Feasibility study of developing medicinal plant black cumin’s population in the Hezar Masjed-Binalood vegetation zone through fundamental habitat zoning

Nikdel, Atefeh; Naseri, Kamal; Zade Maral, Bashir; Joharchi , Mohammad Reza

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Volume 13, Issue 27 (3-2026)

PEC 2026, 13(27): 35-46

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Feasibility study of developing medicinal plant black cumin’s population in the Hezar Masjed-Binalood vegetation zone through fundamental habitat zoning

Atefeh Nikdel¹

, Kamal Naseri ^*

, Bashir Zade Maral³

, Mohammad Reza Joharchi⁴

1- Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad
Associate Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Associate Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad , klnaseri@um.ac.ir
3- Faculty of Science, Mazandaran University, Babolsar, Mazandaran
4- Plant Sciences Research Institute, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad

Abstract: (1052 Views)

The present study has been conducted as one of the requirements for the conservation plans of plant species populations and the restoration and rehabilitation projects of natural ecosystems. In this study, the natural areas of six counties located in the northern part of Khorasan Razavi province, including the counties of Kalat, Darghaz, Quchan, Chenaran, Golbahar, and Torqabeh - Shandiz, were examined, which are mainly situated in the two phytogeographical regions of the Hezar Masjed and Binalood mountains. In this area, the medicinal and industrial plant of “black cumin” was identified, and the coordinates of the species' presence points were recorded separately, determining the cloud of the species' distribution. These points were considered as the actual distribution of each species. Subsequently, the ecological conditions of the species' habitat were determined using specialized software packages related to plant distribution modeling within the R software environment, based on digital layers of environmental factors and employing the MaxEnt algorithm. Based on this modeling, the fundamental or potential distribution (habitat) of the species was revealed. The results showed that in the case of the black cumin species, the fundamental distribution of the species is more extensive than their actual (habitat) distribution. Therefore, there is a possibility for the species' habitat to expand, and vast areas that currently lack this species or have very low density have the capacity and potential to accommodate and expand the black cumin species. This issue can be included in the agenda of corrective and restorative actions by the Natural Resources and Watershed Management offices. There is also the possibility of developing this plant in low-yield rain-fed areas in these regions and replacing it with annual cereals.

Article number: 3

Keywords: Habitat Zonation, Habitat Suitability Modeling, MaxEnt Algorithm, Black Cumin, Khorasan Razavi

Full-Text [PDF 1647 kb] (384 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/12/28 | Accepted: 2025/03/17 | Published: 2026/03/11

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Nikdel A, Naseri K, Zade Maral B, Joharchi M R. Feasibility study of developing medicinal plant black cumin’s population in the Hezar Masjed-Binalood vegetation zone through fundamental habitat zoning. PEC 2026; 13 (27) : 3
URL: http://pec.gonbad.ac.ir/article-1-1008-en.html

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