A team of FAO forestry experts, who travelled to Iran on 2nd of August 2014, with the purpose of conducting a comprehensive assessment and developing technical recommendations for the Buxus dieback in Caspian forests and Oak dieback in Zagros forests, visited forests suffering from Buxus dieback in West Mazandaran.

Mr. Ali kian, Deputy of Protection and Land Affairs of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization of Mazandaran Province said that visits to different parts of Hyrcanian forests affected by Buxus dieback in Tonekabon and Sisangan National Park in Nowshahr were included in the program of this delegation.

Mr. Kian also stated that the purpose of this visit to the Caspian area was to exchange views with Iranian experts, and using the common experiences for harnessing and reducing the damages caused by Buxus dieback disease.

He also mentioned that: "Spread-out of the plants' pests and diseases does not follow political borders, and experts from various countries should have dialogue with the international experts to preserve their vegetation and plant species."

The FAO forestry team, with the supervision of Professor Jose Maria Gonzalez Molina, travelled to Iran to investigate the reasons of Oak and Buxus dieback in different parts of the country.

This delegation travelled to Dasht-e Baram, Kazeroun County in Fars and Ilam provinces to visit the Oak forests and assess the Oak dieback in these areas.

The Boxwood Blight, or Buxus dieback, was first seen in Iran in 2010 (1389 solar year), in Astara and Talesh forests, and then spread out in Hyrcanian forests from west to east.

This disease causes wrinkles and brown stains and even full dehydration/dryness in the leaves and causes rapid and vast death in overhead plant tissues.

Hyrcanian Buxus, with the scientific name of "Buxus Hyrcana", is an evergreen and native tree in Hyrcanian forests in northern parts of Iran, which is in the list of endangered plant species, by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Mr. Gholam Hossein Ashrafinia, Head of Protection and Conservation of Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization of Mazandaran Province in Nowshahr has recently stated that the expansion of Buxus dieback in West Mazandaran forests has been stopped.

He also indicated that: "While the exact reason of Buxus dieback outbreak is still unknown, the factors such as drought, monoculturing, importing the contaminated forest products from other regions and countries, using the modified varieties which are sensitive to one pest or pathogen and also cultivating the incompatible species are the major causes of plant pests and diseases outbreaks.

Read the Farsi version of the news here: http://www.irna.ir/fa/News/81269277/