Diversity 2014, 6(1), 102-132; doi:10.3390/d6010102
Biodiversity of the Hypersaline Urmia Lake National Park (NW Iran)
1
Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
2
Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany
3
Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie (IMBE: UMR CNRS 7263/IRD 237/Aix-Marseille Université), Europôle Méditerranéen de l'Arbois, Pavillon Villemin BP 80, 13545, Aix-en Provence Cedex 04, France
4
Environmental Sciences School, Natural Resources Faculty, Catholic University of Temuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco 4780000, Chile
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These authors contributed equally to this work.
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 3 December 2013 / Revised: 13 January 2014 / Accepted: 27 January 2014 / Published: 10 February 2014
Abstract
Urmia Lake, with a surface area between 4000 to 6000 km2, is a hypersaline lake located in northwest Iran. It is the saltiest large lake in the world that supports life. Urmia Lake National Park is the home of an almost endemic crustacean species known as the brine shrimp, Artemia urmiana. Other forms of life include several species of algae, bacteria, microfungi, plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. As a consequence of this unique biodiversity, this lake has been selected as one of the 59 biosphere reserves by UNESCO. This paper provides a comprehensive species checklist that needs to be updated by additional research in the future.Keywords:
biodiversity; hypersalinity; Urmia Lake; National Park
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0).
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Asem, A.; Eimanifar, A.; Djamali, M.; De los Rios, P.; Wink, M. Biodiversity of the Hypersaline Urmia Lake National Park (NW Iran). Diversity 2014, 6, 102-132.
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