The South Iran Nubo–Sindian desert and semi-desert

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

(WWF ID: PA1328) covers the northern coastal plain of the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

and the inland desert hills south of the

Zagros Mountains The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. The mountain range has a total length of . The Zagros range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border while covering much of s ...

of Iran. The region also has extensions reaching into southeastern

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, and eastward into southwestern

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. The region is one of hot sand deserts, shrubland, and open thorn woodlands inland. Mangrove forests and swamps are found along the coast.

Location and description

The ecoregion stretches for along the northern coast of the Persian Gulf, from the head of the Gulf at

Abadan Abadan (; ) is a city in the Central District (Abadan County), Central District of Abadan County, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is in the southwest of the coun ...

to the estuary of the

Hingol River Hingol River, also known as Hungol River (, , , ) is a river located in the Makran region of southwestern Pakistan, in Balochistan province. Flowing , it is the longest river in Balochistan, traversing the districts of Gwadar, Lasbela ( Liari ...

on the southern coast of

150 km west of

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. For most of its length, the region reaches 120 km inland, but widen considerably east of the

Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' , ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategica ...

. The ecoregion includes the Jaz Murian depression, an

endorheic basin An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...

in southeastern Iran enclosed by mountains. As it enters Pakistan the ecoregion covers the

Makran Coastal Range Makran Coastal Range is a mountain range in the Makran region, in southwestern section of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan Province, in southwestern Pakistan. It is one of three mountain ranges system in the province. The range rises to aroun ...

. Elevations range from sea level to , with a mean of .

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is ''

Hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

'' (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

(BWh)). This climate features stable air and high pressure aloft, producing a hot, arid desert. Hot-month temperatures typically average .

Flora

Most of the ecoregion is dry shrubland interspersed with sandy desert.South Iran Nubo-Sindian Desert and Semi-Desert
One Earth. Accessed 12 February 2023. 8% is herbaceous cover or converted to agriculture. Various tropical desert plant communities are found here, including:Takhtajan, A. L. (1986). ''Floristic Regions of the World''. University of California Press, Berkeley. QK 101.T313 1986 ISBN 0-520-04027-9 * '' Periploca aphylla'' – ''

Prunus arabica ''Prunus arabica'' is a species of wild almond found across the Middle East. It is a broomlike shrub typically 0.75 to 2m tall, with brown bark. Its leaves have a 5-8 mm petiole and the leaf blades are 15 to 44 mm long and 3 to 10 mm wide. Its i ...

'' association * '' Euphorbia larica'' – '' Plocama aucheri'' association * ''Euphorbia larica'' – '' Convolvulus acanthocladus'' association * ''Euphorbia larica'' – ''Sphaerocoma hookeri'' subsp. ''aucheri'' association * ''Convolvulus acanthocladus, Helianthemum lippii, Gymnocarpos decander, Echiochilon persicum, Convolvulus spinosus,

Cymbopogon schoenanthus ''Cymbopogon schoenanthus'', the camel grass, camel's hay, straw of Mecca, fever grass, geranium grass, or West Indian lemon grass, is a herbal plant of Southern Asia and Northern Africa, with fragrant foliage. Uses ''Cymbopogon schoenanthus'' ...

, Dichanthium foveolatum,

Aristida ''Aristida'' is a very nearly Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan genus of plants in the Poaceae, grass family. ''Aristida'' is distinguished by having three Awn (Botany), awns (bristles) on each lemma (botany), lemma of each floret. The gen ...

'' spp., '' Forsskaolea tenacissima'', and ''

Plocama calycoptera ''Plocama'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by William Aiton in 1789. It is distributed from the Canary Islands to northwestern India. The genus was expanded in 2007 when several other Rubiaceae genera we ...

'' association * ''

Vachellia flava ''Vachellia flava'', Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Acacia ehrenbergiana'', is a species of drought-resistant bush or small tree, commonly known as salam in Arabic. It is found in the Sahara, the northern Sahel, parts of East Africa, the Arabian ...

'' – ''

Prosopis cineraria ''Prosopis cineraria'', also known as Persian mesquite or ghaf or khejri, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is native to arid portions of Western Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, ...

'' association At the north end of the Gulf is the Shadegan Ponds on the delta of the

Karun The Karun (, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and the country's only navigable river. It is long. The Karun rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as ...

River. This internationally important wetland features brackish sedge marshes dominated by Bulrush (''

Scirpus ''Scirpus'' is a genus of grass-like species in the sedge family Cyperaceae many with the common names club-rush, wood club-rush or bulrush. They mostly inhabit wetlands and damp locations. Description ''Scirpus'' are rhizomatous perennial herbs ...

'') in the better drained areas, and ''

Tamarix The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Ta ...

'' on the mudflats. Farther south along the coast is a representative mangrove community at the deltas of the Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara Rivers at Hormuz. This area features tidal creeks, mudflats, and

mangrove swamp Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withs ...

. At the mouths of the rivers are extensive stands of grey mangrove (''

Avicennia marina ''Avicennia marina'', commonly known as grey mangrove or white mangrove, is a species of mangrove tree classified in the plant family Acanthaceae (formerly in the Verbenaceae or Avicenniaceae). As with other mangroves, it occurs in the intert ...

''), known locally as the Hara tree. Mangrove forests of Qeshm01

The ecoregion corresponds to the South Iranian

Floristic Province A phytochorion, in phytogeography, is a geographic area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species. Adjacent phytochoria do not usually have a sharp boundary, but rather a soft one, a transitional area in which many species from both re ...

identified by

Armen Takhtajan Armen Leonovich Takhtajan or Takhtajian (; surname also transliterated Takhtadjan, Takhtadzhi︠a︡n or Takhtadzhian, pronounced takh-tuh-JAHN; 10 June 1910 – 13 November 2009), was a Soviet- Armenian botanist, one of the most important fi ...

, and is part of the Omano-Sindian Subregion. Takhtajan thought it the floristically richest province of the subregion. Endemic and near-endemic plants including the species '' Salvia majdae'' (syn. ''Zhumeria majdae'') and the species '' Diceratella canescens, Diceratella floccosa'', ''Grewia tenax'' subsp. ''makranica'', '' Zygophyllum acerosum, Zygophyllum subinerme, Moluccella aucheri, Achillea eriophora, Echinops kotschyi'', and '' Iphiona aucheri''. Other wider-ranging native plants include ''Argyrolobium roseum'' subsp. ''roseum'', '' Crotalaria persica, Monsonia nivea,

Pycnocycla nodiflora ''Pycnocycla'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Apiaceae. Its native range is Western Tropical Africa to India. Species: *''Pycnocycla acanthorhipsis'' *''Pycnocycla aucheriana'' *''Pycnocycla bashagardiana'' *''Pycnoc ...

, Salvia mirzayanii'', and '' Schweinfurthia papilionacea''.

Fauna

Native mammals include the

chinkara The chinkara (''Gazella bennettii''), also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Taxonomy The following six subspecies are considered valid: * Deccan chinkara (''G. b. bennettii'') ...

(''Gazella bennettii''),

goitered gazelle The goitered gazelle (''Gazella subgutturosa'') or black-tailed gazelle is a gazelle native to Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, parts of Iraq and Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and in nort ...

(''Gazella subgutturosa''),

African wildcat The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia, and is distributed to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang ...

(''Felis lybica''),

Indian grey mongoose The Indian grey mongoose or Asian grey mongoose (''Urva edwardsii'') is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The grey mongoose inhabits open forests, scrubland ...

(''Urva edwardsii''),

jungle cat The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat and swamp cat, is a medium-sized cat native from the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Caucasus to parts of Central, South and Southeast Asia. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, ...

(''Felis chaus''),

striped hyena The striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Hyaena''. It is listed by the IU ...

(''Hyaena hyaena''), and Persian trident bat (''Triaenops persicus''). The Iranian shrew (''Crocidura susiana'') is endemic. Resident breeding birds include crowned sandgrouse (''Pterocles coronatus''), bar-tailed lark (''Ammomanes cinctura zarudnyi''), and

pale rock martin The pale crag martin (''Ptyonoprogne obsoleta'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family that is resident in Northern Africa and in Southwestern Asia, east to Pakistan. It breeds mainly in the mountains, but also at lower altitudes, esp ...

(''Ptyonoprogne obsoleta'').

MacQueen's bustard The Asian houbara (''Chlamydotis macqueenii''), also known as MacQueen's bustard, is a large bird in the bustard family. It is native to the desert and steppe regions of Asia, west from the Sinai Peninsula extending across Iran and further north ...

(''Chlamydotis macqueenii'') winters here. The region is important for reptiles and amphibians. Common species are the Iranian toad (''

Bufotes surdus ''Bufotes surdus'', also known as Iranian earless toad, Iranian toad, Pakistan toad, or Luristan toad (not to be confused with Bufotes luristanicus, Lorestan toad), is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in southern Iran and we ...

''), Persian ground agama ('' Trapelus persicus''), Iranian comb-fingered gecko (''

Stenodactylus affinis Stenodactylus affinis, also known as the Iranian short-fingered gecko or Murray's comb-fingered gecko, is a species of gecko. It is found in Iran's southeastern Khuzestan province and southern Fars province), Iraq Iraq, officially the R ...

''), ocellated skink ('' Chalcides ocellatus''), rock semaphore gecko ('' Pristurus rupestris''), and false cobra ('' Rhagerhis moilensis''). Endemic species of reptiles and amphibians include Blanford's short-toed gecko ('' Cyrtopodion brevipes''), Jaz murian bent-toed gecko (''

Mediodactylus sagittifer ''Mediodactylus sagittifer'', also known as the Jaz Murian bent-toed gecko or Bampur thin-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in southeastern Iran and in Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Repub ...

''), Iranian worm snake (''

Xerotyphlops wilsoni The Iranian worm snake (''Xerotyphlops wilsoni'') is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Iran. Etymology The specific name, ''wilsoni'', is in honor of Arnold Talbot Wilson, who was a British military office ...

''), and Persian krait ('' Bungarus persicus''), a venomous snake of the

Elapidae Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids , from , variant of "sea-fish") is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus '' Emydocephalus ...

family.

Protected areas

Over 7% of the ecoregion is officially protected. These protected areas include: * Shadegan Ponds Wildlife Refuge (Iran). *

Geno Biosphere Reserve The Geno Biosphere Reserve, with a total area of 27,500 hectares, situated in the Hormozgan province of Iran. It has been designated as a protected area by the Iranian Department of Environment in 1976. UNESCO reported about 40,300 people living ...

(Iran). *

Mangrove forests of Qeshm 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 th ...

(Iran). *

Hingol National Park Hingol National Park or Hungol National Park () is one of the largest national parks in Pakistan, located in the Makran coastal region. The park covers an area of about and is located 190 km from Karachi in the three districts of Gwadar, Las ...

(Pakistan). * Mond protected area (Iran).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:South Iran Nubo-Sindian desert and semi-desert Palearctic ecoregions Ecoregions of Iran Ecoregions of Iraq Ecoregions of Pakistan Deserts and xeric shrublands