why most ''Prunus'' species' ...

'' (almond). Historically, these two types of plants were the characteristic feature of this region. The surroundings of these will be thorn-cushion and herbaceous vegetation. Other shrub cover is of genus ''

Pteropyrum ''Pteropyrum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae. Plants of the World Online accepts two species, native to Iran, Oman and the Gulf States. Description Species of ''Pteropyrum'' are shrubs. The few leaves may be arranged alternate ...

'' and ''

Lycium ''Lycium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The genus has a disjunct distribution around the globe, with species occurring on most continents in temperate and subtropical regions. South America has the most spec ...

'' (box-thorn).

Protected areas

Less than 2% of the ecoregion is officially protected.

References

{{reflist Palearctic ecoregions Ecoregions of Iran Ecoregions of Pakistan Montane grasslands and shrublands