Systematic Field Survey Research Articles

Population structure and dynamic characteristics of Taxus cuspidata in Baishilazi National Nature Reserve, China

Taxus cuspidata is listed as a first-class national key protected plant in the northeast region, with scarce individuals in the wild and significant conservation value. We conducted a systematic field survey to explore the population structure and dynamic characteristics of T. cuspidata in the Baishilazi National Nature Reserve. A total of 313 T. cuspidata were recorded, displaying a spatially clustered distribution. Young individuals made up 33 % of the population, and the population's diameter class structure indicated a decreasing trend in population size. The population's survival curve closely resembled the Deevey-II type. These results suggest that the proportion of young individuals and strong potential for self-renewal. Geographic analysis revealed that north-facing slopes with moderate gradients were the primary habitat for T. cuspidata in the reserve. Interspecific analysis identified Acer ukurunduense and A. komarovii as the species with the highest interspecific associations with T. cuspidata. The population is projected to continue growing. The nature reserve is effectively fostering the natural renewal and recovery of T. cuspidata populations. These findings offer valuable insights for the conservation management of T. cuspidata in Baishilazi National Nature Reserve, supporting the sustainable development of endangered species populations.

Spatial prioritization of dugong habitats in India can contribute towards achieving the 30 × 30 global biodiversity target

Indian coastal waters are critical for dugong populations in the western Indian Ocean. Systematic spatial planning of dugong habitats can help to achieve biodiversity conservation and area-based protection targets in the region. In this study, we employed environmental niche modelling to predict suitable dugong habitats and identify influencing factors along its entire distribution range in Indian waters. We examined data on fishing pressures collected through systematic interview surveys, citizen-science data, and field surveys to demarcate dugong habitats with varying risks. Seagrass presence was the primary factor in determining dugong habitat suitability across the study sites. Other variables such as depth, bathymetric slope, and Euclidean distance from the shore were significant factors, particularly in predicting seasonal suitability. Predicted suitable habitats showed a remarkable shift from pre-monsoon in Palk Bay to post-monsoon in the Gulf of Mannar, indicating the potential of seasonal dugong movement. The entire coastline along the Palk Bay-Gulf of Mannar region was observed to be at high to moderate risk, including the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, a high-risk area. The Andaman Islands exhibited high suitability during pre- and post-monsoon season, whereas the Nicobar Islands were highly suitable for monsoon season. Risk assessment of modelled suitable areas revealed that < 15% of high-risk areas across Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, fall within the existing protected areas. A few offshore reef islands are identified under high-risk zones in the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat. We highlight the utility of citizen science and secondary data in performing large-scale spatial ecological analysis. Overall, identifying synoptic scale ‘Critical Dugong Habitats’ has positive implications for the country's progress towards achieving the global 30 × 30 target through systematic conservation planning.

Comparative Study of Farming Practices on the Productivity and Morphological Characteristics of Repeatedly Cultivated Soybeans

This study aims to compare the impact of different farming practices on the productivity and morphological characteristics of repeatedly cultivated soybeans. Through systematic field surveys and data analysis, we contrasted the effects of various agricultural cultivation practices on soybean cultivation. The results indicate significant differences in soybean productivity and morphological characteristics among different farming practices, providing insights for optimizing cultivation methods. This study contributes to improving the efficiency and yield of soybean cultivation, offering valuable insights for agricultural production.

An avifaunal checklist of the Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, India

Protected areas are important for biodiversity conservation as they offer suitable habitats and protection from anthropogenic activities that harm wildlife. Establishing additional protected areas such as National parks, Wildlife sanctuaries, and Biosphere reserves reduces the threat to a species compared to non-protected areas. Before designating an area as protected, it’s crucial to identify which species are threatened and require urgent conservation efforts. The present study was undertaken in the Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, which falls in the western Himalayas, from March 2021 to February 2022 to compile an avifaunal checklist of the sanctuary. The checklist was created by conducting systematic field surveys and opportunistic bird sightings. A total of 135 bird species belonging to 45 families were recorded during the present study. The family Muscicapidae, represented by 17 species, dominates the list. Our study confirmed that the Bani Wildlife Sanctuary supports a rich avifaunal community with three species Western Tragopan Tragopan melanocephalus, Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichi, and Bearded Vulture Gypus barbatus classified as Threatened in the global Red List by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Precision Forestry Versus Non-Precision Archaeology—Integrating Forest Management and Archaeological Site Protection

This study examines the precision of spatial data required for archaeological sites in Finland from a forest management perspective, identifies archaeological sites at risk due to forestry activities, and investigates potential collaboration between archaeology and forestry to enhance the preservation and understanding of these sites. Due to outdated methods and the lack of systematic field surveys, challenges in achieving accurate spatial data for archaeological sites are highlighted through a literature review, case studies, and fieldwork. Our findings indicate that a significant portion of sites lack boundary delineation, exposing them to the risk of destruction. Moreover, the study reveals limited collaboration between the archaeology and forestry sectors, despite mutual interests in site preservation. We advocate for improved spatial data accuracy using modern technological methods like precision GPS and enhanced cooperation between archaeologists and forestry professionals. This approach aims to protect Finland’s archaeological heritage while promoting responsible forestry practices. Notably, fieldwork enabled the precise determination of the location of Finland’s first separate plague cemetery, underscoring the value of direct field verification in enriching historical and archaeological understanding.

Safeguarding the last stronghold: Ecology and conservation of Asiatic Cheetah's prey species in Turan Biosphere Reserve (Iran)

Identifying suitable habitats for wild felids is essential for effective area-based conservation efforts. However, modeling habitat suitability for extremely rare and endangered taxa such as the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is challenging due to limited data availability. To address this, our study focused on analysing the distribution factors of the Asiatic Cheetah's main prey species, including the Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus), Urial (Ovis vignei), Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), Jebeer Gazelle (Gazella bennettii), and Cape Hare (Lepus capensis) in the Turan Biosphere Reserve (TBR), a critical Cheetah habitat in Iran. To determine habitat suitability for these prey species, we conducted a systematic field survey along 30 transects measuring 16 km each by collecting data in each 1 km interval, resulting in 1172 direct observations of their presence. These observations were then correlated with 44 variables grouped into four categories: bioclimatic, topography, vegetation, and distance to anthropogenic and natural features. Suitability maps were generated using a hierarchical modeling approach. Among the observed prey species, Urial had the highest frequency of sightings (675 visual observations over eight seasons), followed by Goitered Gazelle (564 observations), Cape Hare (278 observations), Jebeer Gazelle (232 observations), and Wild Goat (208 observations). The most influential predictors affecting prey species distribution were mean summer temperature (with optimal ranges at lower temperatures), terrain relief roughness (with optimal ranges at intermediate roughness), distance to wells (with optimal ranges at shorter distances), and distance to corrals (with variable optimal ranges across species). Our findings indicate that the western and eastern mountainous areas, along with their hilly surroundings, as well as the northwest and western plains of TBR, constitute the most suitable habitats for these five prey species. These models and suitability maps provide crucial evidence for implementing conservation measures in the vulnerable habitats of the Asiatic Cheetah and its primary prey species. Environmental conditions can be enhanced through the management of water sources, roads, corrals, and livestock grazing. In addition, the fragmentation of suitable areas within TBR highlights the importance of preserving corridors between these fragmented habitats. We recommend re-evaluating and expanding the boundaries of Turan National Park, Turan Wildlife Refuge, and Turan Biosphere Reserve to ensure the long-term conservation of this threatened felid species and its associated ecosystems.

Study on Different Nectar Rich Flowering Plants of Few Butterfly Species at Different Habitats in Pjtsau Campus Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India

The present study was conducted to investigate the different nectar rich flowering plants of few butterfly species at various habitats in PJTSAU campus, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during the period from October 2022 to March 2023. The study was conducted in agricultural fields (college farm, student farm and Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)), open scrub areas, Agri biodiversity park (ABP) and botanical garden. To record the nectar plants of few butterfly species, systematic field survey through transact walk was conducted by employing visual count method (VCM) in various habitats. A total of 37 flowering plant species belongs to 20 families were visited by butterflies during the study period. Interestingly, flowering trees found to have contributed more (27.03%) followed by weeds (24.32%), cultivable crops (16.22%), herbs and shrubs with same contribution (13.51%) and the least contribution was found to have recorded with climbers (5.41%). Among the 20 families, Asteraceae (6 plant species) and Fabaceae (6 plant species) families with Yellow, white and pink colored flowers were visited more often for nectar collection. It could help to understand the locally available flora with different flower colors as source of food for few butterfly species and emphasized the need of herbaceous flora conservation to restore native butterfly species in various habitats.

Vegetation composition, tree diversity, Biomass and carbon stock of Kanger Valley National Park

This study focuses on vegetation composition, tree diversity, biomass and carbon stock within Kanger Valley National Park of Bastar district (C.G), a biodiverse hot spot located in central India. The research comprised of systematic field surveys to identify and document tree species present in various zones of the park. A combination of quantitative measures such as Phytosociological analysis, diversity indices, biomass and carbon stock were estimated. Density and basal cover of tree layer across the three study sites were 220 to 520 trees ha-1 and 18.56 to 26 m2 ha-1, respectively. Sapling layer density and basal cover across the three study sites were 110-260 trees ha-1 and 0.34-0.74 m2 ha-1, respectively. Shannon-Wiener diversity index respectively ranges from 2.88 to 3.39 for tree layer and 2.29 to 3.96 for saplings layer. Equitability were from 1.10-1.25 and 1.29 -1.59, respectively for tree and sapling layer, whereas, species richness was from 3.08- 5.53 for tree layer and 3.64 to 13.58 for sapling layer. Total biomass across the study sites was between 286.43 and 3144.44 t ha-1, and was maximum on site-1 and minimum on site III. Litter layer also followed the similar trend being maximum (3.85 t ha-1) on site I and minimum on site III (2.62 t ha-1). The total carbon stock ranged between 110.52t ha-1 and 133.87 t ha-1, being maximum on site I, and minimum on site III. The dominated tree species on site I was Anogesisssus latifoia and Caseria graveolens, site II was dominated by Shorea robusta and Pterocarpus marusupium ans site III was dominated by Schleichera oleosa and Semecarpus anacardium. Study revealed that the structure, diversity, biomass and carbon stock in present sudy site are the result of protection and conservation.

RELEVANCE OF DATA ANALYTICS IN SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT: AN EVIDENCE-BASED STUDY

Aim of the study: The value of fish resources to socioeconomic development is immense. However, there is growing evidence that loss of quality in the marine environments e.g. marine waters at sea and coastal freshwater zones is threatening the availability of livelihood resources e.g. fish resources evidenced by the dwindling fisheries resources that promote sustainable livelihood. Cognizant of this, several fisheries institutions, governments, and local users have come up with several strategies to boost marine water environment management and promote sustainable fishing. Unfortunately, most of the initiatives have not fully managed to repulse unsustainable practices e.g. marine water pollution that leads to loss of wild catches and leads to unsustainable fishing practices. Material and methods: Owing to this we use a mixed research methods approach involving a systematic literature review and field survey in Alappad to argue and present a case for governments and fishery management organizations to invest in data analytics as a new pathway that can give a comprehensive, near real-time view of both ocean resources and coastal fishing activities in light of the declining fish stocks and escalating environmental problems e.g. marine water quality loss e.g. due to pollution. Results and conclusions: Findings documented that by using data analytics, governments, and fisheries management organizations/individuals may respond more swiftly to external forces like climate change, and marine water quality loss and implement new policies and regulations thus promoting sustainable fisheries management. Local perspectives of coastal communities could also guide the best data analytics tool or method to be used.

A field-validated ensemble species distribution model of Eriogonum pelinophilum, an endangered subshrub in Colorado, USA.

Understanding the suitable habitat of endangered species is crucial for agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management to plan management and conservation. However, few species distribution models are directly validated, potentially limiting their application in management. In preparation for a Species Status Assessment of clay-loving wild buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophilum), an endangered subshrub found in southwest Colorado, we ran a series of species distribution models to estimate the species' potential occupied habitat and validated these models in the field. A 1-meter resolution digital elevation model derived from LiDAR and a high-resolution geology mapping helped identify biologically relevant characteristics of the species' habitat. We employed a weighted ensemble model based on two Random Forest and one Boosted Regression Tree model, and discrimination performance of the ensemble model was high (AUC-PR = 0.793). We then conducted a systematic field survey of model habitat suitability predictions, during which we discovered 55 new subpopulations of the species and demonstrated that new species observations were strongly associated with model predictions (p < .0001, Cliff's delta = 0.575). We further refined our original models by incorporating the additional species occurrences collected in the field survey, a new explanatory variable, and a more diverse set of models. These iterative changes marginally improved performance of the ensemble model (AUC-PR = 0.825). Direct validation of species distribution models is extremely rare, and our field survey provides strong validation of our model results. This helps increase confidence to utilize predictions in planning. The final model predictions greatly improve the Bureau of Land Management's understanding of the species' habitat and increase our ability to consider potential habitat in planning land use activities such as road development and travel management.

Clientage, debt, and the integrative orientation of non-elites on the East African Swahili coast

Ceramic trends on Unguja Island in Zanzibar, Tanzania provide insights into non-elite political strategies on the East African Swahili Coast. Synthesizing imported ceramic data from two seasons of systematic field survey across rural Unguja with historical, ethnographic, and archaeological evidence from coastal East Africa, this paper argues that an integrative orientation toward power characterized bottom-up action on the Swahili Coast over the second millennium CE. While theories of bottom-up action have emphasized commoner autonomy and resistance to clientage, debt, and social inequality, evidence from the Swahili Coast attests to efforts by non-elites to seek entrance into cycles of reciprocal obligation as a means for recognition and social mobility—a specifically non-egalitarian orientation toward power. In response, elites competed with one another to accumulate wealth-in-people, resulting in a competitive patron-client system that prevented political consolidation. Elucidating these dynamics contributes to an understanding of how non-elite political strategies have shaped sociopolitical systems globally.

Inventory of landslides triggered by an extreme rainfall event in Marche-Umbria, Italy, on 15 September 2022

Systematic and timely documentation of triggered (i.e. event) landslides is fundamental to build extensive datasets worldwide that may help define and/or validate trends in response to climate change. More in general, preparation of landslide inventories is a crucial activity since it provides the basic data for any subsequent analysis. In this work we present an event landslide inventory map (E-LIM) that was prepared through a systematic reconnaissance field survey in about 1 month after an extreme rainfall event hit an area of about 5000 km2 in the Marche-Umbria regions (central Italy). The inventory reports evidence of 1687 triggered landslides in an area of ~550 km2. All slope failures were classified according to type of movement and involved material, and documented with field pictures, wherever possible. The database of the inventory described in this paper as well as the collection of selected field pictures associated with each feature is publicly available at figshare.

Sustaining Traditional Ethnomedicinal Knowledge and Protected Areas in Synergy: A Case Study of Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya.

The ethnic communities living near protected areas are critically dependent on medicinal plants for their healthcare. Although several ethnomedicinal studies are available from the Himalaya, quantitative studies focusing on protected areas in this region are largely overlooked. In this study, we aimed to document the ethnomedicinal plants of the Overa-Aru wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya. We conducted a systematic field survey in the study area during 2020 - 2021 to collect primary data from 110 participants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data was analyzed using quantitative indices and Pearson's correlation. We recorded 64 plant species used against 8 human disease categories, including some first-time reports from the region. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most dominant families and herbs were the dominant growth form. The most common plant part used were leaves, and the main method of preparation was decoction. Plant species with the highest relative frequency of citation was Achillea millifolium (0.83). Informant consensus factor for each disease category ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. We found a strong positive correlation between participants' age and citations (r = 0.85), but a negative correlation between the participants' education status and citations (r = - 0.11). Our results revealed that the younger generation possesses the least ethnomedicinal information. We recommend that the species with high use values and fidelity level merit priority in phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies. Our findings highlight that protected areas, besides their prime importance in biodiversity conservation, play a pivotal role in providing the healthcare provisioning ecosystem services to the ethnic communities.

Characterization of begomoviruses associated with emerging mosaic disease of ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis L.) in Tamil Nadu, India

A systematic field survey was conducted in ivy gourd fields of Tamil Nadu during the year 2019-2021. The infected plants manifesting prominent chlorosis, mosaic, puckering, and yellow mosaic symptoms on leaves were tested through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the infection of begomoviruses. Amplicons of PCR from 5 samples were sequenced. 4 samples were infected with tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and one with Coccinia mosaic Tamil Nadu virus (CoMoTNV). The nucleotide sequences from isolates IGT-1 (OR041745) and IGP-1 (OR041746) have an identity of 96-98% with ToLCNDV isolate infecting chrysanthemum (MG758145) from Karnataka. Another isolate IGD-1 (OR041747) had 99.3% identity with tomato infecting ToLCNDV isolate (MW538662) from Raipur and isolate IGE-1 (OR041748) had 98.4% highest identity with the previously reported ToLCNDV isolates of India infecting bitter gourd. The IGS-1 (OR028863) isolate 98.9% identity at the nucleotide level with previously reported CoMoTNV (KY860899) infecting ivy gourd from Tamil Nadu. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ToLCNDV isolates infecting ivy gourd were grouped under three different clusters reported previously reported from different parts of the globe. The present investigation reports the emergence of begomoviruses (ToLCNDV and CoMoTNV) on ivy gourd growing in different parts of Tamil Nadu.

Orchid diversity and distribution pattern in karst forests in eastern Yunnan Province, China

Global biodiversity loss and mass extinction of species have raised serious global concerns, especially in fragile ecosystems. Karst forest, a well-known fragile ecosystem, is served as a natural laboratory for biogeographical, ecological, evolutionary, and taxonomic research. However, species richness and distribution patterns in karst forests largely remain unclear. Orchidaceae has been regarded as the “flagship” group of plant diversity. In this study, we use Wanfengshan Nature Reserve in southeast Yunnan, China, as a model to determine the conservation status of orchids in the karst forest by conducting systematic field surveys in the past three years from 2019 to 2022. In total, we identified 78 orchid species in 35 genera in Wanfengshan Nature Reserve. The dominant species were Bulbophyllum andersonii, Eria coronaria, Nervilia mackinnonii and Paphiopedilum micranthum. Multiple life forms were also observed, including epiphyte (14.29%), facultative epiphyte (18.18%), lithophyte (23.38%), and terrestrial (44.15%). Orchid species richness showed a bimodal pattern varied with altitude, the higher richness was recorded at 1,500–1,600 and 1,200–1,300 ​m, while the minimum was below 1,100 ​m. Each independent hill is rich in orchid species including ‘endemic’ species. A total of 25 (33.8%) orchid species were considered threatened by the Redlist of Chinese Vascular Plants (Qin et al., 2017), including 3 CR species, 5 ​EN species and 17 VU species. We call for more research addressing the mechanisms of ecological adaption, mycorrhizal interactions, and pollination of orchids in karst forests, and effective ways for recovery and conservation of orchids.

Records of Amphibians in the Caves of Zonguldak Province in Western Black Sea Region of Turkey

An inventory belonging to knowledge of the amphibian fauna is provided from the caves in Zonguldak province, western Black Sea Region of Turkey. No systematic field survey of amphibians in Turkish cave environments has yet been performed. The number of known caves in the western Black Sea region is approximately 280 and the province of Zonguldak ranks second with 41 caves in this region. We conducted our field surveys in 31 caves of Zonguldak during the period in 2017 – 2019 and our results revealed occurrences of four amphibian species. Dedicated surveys using appropriate methods will increase the number of amphibian species in the caves.

Conservation linkages of threatened medicinal plants used in traditional health care system in Pin Valley National Park, Himachal Pradesh, India

Background: The Amchi system ‘Sowa-Rigpa’ served as the cornerstone of local healthcare system for many years, but now is on the verge of extinction. Therefore, to maintain the long-term survival of this system, it is necessary to document utilization of medicinal plants, treatments performed, status of plants, their habitats and factors influencing the decline of this system. Methods: A systematic field survey was performed from May 2019 to January 2020 covering all 13 villages (2270 souls in 545 households) with 12 Amchies in Pin Valley. Amchies practicing Sowa-Rigpa system were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Knowledge Richness Index (KRI) and the Use Value (UV) were calculated to measure the knowledge on medicinal plants and the significance of the species, respectively. The vegetation sampling was performed by laying 25, 1x1m quadrats in each habitat during the peak growing season. The Pearson’s correlation and Mann-Whitney U test were performed using Past 4.03 to analyze the knowledge among different age classes and different professions among practitioners. Results: Forty-seven endangered plant species were used to treat 27 different ailments. The most common ailment was osteoarthritis (12%), while the decline in Amchi population was 45% in last few decades. Amchies involved in government services, as well as farming, observed high knowledge as compared to others. Three critical habitats for critically threatened medicinal plants were identified in the buffer zone. People highly referred to the allopathic system (63%) followed by Amchi system (17%) and for both 20%. Conclusions: The lack of income, government incentives and enthusiasm among younger generation in practicing this system may jeopardize Sowa-Rigpas’ survival. Integration of this system with modern healthcare system, as well as additional government job possibilities and women’s involvement may be effective to enhance this diminishing tradition. Keywords: Amchi, Trans-Himalaya, Medicinal plants, Spiti Valley, Sowa-rigpa

Research on Species Composition of Terrestrial Molluscs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Hoa Binh Province

Hoa Binh, situated in one of the Vietnam’s biodiversity areas, has four nature reserves (Ngoc Son-Ngo Luong, Hang Kia-Pa Co, Phu Canh, and Thuong Tien nature reserves), and also shares a part of Cuc Phương and Ba Vi National Parks, as well as having many different types of habitats. However, information on the terrestrial molluscs’ biodiversity is limited. This study provides an up-to-date checklist of terrestrial molluscs species found on five habitats in Hoa Binh Province. A total of 104 species representing 60 genera and 21 families is enumerated based on systematic field surveys of 49 sampling plots. Eight of these were new records for Hoa Binh Province: Dicharax fraterculus, Rhaphaulus tonkinensis, Tortaxis pilsbryi, Deroceras laeve, Parmarion martensi, Entadella concave, Meghimatium bilineatum, and Meghimatium pictum. Forests over limestone and isolated hills in Hoa Binh Province are rich in terrestrial molluscs. In the study area, several genera (Dicharax, Cyclophorus, Diplommatina, Pupina, Oospira and Haploptychius) are restricted to limestone mountains.

The BIODESERT survey: assessing the impacts of grazing on the structure and functioning of global drylands

Abstract. Grazing by domestic livestock is both the main land use across drylands worldwide and a major desertification and global change driver. The ecological consequences of this key human activity have been studied for decades, and there is a wealth of information on its impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem processes. However, most field assessments of the ecological impacts of grazing on drylands conducted to date have been carried out at local or regional scales and have focused on single ecosystem attributes (e.g., plant productivity) or particular taxa (mainly aboveground, e.g., plants). Here we introduce the BIODESERT survey, the first systematic field survey devoted to evaluating the joint impacts of grazing by domestic livestock and climate on the structure and functioning of dryland ecosystems worldwide. This collaborative global survey was carried out between 2016 and 2019 and has involved the collection of field data and plant, biocrust, and soil samples from a total of 326 45 m × 45 m plots from 98 sites located in 25 countries from 6 continents. Here we describe the major characteristics and the field protocols used in this survey. We also introduce the organizational aspects followed, as these can be helpful to everyone wishing to establish a global collaborative network of researchers. The BIODESERT survey provides baseline data to assess the current status of dryland rangelands worldwide and the impacts of grazing on these key ecosystems, and it constitutes a good example of the power of collaborative research networks to study the ecology of our planet using much-needed field data.

The Chronology of the Archaeological surface remains of Tepe Pa-Chogha, Central Zagros (Kermanshah, Iran)

The highland plains of western Iran have been investigated with varying intensity. The Sarfirouzabad plain, located in the south of Kermanshah province, although visited perfunctorily, has not previously been studied systematically, despite desirable ecological and environmental conditions. In 2009, a team from the University of Tehran conducted a systematic and intensive field survey in the region to identify archaeological settlements and to assess their location concerning ecological, environmental and cultural factors impacted the distribution of sites on the plain. The surveyed area was walked in transects at 20-metre intervals and resulted in the identification of 332 archaeological sites from different cultural periods, which added much to the limited knowledge about the history of this region. During this survey, Pa-Chogha as the biggest tell site in the area, was identified. Fifty-nine samples of pottery and five stone tools were collected from the surface of Pa-Chogha dated from Late Chalcolithic to Islamic periods. Unfortunately, due to the expansion of Pa-Chogha village, the site is in danger of being destroyed. Our aim to publish this article is to introduce the Pa-Chogha as an important site for the chronology of Central Zagros at first, and preventing the further destruction of this site at the second.