The environmental importance of natural reserves in preserving biodiversity in Iraq - Al-Reem Reserve as a model

Abstract

Natural reserves are an environmental necessity to preserve biodiversity and protect neighborhoods from extinction, i.e. they are an attempt to strengthen the ecosystem and its sustainability in light of the environmental challenges and problems that threaten its existence, the most important of which are (urban sprawl, desertification, decline of vegetation cover, extinction of some species, the dominance of some invasive alien species, pollution, natural and artificial fires, as well about poaching practices, resource extraction, minefields, lack of awareness of the importance of reserves, drought). Moreover, the research aims to reveal the importance of natural reserves and their role in preserving biodiversity in Iraq, especially since the idea of life preservers has succeeded in preserving many living things from extinction in the world.

The research showed that there are (14) natural reserves in Iraq (excluding the Kurdistan region), with a total area of ​​about (31934) dunums that include many animals, birds and plants. Rehabilitation process.

As for the environmental regions, it was found that Iraq belongs to the Palearctic Realm. It thus consists of five major terrestrial environmental systems or regions and four secondary ones. In addition to four environmental areas for fresh water and one for the marine environment.

Due to the multiplicity of environmental systems, plant and animal life has diversified, as the number of plants in Iraq is estimated at more than 3300 species. As for the animals, a clear distinction has been recorded, as the number of mammals reached 93 species, reptiles 105 species, amphibians 10 species, and birds 592 species ranging between endemic and migratory. Their numbers are about 311 species.

Planning for the establishment of natural reserves needs to collect the primary and basic data required to determine the centers of biodiversity in them, so the Al-Reem reserve was chosen in the western Ali district in the Maysan governorate in order to see the field on the environmental reality as a model for reserves in Iraq, as it shows its great role in preserving the existence of natural reserves. Al-Reem deer in its original habitat and reproduction, in addition to its role in creating a model ecosystem, but it suffers from some problems, the effects of which are exacerbated with the years of drought. Number of deer, which reflected its presence to become one of the forms of overgrazing in that reserve due to climatic changes and frequent droughts .