The conservation status of Leucojum aestivum L. subsp. aestivum, a rare species in Iran

The genus Leucojum L. belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae. It includes 2 species and each with 2 subspecies. Leucojum aestivum L. subsp. aestivum is a Euro-Siberian element that grows in some swamp forests in the north of Iran. In this paper, the conservation status of this taxon was determined based on the IUCN guidelines, using three criteria, including the area of occupancy, the extent of occurrence, and population size. The area of occupancy (AOO) of L. aestivum subsp. aestivum according to field studies, was measured to be 0.13 km2, and the extent of occurrence in the habitat (EOO) using GeoCAT software was determined to be 1078 km2. According to the results of this study L. aestivum subsp. aestivum is defined as a critically endangered (CR) taxon in Iran. In recent years, due to land-use changes in the plains of Gilan Province, including drying wetlands and turning them into rice fields, poplar cultivation, building, and road construction, the habitats of this plant have been destroyed and now there are small disjunct populations of it. Therefore, determining the protected habitat for this taxon is one of the conservation priorities that should be considered by the Natural Resources and Watershed Organization of Iran.