Evaluation of the Effects of Climate Change and Land Use on Snow Reserves and Ecosystem Services in the Karaj Watershed

The watershed of the Karaj River, which is located in the southern of the Middle Alborz Mountain range in the north of the city of Karaj, is the source of water supply for the urban settlements of Karaj, Tehran and satellite towns, industrial towns, agriculture and environmental ecosystems of the regions.It is downstream.Amir Kabir Dam, which is one of the reservoirs for drinking water and supplying electricity to the megacities of Karaj and Tehran, is built on the Karaj River.If there is a change in the amount of water, snow storage or its land cover, it can severely affect the life of the downstream environmental and human ecosystems.In order to deal with these conditions, the situation of the Karaj watershed's snow reserves should be known.The land use map should be prepared with proper accuracy so that the ecosystem services that exist in this basin can be identified based on it.If the climatic condition and ecosystem services are estimated, a suitable strategic strategy for watershed management can be formulated.Therefore, the main goal of this current research is to evaluate and understand the changes in snow deposits and land use in the Karaj watershed in the last 30 years and the effect of these changes on the ecosystem services of this basin.