Project Summary:

Ilam province was selected as the case study due to its higher damaged area. It is hypothesized that the mortality of oak stands are caused by degradation of natural ecosystems of Zagros forests including Ilam province. During the last years, the climate change consequences, for instance the lack of precipitation and the intensifying haze contaminated with toxic materials are among of the most important mentioned environmental stresses.

In the first place, the degradation severity of the natural system will be proved through this project. The oak species have been shown the higher sensitivity rather than other species because of phenotypic specifications such as leaf blade. Even though the reasons are quite diverse even in similar species. Ecological shelters, fundamental and genetic resistance of some of the oak stands to the environmental stresses including contaminants can be some of the possible causes of this issue.

Additionally, accomplishment of this project is based on trust-building and participation of communities in order to involving them in recognition of the problem, implementation and acceptance of the impact of the main goals of the current project on the quality of their life in future.

This project is also co- financed by Provincial Bureau of Forest, Rangelands and Watershed Organization of Ilam

Project Activities:


Generally, this project is looking for rehabilitation management of Zagros oak forests based on community participation to achieve its two major targets.

The first target is introduction of scientific and functional model to rehabilitat Zagros oak forests. It will lead to the following outputs:

?Determination of the mortality causes (internal and external) of oak forests through available information and achieved results;

?dentifying the elite stands, rehabilitation of the forests utilising 60% of the elite stands with regard to species and intraspecies diversity.

The second target is to remedy the life style of local people concerning the forest ecosystem potential of the area thanks to community participation in rehabilitation of forest ecosystem. It will result in the following outputs:

?Empowerment of the local people through threatening them about mortality reasons of forests and its catastrophic consequences;

?Indentification of alternative life style regarding available ecosystem potential like ecotourism and by-products of forests and rangelands.

?Identification of the main and subsidiary sources of revenue of the local and its enhancement through remedy production and selling methods.