• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (1994 baseline)
Lying c.180 km north-west of Shiraz, the site comprises the Kuh-i Dena massif in the central Zagros Mountains. The region extends from the forested valleys and foothills at c.1,450 m in the region of Yasuj and Sisakht in the south to the summit of Kuh-i Dena, at 4,404 m the highest peak in the Zagros. The topography is very dissected, with rugged limestone ridges separating steep-sided valleys, and many perennial springs, streams and rivers. The lower slopes and valleys have mature Quercus forest and some wheat cultivation; there is Pistacia-Amygdalus scrub and some Juniperus on the upper slopes, and alpine tundra and permanent snow fields on the highest summits. Around springs and along river banks are stands of Salix and Populus with some dense herbaceous vegetation. There are several small villages in the valleys, and livestock grazing occurs. Land ownership is public.

Key biodiversity
See box for key species. The region supports the typical avifauna of the Zagros oak forest and montane habitats. Other breeding species include Dendrocopos medius, Sylvia hortensis, Parus lugubris, Lanius nubicus, Petronia xanthocollis, Montifringilla nivalis, Serinus pusillus and Emberiza buchanani.

Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kuh-i Dena, and Yasuj and Sisakht area (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kuh-i-dena-and-yasuj-and-sisakht-area-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 04/12/2024.