The habitats of Tecomella undulata (Sm.) Seem in South Iran and their threats

Iran's forest and rangeland ecosystems are changing or being disturbed under the influence of climate change and human factors. Meanwhile, desert and arid ecosystems are very fragile. The direct effects of misuse or destruction of the ecosystem are more on plants than on other components. Tecomella undulata (Sm.) Seem belongs to Bignoniaceae. This tree grows naturally in alluvial lands and seasonal riversides as small stands and individual trees in Bushehr, Fars, Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Kerman, Sistan, and Balochistan provinces. It grows in areas with altitudes ranging from 10m (Bushehr province) to 1594 m (Esfandegheh Jiroft) above sea level. Our study showed that there was no living individual in Khuzestan province, and it was distributed in 13 habitats in Bushehr province. Tecomella undulata habitats were affected by extensive grazing, prohibited cutting, death, and land-use change, which are the big threats to this tree. This species produces seeds rarely; therefore, seedling-based regeneration was not observed. Root-shoots-based regeneration was observed in the habitats. Protection, restoration, and development, the establishment of germplasm, seedling production afforestation, and green space development by using T. undulata are recommended. Further research on seedling production by sexual and non-sexual methods is suggested.