**4. Pteridophytes studies in the region**

Pteridophytes or fern studies in Iraq and Kurdistan in particular are scarce [53, 56]. However, still quite few papers on their distribution and medicinal role have been published recently [33–35, 43]. Fern role as a potential ecological indicator or on monitoring water ecosystem in Kurdistan or the whole of Iraq has not been taken enough attentions, in contrast to other parts of the world [34]. However, it is quite evident that scientific studies on pteridophytes in general, according to the published articles, have been and still are poorly explored all over the world [7, 14]. Still few species were found to be considered as ecological indicator and have shown to have impact on water quality in the ecosystem [55], but none of these species have been reported from Iraq or Kurdistan. Fern species in Mediterranean countries traditionally have

*A Case Study to Evaluate the Environmental Impact of Aquatic Lower Plants in Mesopotamia… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108974*

### **Figure 2.**

*Common ferns in Kurdistan of Iraq. All photos are taken personally by the author (B.K. Maulood).*

been used and applied to remedy for quite a number of diseases such as kidney stone and spleen complains, but only recently few scientific investigations on this respect took place in the region **Figure 2** [35].

Systematically, only 8861 fern species have been identified and registered all over the world so far, they found to belong to 300 genera from 33 families and 7 orders only [46]. In contrast, only 18 genera belonging to 11 families and six orders of pteridophytes have been recorded in Iraq [34, 35, 43, 52–54].


#### **Table 1.**

*List of Pteridoflora and their geographical distribution in Iraq.*

Out of the total (22) species of Iraqi Pteridophyte, only two were confined to the southern Iraqi marshes (Salvinia & Marsilia), whereas all others were reported from Iraqi Kurdistan. The four most common ferns in the region seem to be Adiantum capillus-veneris and Equisetum ramosissimum*, Cheilianthes pteridioides,* and Asplenium ceterach*,* whereas Phyllitis scolopendrium is found to be restricted only to high elevation that approached 1000 m.a.s.l or more in mountainous part. (**Table 1** and **Figure 2**).

*A Case Study to Evaluate the Environmental Impact of Aquatic Lower Plants in Mesopotamia… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108974*

In fact, none of these investigations had referred to fern's role on climatic and non-climatic impacts in the area, so it is quite evident that the role of fern species in the environment of Iraq or Kurdistan has not been thoroughly studied yet. This gap of knowledge in Mesopotamia remains to be filled in the future. However, such investigations and field studies are an open yard for scientific projects in years to come.
