Study of the Environmental Characteristics and Natural Vegetation of the Lands Surrounding Lake Razzaza in Karbala Governorate and the Possibility of Investing in them to Establish Natural Reserves

Abstract Wild plants were gathered and categorized which that grew in the areas that border Lake Razzaza, including the desert, dry valley, and lakeshores. In 2023–2024, a survey of gymnosperm and angiosperm flowering plants of monocots and dicots was carried out in the wild. A total of 278 species from 177 genera and 52 families were counted. There were five parasitic plant species, nine wild species of trees, 34 species of shrubs, and 174 species of annual herbaceous plants (the majority). Then, a well-thought-out plan was created that includes implementing the following tactics to create natural reserves after researching and gathering data on the region’s environmental and natural conditions, as well as how well the vegetation cover and plant and biological diversity are doing. Establishing sizable tracts as nature reserves, encircled by forests, tourism initiatives with thick tree cover, and salt-tolerant field crops, and lands planted with commercial trees, particularly palm trees. Due to the fact that cultivated lands encircle these undeveloped areas or reserves, natural wild plants are able to flourish all year long rather than just after the rainy season. So, the development of suitable plans and strategies to address the decline of both cultivated and natural vegetation cover is one of the main goals of the current study.