The conservation status of Smirnovia turkestana Bunge, a rare species from Iran

Smirnovia turkestana Bunge is a shrub growing on mobile and active sand dunes. The habitat of this plant is only in the sandy lands of the central deserts in Isfahan and Semnan provinces and to some extent the eastern part of the country in Khorasan Razavi. These areas are located in the plain area of Irano-Touranian region and at an altitude range of 750 to 1200 meters above sea level. The conservation status of this plant is defined based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories and criteria. Three criteria were used to evaluate the status of this species: extent of occurrence (EOO), area of occupancy (AOO) and size of populations. According to field survey and plot sampling, Smirnovia turkestana occupies an area of 21.1 Km2. According to analysis by GeoCAT software (geocat.kew.org), the extent of occurrence was 67,126.3 Km2. Therefore, according to the results of this study and referring to the area of occupation, the number of populations, highly fragmented populations, and low regeneration due to limited seed setting and quality of habitat, S. turkestana is recognized as “Endangered”. The field observations indicated that excessive livestock grazing on rangelands, eradicating by indigenous and local people in using its branches in cultivation (as an awning) and the unprecedented drought in recent decades, were the main threats to this rare shrub. Therefore, special attention and complete conservation of this natural genetic reserve are needed.