Geographical and Ecological Perspectives on the Hyrcanian Forests of Northern Iran Land-Use Change, Climate Impacts, and Biodiversity Patterns

The Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran represent one of the world’s oldest temperate broadleaf ecosystems, extending along the southern Caspian Sea coast and encompassing a remarkable mosaic of geomorphological, climatic, and biotic gradients. These forests, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, are a living remnant of the Tertiary-era Euro-Siberian flora and provide a critical natural laboratory for studying the interplay between geography, ecology, and human activity. This review synthesizes multidisciplinary research on the physical geography, land-use dynamics, climatic variability, and biodiversity patterns of the Hyrcanian region. Using peer-reviewed studies and geospatial analyses, it evaluates how anthropogenic land-use transformations—particularly agricultural expansion, logging, and infrastructure development—combined with accelerating climate change, have reshaped the structure and function of the Hyrcanian ecosystems. The findings indicate a significant upward shift in vegetation zones, a decline in beech (Fagus orientalis) and box (Buxus hyrcana) forests, and habitat fragmentation driven by both socio-economic and environmental stressors. This synthesis highlights the urgent need for integrative conservation strategies, climate-adaptive forest management, and cross-sectoral governance to safeguard the ecological integrity of this ancient forest complex. Keywords: Hyrcanian Forests, Northern Iran, Land-Use Change, Climate Change, Biodiversity, Physical Geography, Human Geography, Ecology