A half-century waiting: The Dream of Pardisan to the Reality of Tehran Botanical Garden

Pardisan Nature Park and its surrounding areas are located in western parts of Tehran (district 2) between two river valleys of Farahzad and Darakeh in the west and east, Hakim and Hemmat highways in the north and south. Iranian Department of Environment (DOA) planned to convert the park into a nature park representing world biomes in 1975.  The area of the park is 300 hectares connected to the mountains of north Tehran by both rivers. The whole area and its surroundings include large green area covering 550 hectares (including Milad Tower, Fadak and Goftegoo Parks, and the hills in Molla Sadra and Geophysics, University of Tehran). Based on intensive botanical studies since 1998 a master plan is suggested for the area in order to protect and restore the natural vegetation, landscapes management considering biodiversity importance, recreational, scientific, and research demands. Presence of two river valleys, Pardisan Nature Park, Milad Tower, and the newly planned Tehran Botanical Garden (TBG) highlights the importance of this area for the environment. The establishment of a botanical garden is approved based on an agreement signed between University of Tehran and the Tehran Municipality in May, 23, 2021. Based on the long-term studies since 1998, 530 vascular plants including 443 native and 87 cultivated plants are known from Pardisan and surrounding areas in Milad Tower hill. Land use changes in particular, construction of Nahjolbalagheh Park, caused disappearing of ca. 74 native species in the area.  The present vegetation of Pardisan represents a temperate grassland steppe vegetation having both montane elements growing in the foothills of Alborz Mountains and the dry steppes of the central Iran. The physiognomy of the area consists of grassland with perennial species belonging to the genera Astragalus, Stipa and shrubby and forest in the river valleys. Based on our studies, the central part of Pardisan is the most species-rich zone. The flora of Fahrazad consisted large number of highly valuable species. Pardisan is of high biodiversity importance to be considered as a National Natural Monument and a first urban protected area inside of Tehran. The restoration of river valleys to protect native biodiversity and management the area for scientific and educational program is a major output of this paper. Based on the agreement signed between University of Tehran and Tehran Municipality in May, 23rd 1400, construction of TBG is started. The western parts of the TBG located in the north of Goftegoo Park, the systematic section, Linnaeus corridor, medicinal plants and fruit garden, kid garden and the Zagros ecosystem. In its eastern side, Botanical Research Institute, greenhouses and phytogeographical section representing Hyrcanian forests, Alborz Mountains, and selected biomes/ecosytems/elements of five continents will be constructed. Herbarium is planned as part of the research institute and botanical museum (showing the world of plants, paleobotany, archaeobotany and ethnobotany) is going to be a part of the Science Museum. The registration of Pardisan Nature Park as a natural and biodiversity heritage site and establishing a Botanical Garden in Tehran was approved by the Islamic City Council of Tehran on 1 August 2021.