The influence of climate change on the suitable habitats of Allium species endemic to Iran.

Identifying the consequences of global warming on the potential distribution of plant taxa with high species diversity or a high proportion of endemic species is one of the critical steps in conservation biology. Here, present and future spatial distribution patterns of 20 Allium endemic species were predicted in Iran. In this regard, the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) and seven environmental factors were applied. In addition, optimistic (RCP2.6) and pessimistic (RCP8.5) scenarios of 2050 and 2080 were also considered to predict the future spatial distributions. The results showed that annual mean temperature (BIO1), temperature annual range (P5-P6) (BIO7), soil organic carbon content, annual precipitation (BIO12), and depth of soil were the most important environmental variables affecting the distributions of the studied taxa. In total, the model predictions under the future scenarios represented that the suitable habitats for all Allium species endemic to Zagros except for A. saralicum and A. esfahanicum are most probably increased. In contrast, the suitable habitats for all species in Azerbaijan Plateau, Kopet Dagh-Khorassan region, and Alborz except for A. derderianum are most likely decreased under the future climate conditions. The present study indicates that the habitats of Alborz, Azarbaijan, and Kopet Dagh-Khorassan will be probably very fragile and vulnerable to climate change and most species will respond strongly negatively under applied scenarios, while Zagros species occupy new habitats by expanding their distributions. Therefore, determining conservation strategies for the species in these regions seems to be very important and high priority for decision makers.

Modeling the richness and spatial distribution of the wild relatives of Iranian pears (Pyrus L.) for conservation management.

The preservation of the genetic resources of crop wild relatives (CWRs) is crucial for food production systems and is considered a vital measure for global agricultural health and food security. The identification of potential areas where CWRs can thrive is one of the first steps towards their conservation. In this study, we used a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to determine the habitat suitability of seven wild relatives of pears (Pyrus L.) for the first time. We aimed to identify high-priority areas for conservation and determine the hotspots for rich biodiversity in Iran. The study showed excellent predictive performance for all species studied (AUC value ≥ 90). The soil depth, solar radiation, minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), and precipitation of the wettest quarter (Bio16) were the main environmental factors that influenced the habitat suitability of all seven species, according to permutation importance. The projected maps revealed that P. elaeagnifolia had the largest suitable habitat area, while P. glabra had the lowest. The results also showed that less than 5% of the suitable habitats for these seven species were in protected areas. This research highlights the need for national preservation policies and the development of cultivation and rehabilitation strategies for these threatened species.

Assessing the quality of bee honey on the basis of melissopalynology as well as chemical analysis.

Melissopalynological and chemical analysis of honey provide us useful and valuable information about the botanical and geographical origin of honey. The data in question is very important for authentication as well as for testing the quality of honey, so this is considered the main method in honey regulation here, we have used chemical analysis and melissopalynology to evaluate different honey samples from two main Iranian hubs of honey. Sampling was carried out on two important poles in Iran's honey production, the central Alborz region, and the mountainous Zagros ecosystems in the years 2020 to 2021. Therefore, 52 samples from Alborz (Northern Iran), as well as 42 samples from the Zagrosian ecosystems (western Iran) belonging to different ecological habitats, were collected. In addition, samples were taken at 7 altitudes from 0 to 3500 m a.s.l. Furthermore, in this study, various chemical analyses such as the effect of antioxidant activity, the amount of total phenolic content, pH, and moisture content of honey samples were evaluated. Our results showed that all honey samples were classified as polyfloral honey. Based on our findings, 57 honey samples (61%) contained the standard amount of pollen. A total of 42 plant families and 55 genera were identified in the studied samples, with the highest presence of Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Apocynaceae, and Apiaceae. Finally, an antioxidant activity ratio of 19% to 98%, total phenolic content from 0.08 to 0.51 ppm, pH from 1.90 to 5.21, and moisture content from 13% to 18.40%.