The Freshwater Ecoregions of Iran

So far, the systematics, biodiversity an47d ecological studies of freshwater fishes ofIran have been mainly based on drainage basins. Based on new biogeographicallyregionalizations of freshwater of the world, ecoregions, which is based on thedistributions and compositions of freshwater species incorporating major ecologicaland evolutionary patterns, the freshwater of Iran have been divided to of 15ecoregions. Accordingly, some drainage basins become together as an ecoregion andalso a drainage basin become to several ecoregions. This ecoregion map is a usefultool for underpinning the global and regional biodiversity conservation planningefforts, to identify outstanding and imperiled freshwater systems, and for providinga global-scale knowledge base for increasing freshwater biogeographic literacy. Inthis study, important freshwater fishes of Iran in each ecoregion is introduced.

Keywords:

Ecoregions , Biogeographically Regionalization , Biodiversity Conservation , Freshwater , Drainage Basin