AN OVERVIEW OF IRANIAN MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM, NORTHERN PART OF THE PERSIAN GULF AND OMAN SEA

Iranian mangrove forests occur between 25°, 11ʹ to 27°, 52ʹ, in the north part of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. The areas of Iranian mangrove forests are almost 10700 ha which maximum area 67.5 km2 occurs between Khamir Port and northwest of Qeshm Island, and minimum area 0.01 km2 in Bardestan estuary. Only two species of mangrove include Avicennia marina from Avicenniaceae and Rhizophora macrunata from Rhizophoraceae are found in the Persian Gulf. A. marina specie is dominant specie in these forests and Rh. macrunata specie just is found in Sirik region. Overexploitation of mangrove leaves and oil pollution are the main destruction factors in this region.