The conservation status of Silene parrowiana: an endemic species in Iran

Silene parrowiana is a perennial herbaceous species, belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family. This species is a local endemic species in Kermanshah province, west of Iran. The habitat of this species is located in the N and NE of Kermanshah city in the rocky slopes of Parrow Mountain from Bisotun to Mianrahan. Based on IUCN guidelines, three criteria were used to evaluate the status of this species: Extent of occurrence (EOO), Area of occupancy (AOO) and size of populations. Based on field studies and plot sampling, Silene parrowiana occupies an area of 0.24 Km2. The extent of occurrence was estimated to be 11.6 Km2 using GeoCAT software (geocat. kew.org). According to our results, Silene parrowiana is defined as a critically endangered (CR) species. Given the importance of conserving endemic and endangered species, it seems necessary to define its natural habitat areas as protected habitats as well as storing its seeds in the natural resources gene bank and doing research on the rehabilitation methods of the species or planting it in botanical gardens.