11-07-2025
Kurdish Ilam's oak forests face ‘Ecological Collapse'
Shafaq News – Ilam
Ilam's oak forests are nearing ecological collapse, driven by unrelenting wildfires, invasive disease, and chronic drought—intensified by years of environmental mismanagement.
Covering 640,000 hectares in Iran's Zagros Mountains, these forests—known as the 'lungs of the Zagros'—are burning at an accelerating pace, according to Fars News Agency. In fire-prone areas like Manshett, Chengoleh, and Kabirkouh, summer blazes have become routine, fueled by brittle trees and depleted soil.
'The trees have turned into firewood,' warned Pirzadian, head of wildfire control at Ilam's Natural Resources Directorate, pointing to severe shortages in equipment, air support, and trained crews.
Beyond fire, oak dieback is spreading rapidly as fungal and bacterial pathogens—Biscogniauxia, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, and Bacillus pumilus—attack trunks and roots, leading to widespread decay, leaf yellowing, and tree death.
'Without urgent intervention, we could lose over half the forest within a decade,' cautioned Mozhgan Kowsari, lead scientist on the Oak Decline Monitoring Project, who faulted weak biological surveillance and systemic underfunding. 'In many cases, we don't even detect the disease until the trees are already gone.'
Environmental advocates are stepping up pressure. Activist Monireh Nourian is calling for awareness campaigns and a ban on charcoal-driven deforestation. Meanwhile, researcher Fereydoon Soleimani is urging a comprehensive recovery plan built around eco-agriculture, sustainable tourism, and satellite-based forest monitoring.
