Central Persian desert basins
Central Persian desert basins | |
---|---|
Palearctic | |
Biome | Deserts and xeric shrublands |
Geography | |
Area | 582,193 km2 (224,786 sq mi) |
Country | Iran, Afghanistan |
Coordinates | 33°45′N 54°45′E / 33.75°N 54.75°E |
The Central Persian desert basins
Location and description
The ecoregion is bounded on the west and south by the
Some areas receive water run-off from nearby mountains in the spring, but the water is mostly lost to evaporation by summer. In the northwest is Namak Lake, a significant complex of saline lake, salt marsh and salt flats.
Climate
The climate of ecoregion is Semi-arid (Köppen climate classification (BSh)). This climate is characteristic of steppes, with hot summers and cool or mild winters, and minimal precipitation. The coldest month averages above 0 °C (32 °F).[5][6] The ecoregion experiences great extremes in temperature, ranging from lows of −20 °C (−4 °F) to highs of 42 °C (108 °F).[1]
Flora and fauna
The flora of the ecoregion is highly dependent on the soil and moisture characteristics of the locality. In the broad interior basins, the more common ground cover is dwarf scrub of genus
On the margins of the salt pans of the Dasht-e Kavir, representative plants include genus Halothamnus, (from the Greek 'hals' (salt) and 'thamnos' (bush)), Halocnemum strobilaceum, Haloxylon (common name saxaul), and Salsola (from Latin salsus (salty)).[4]
Mammals that were once associated with this area are now greatly reduced in number and mostly sighted in protected areas. These include the now-critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (
Protected areas
Over 12% of the ecoregion is officially protected.[3] These protected areas include:
References
- ^ a b c "Central Persian desert basins". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "Central Persian desert basins". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Central Persian desert basins". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ Kottek, M.; Grieser, J.; Beck, C.; Rudolf, B.; Rubel, F. (2006). "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ "Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.