Floristic composition and plant communities along an altitude gradient in Quercus brantii forests

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student of silviculture and forest ecology, Faculty of Agriculture Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, I. R. Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, I. R. Iran.

3 Ph.D. candidate of silviculture and forest ecology, Faculty of Agriculture Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, I. R. Iran.

4 Ph.D. candidate of biology, biosystematic course, Tehran University, Tehran, I. R. Iran.

Abstract

This study aims to determine the floristic composition and investigate the distribution of communities along an altitude gradient in oak forests of Taf in Khoramabad. The study area was classified into 100m elevation classes, and in each class two 500m2 plots were chosen randomly for measuring trees and shrubs layer. Also in each 500 m2 plot three 4m2 plots were distributed for measuring herbaceous layer composition. Changes in vegetation along an altitudinal gradient were studied using slope, altitude and some edaphic data by CCA, DCA and TWINSPAN ordination and classification methods. Based on the results, 116 species from 35 genera were observed along the altitude gradient. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae families had the most species respectively. Therophytes, Hemicryptophytes and Cryptophytes were the most dominant life forms and Iran-Toranian and Iran-Torani-Mediterranean were the most chorotypes in this area.

Keywords

References

- Anthelme, F., M. Waziri Mato & J. Maley, 2008. Elevation and local refuges ensure persistence of mountain specific vegetation in the Nigerien Sahara, Journal of Arid Environments, 72(12): 2232-2242.
- Archibold, O. W., 1995. Ecology of world vegetation, Chapman and Hall Inc, London, 509 p.
- Asadi, M., 1988- 2011. Flora of Iran, Institute of Forests and Rangelands Researchs, Vols. 1-72 (In Persian).
- Asri, Y., 2008. Plant diversity in Mouteh Refuge, Rostaniha, 9(1): 25-37. (In Persian)
- Barnes, B.V., D. R. Zak, S. R. Denton & S. H. Spurr, 1998. Forest Ecology, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 773 p.
- Baruch. Z., 2005. Vegetation-environment relationships and classification of the seasonal savannas in Venezuela, Flora, 200(1): 49-64.
- Breuer, L., J. A. Huisman, T. Keller & H. G. Frede, 2006. Impact of a conversion from cropland tograssland on C and N storage and related properties: analysis of a 60 year chronosequence, Geoderma, 133(1-2): 6-18.
- Cui, B. S., H. J. Zhai, S. K. Dong, B. Chen & S. L. Liu, 2009. Multivariate analysis of the effects of edaphic and topographical factors on plant distribution in the Yilong lake basin of Yun-Gui Plateau, China, Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 89(1): 211–221.
- Culman, S. W., H. G. Gauch, C. B. Blackwood & J. E. Thies, 2008. Analysis of T-RFLP data using analysis of variance and ordination methods: A comparative study, Journal of Microbiological Methods, 75(1): 63-55.
- Davis, P. H., 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, University of Edinburgh, Vols. 1-9.
- Durak, T., 2012. Changes in diversity of the mountain beech forest herb layer as a function of the forest management method, Forest Ecology and Management, 276: 154–164.
- Eshaghi Rad, J., Gh. Zahedi Amiri, M. R. Marvi Mohadjer & A. Mataji, 2009. Relationship between vegetation and physical and chemical properties of soil in Fagetum communities (Case study: Kheiroudkenar forest), Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 17(2): 174-187. (In Persian)
- Franzluebbers, A. J., 2002. Water infiltration and soil structure related to organic matter and its stratification with depth, Soil and Tillage Research, 66: 197-205.
- Ghahreman, A., 1991-2000. Color Flora of Iran. Institute of Forests and Rangelands Researchs, Vols. 1-20 (in Persian).
- Grabherr, G., K. Reiter & W. Willner, 2003. Towards objectivity in vegetation classification: The example of the Austrian forests, Plant Ecology, 169(1): 21-34.
- Grytnes, J. A. & J. H. Beaman, 2006. Elevation species richness patterns for vascular plants on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo, Journal of Biogeography, 33(10): 1838–1849.
- Habibi, M., A. Satarian, M. Ghorbani Nahooji & E. Alamdari, 2013. Introduced flora, the biological and geographical distribution of plants in the environment of the paband national park, Mazandaran Province, Journal of Plants Ecosystem Conservation, 1(3): 47-72. (In Persian)
- Jahad sabz Consulting Engineers, 2007. Plan multipurpose forestry in Ghalea gol, 130 p. (In Persian)
- Jalili, A. & Z. Jamzad, 1999. Red data book of Iran. A preliminary survey of endemic, rare and endangered plants species in Iran, Published by Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, 750 p (in Persian).
- Koorem K. & M. Moora, 2010. Positive association between understory species richness and a dominant shrub species (Corylus avellana) in a boreonemoral spruce forest, Forest Ecology and Management, 260(8): 1407–1413.
- Körner, C., 2007. The use of altitude in ecological research, Trends in Ecology and Evolution,22(11): 569-574.
- Marvie-Mohadjer, M. R., 2011. Silviculture, 3nd Edition, University of Tehran press, Tehran, 418 p. (In Persian)
- Mehrnia, M. & P. Ramak, 2014. Floristic investigation of Noujian Watershed (Lorestan province), Iranian Journal of Plant Biology, 6(20): 113-136. (In Persian)
- Mohammadi Samani, K., H. Jalilvand, A. Salehi, M. Shahbazi & M. Gelij, 2006. A study of the relationship between soil chemical properties and several tree species in Marivan, Zagros: A case study, Journal of the Iranian Forest and Poplar Research, 14(2): 148-158.
- Muller, R. A. & T. M. Oberlande, 1978. Physical Geography Today, a Portrait of a Planet, Random House, New York, 590 p.
- Nasir, E., S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser, 1970-2000. Flora of West Pakistan, University of Karachi, vols. 1-202.
- Omidi, A., 2000. Study of Zagros forest ecosystem sub-watershed area Manj in Lordegan, master thesis. Tarbiat Modarres University, 68 p. (In Persian)
- Pilehvar, B., H. Jafari Sarabi & G. H. Veiskarami, 2016. Plant communities change under different physiographic conditions and soil properties in the central Zagros forests, Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 24(3): 402-414. (In Persian)
- Pourbabaei, H., M. Heydari & A. Salehi, 2010. Plant ecological groups in relation to environmental factors, Ghlarang’s forests, Ilam province, Iranian Journal of Biology, 23(4): 508-519. (In Persian)
- Raunkiaer, C., 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography, Oxford University Press, Clarendon.
- Rechinger, K. H., 1963-2012. Flora Iranica, Vols. 1-176.
- Salahi Kojoor, E., R. Tamartash & M. R. Tatyan, 2014. The survey of floristic and life form in summer rangeland of Nekaroud basin, Journal of Conservation and Utilization of Natural Resources, 2(1): 93-102. (In Persian)
- Sánchez-González, A. & L. López-Mata, 2005. Plant species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the Sierra Nevada, Mexico, Diversity and Distributions, 11(6): 567–575.
- Sarmiento, G. & M. Monasterio, 1983. Life-forms and phenology, In: Ecosystems of the world, Amsterdam, Vol. 13. pp 79-108.
- Schmidt, I., S. Zerbe, J. Betzin & M. Weckesser, 2006. An approach to the identification of indicators for forest biodiversity: The Solling Mountains (NWGermany) as an example, Restoration Ecology, 14(1): 123–136.
- Silveria, M.L., N.B. Comerford, K.R. Reddy, J. Prenger & W.F. DeBusk, 2010. Influence of military land uses on soil carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems of Georgia, USA, Ecological Indicators, 10(4): 905-909.
- Sokhanvar, F., H. Ejtehadi, J. Vaezi, F. Memariani, M. R. Joharchi & Z. Ranjbar, 2013. Flora, life form and chorology of plants of the Helali protected area in Khorasan-e Razavi province, Taxonomy and Biosystematics, 5(16): 85-100. (In Persian)
- Solon, J., D. Marek & R. Ewa, 2007. Vegetationresponse to a topographical-soil gradient, Catena, 71(2): 309-320.
- Stohlgren, T.J., 2007. Measuring plant diversity, Oxford university press, New York, 337 p.
- Tahmasebi, P., 2011. Ordination: Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Data, Shahrekord University Publications, Shahrekord, 196 p. (In Persian)
- Talebi, M., Kh. Sagheb-Talebi & H. Jahanbazi, 2010. Site demands and some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Persian pak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari Province(western Iran), Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 14(1): 67-79. (In Persian)
- Townsend, C. C., E. Guest, S. A. Omar & A. H. Al-kayat, 1966-1985. Flora of Iraq, Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad, Vols. 1-9.
- Vesterdal, L., N. Clarke, B. D. Sigurdsson & P. Gundersen, 2013. Do tree species influence soil carbon stocks in temperate and boreal forests? Forest Ecology and Management, 309: 4-18.
- Wall, A. & J. Heiskanen, 2003. Water retention charecteristics and related physical properties of soil on afforeted agricultural land in Finland, Forest Ecology and Management, 186: 21-32.
- Wilson, S. MG. & D. G. Pyatt, 2001. The use of ground vegetation and humus type as indicators of soil nutrient regime for an ecological site classification of British forests, Forest Ecology andManagement, 140(2-3): 101-116.
- Xu, Y., Y. Chen, W. Li, H. Zhou, H. Li, Z. Sun & Y. Chen, 2011. Vegetation patterns and ecological factors in the Ili River Valley, Xinjiang, China, Nordic Journal of Botany, 29(1): 87-96.
- Zamani, S. M., R. Zolfaghari & S. Alvaninejad, 2019. Evaluation of biodiversity, life form and chorology in ecological groups of Dena conserved area forests, Journal of Forest Research and Development, 4(4): 435-447. (In Persian)
- Zhang, J-T., B. Xu & M. Li, 2013. Vegetation patterns and species diversity along elevational and disturbance gradients in the Baihua Mountain Reserve, Beijing, Mountain Research and Development, 33(2):170-178.
- Zohary, M., 1963. On the geobotanical structure of Iran, Weizman Science Press, Jerusalem, vols. 1-10.
- Zohary, M. & N. Feindbrun-Dothan, 1966-1986. Flora Palaestina, Academic Press, Jerusalem, vols. 1-4.
Forest Research and Development
Volume 6, Issue 1
June 2020
Pages 57-74

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics