Located in the city of Baft, Kerman Province, Khabr National Park is the eleventh region in Iran to receive this prestigious designation. Initially established as a protected area in 1971 and subsequently as a wildlife refuge in 1975, the park was recognized by UNESCO in 1990 as a cultural tourism site. In 1998, a significant portion of the area was officially designated as a national park.
Geology
Geologically, Khabar National Park is situated in the southern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. The oldest exposed rocks in the park belong to the metamorphic rocks of the Cambrian period. Metamorphic rocks, particularly those found in the Golgohar, Rotchon, and Khabar complexes, dominate the region. Additionally, igneous and sedimentary rocks are present. Notably, the metamorphic rocks, including shales and flysch-type sandstone deposits, are highly susceptible to erosion.
In terms of stratigraphy, the park exhibits a diverse range of rock formations and units, encompassing rocks from the Quaternary, Holocene, Pleistocene, Oligocene, Jurassic-Cretaceous, Carboniferous, Devonian, Cambrian-Ordovician, and Mesozoic periods. The most significant faults in the region include the Dehsard and Khabar faults.
Climate
On a macro-climatic scale, the most influential air masses affecting the region during winter are the northern high-pressure systems, specifically the Siberian High and the Azores High from the North Atlantic, as well as the Mediterranean Low and the Sudanese Low-pressure systems.
During the summer, the Indian summer monsoon low-pressure system and the thermal low-pressure systems over the central and Lut deserts impact the region. According to Amberger methods, four climate types have been identified within the study area: cold arid, semi-cold arid, temperate arid, and mid-latitude hot desert. The semi-cold arid climate covers the largest area.
The primary source of precipitation, which occurs mainly in winter, is the Mediterranean air masses, with an annual average of 253.69 mm. The annual average daily temperature ranges from 13.7 to 25.3 degrees Celsius. The average number of frost days is 78 per year, and the maximum annual average relative humidity is 47%. The predominant wind direction is westerly and southwesterly from November to May, and northerly from June to October, with an average speed of 5.4 meters per second in a northerly direction.
Vegetation
In terms of flora, 52.8% of plant species in the Khabr National Park and Rochun Wildlife Refuge belong to the Irano-Turanian region, 12.1% to the Saharo-Sindian region, and 9.8% are shared between these two regions. Recent studies have identified approximately 750 plant species belonging to 288 genera and 75 families, of which 120 species are endemic to the region.
The genus Amygdalus has the highest number of tree and shrub species, Astragalus has the highest number of herbaceous species, and the Leguminosae family has the most shrub species. The Khabr National Park encompasses valuable remnants of plant communities such as P Pistacia (pistachio), almond, Quercus brantii (a type of oak), and juniper.
Valuable species like Punica granatum (wild pomegranate), Ziziphus (jujube), wild olive, Ephedra (joint-pine), and Prosopis (mesquite) are also found in this area. Due to its mountainous terrain, climatic diversity, and topography, the park has high species-forming potential. The presence of 80 endemic species indicates the high conservation value of the area.
Based on topobioclimatic classification, four vegetation zones can be distinguished within the study area. These zones include cold montane steppe, cold mountain, temperate zone, hot steppe, and semi-arid mountain. In the vegetation typology analysis, 27 plant communities were identified, of which 16 are tree and shrub communities. The main elements of the forest vegetation in the study area are Pistacia khinjuk, Pistacia vera (pistachio), Acer (maple), Amygdalus (almond), Juniperus (juniper), Olea europaea (olive), Ziziphus (jujube), Aegilops (wheatgrass), Rhamnus (buckthorn), Amygdalus scoparia, and edible Rhamnus species, of which the first four species account for 60% of the abundance of forest vegetation elements.
Due to its abundance and role in forming the main types and canopy cover, the Pistacia khinjuk tree is the most important element of forest vegetation in the park. In recent years, the parasitic plant Loranthus has caused severe damage to the vegetation of this park, particularly to Amygdalus (almond), Pistacia khinjuk, Acer (maple), and Quercus brantii (a type of oak), with an estimated infection of more than two-thirds of these species.
Wildlife
Due to its diverse landscape, ranging from vast plains adjacent to mountains to dense and sparse vegetation, Khabar National Park provides a variety of habitats for wildlife. However, weak management due to a lack of control and monitoring facilities, coupled with intense conflicts such as poaching, land-use changes, and livestock grazing, has led to a decline in the quality of wildlife habitats. Despite these challenges, habitat quality assessments conducted based on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors indicate that a significant portion of the park has very good to good habitats and a high species diversity. According to this study, the Khabar Mountains, Daq Alijan Plain, and Zanjir Aviz are among the best quality habitats in the park.
Currently, Khabar National Park is home to 34 mammal species belonging to 14 families and 6 orders, 7 migratory bird species, 85 resident bird species, and 31 reptile species, indicating the region’s rich biodiversity. In addition to its high species diversity, Khabar National Park and the Rochon Wildlife Refuge protect valuable and endangered species such as leopards, gazelles, caracals, sand foxes, houbara bustards, golden eagles, and more.
The most prominent species in the area are wild sheep and goats, ibex, gazelles, and leopards. It is also one of the few regions in Iran where the honey badger lives, a rare animal in both Iran and the world. Other animals in this habitat include mammals such as ibex, wild sheep, jackals, hyenas, wild boars, wolves, gazelles, hares, and more. Various birds of prey, including the steppe eagle, short-toed eagle, common kestrel, peregrine falcon, booted eagle, and buzzard, have been observed in this habitat. The saker falcon, a rare bird species, also lives in this refuge.
It is worth noting that this area was once home to valuable species such as the brown bear, Persian onager, and bearded vulture, all of which have become extinct in this region. Approximately 8 onagers have been transferred from other habitats to the Persian onager breeding and rearing site in Khabar National Park with the aim of reintroducing the species to the area if the population increases and conditions permit.
According to a direct observation census conducted in 2013, 1934 ibex, 1686 wild sheep, 484 gazelles, and animals such as the jungle cat, wolf, hyena, wild boar, and leopard were observed.
