An overview of the role of buffer zones in the protection and sustainability of natural ecosystems (Case study: National Botanical Garden of Iran)

The purpose of this study is to clarify the necessity of considering buffer area and its role in natural or man-made ecosystems, with specific functions. Evaluating the direct and indirect destructive consequences of human manipulations, such as high-rise construction in buffer areas and its effects on the central core of this type of ecosystem is very essential. The National Botanical Garden of Iran has other functions such as preserving Iran's important and endemic species and is a source of their reproduction. In addition, as one of the respiratory lungs of Tehran, it plays a key role in air conditioning and educational programs. Based on this, the signs of urban development on different parts of the environment of this garden including water, soil, air, vegetation and wildlife have been investigated in this article. Based on the available information and the results of field survay, the long-term effects of this type of development on the NBGI have had an irreversible effect on the hydrological changes of the underground water resources, and in the future, the survival and sustainability of the NBGI will be affected due to the lack of underground water supply. In addition, reducing the wind and preventing the necessary ventilation and the formation of thermal islands will cause an outbreak of pests and important diseases on plants. Also, the limitation of soil permeability and the damage to aesthetic values of the garden are other negative consequences of this excessive development, which will threaten the sustainable life of the NBGI.