2.1. Study Area
Iran, encompassing a vast area of 1,648,000 km², occupies a strategic
position in southwest Asia, situated between 25°-40°N and 44°-63°E. The
country exhibits diverse climatic conditions, with annual temperature
fluctuations from 20°C to 50°C and annual rainfall varying between 120
mm to 2000 mm (Karimi et al., 2018; Farashi & Karimian, 2021). Notably,
Iran boasts an extraordinary wealth of plant species due to its unique
geographical location, serving as a confluence point for three prominent
phytogeographical regions: the Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Sindian, and
Europe-Siberian regions. This geographical convergence has rendered
Iran’s plateau a cradle for evolution and a sanctuary for some of the
planet’s oldest biodiversity. It functions as a crucial ecological
bridge, facilitating the exchange of flora and fauna between Eurasia’s
eastern and western regions (Noroozi et al., 2019).
The Saharo-Sindian phytogeographical region stretches across a vast
expanse, encompassing the western territories of India, Pakistan, the
southern periphery of Iran, including the
Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea,
the Arabian Peninsula, and Iraq, ultimately extending into North Africa.
In Iran, this region is referred to as the
Khalijo-Omanian zone, which
encompasses seven provinces: Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad, Fars,
Bushehr, Hormozgan, Kerman, and Sistan-Baluchistan, all situated along
the Persian Gulf. It is worth noting that the Khalijo-Omanian arid
ecosystem experiences an average annual rainfall of less than 100 mm
(Naderi Beni et al., 2021). The region’s summers are characterized by
their protracted duration and extreme, parched heat (Sagheb Talebi et
al., 2014).