Flora, life form and chorological studies of Darkesh forest region in North Khorasan province

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 Ph.D. candidate of Silviculture and Forest ecology, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran

2 Professor, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran

3 Associate Professor, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, I.R. Iran

Abstract

In this study, herbal samples, through a network inventory 400×600 m were collected from square sample plots 5×5 m which were located in the study area as systematic-randomize method, in 2013. In this forest, 69 herbal species were identified that include 20 woody species (tree and shrub) and 49 herbaceous species that were belonged to the 31 plant family and 67 geniuses. The most abundant of tree and shrub species were Quercus castaneifolia, Lonicera iberica and Pyrus boissieriana, respectively. Also, the most abundant of herbal species were Silene italica, Alyssum minus and Asperula arvensis. The greatest herbal families in the study area were Lamiaceae and Rosaceae with 8 species, Poaceae 7 species and Asteraceae with 6 species. The most abundance life forms were hemicryptophytes with 31 species (44.92%) followed by phanerophytes with 20 species (28.98%). About 29% of species belonged to the Irano-Touranian region and about 20% belonged to the Euro-Siberia region (elements remaining from Hyrcanian flora). Therefore, regarding to the proportion of vegetation elements, it can be concluded that the study area is as an island that has been remained of flora of Hyrcanian forests which are emerged as an ecotone zone to the adjacent Irano-Touranian region.

Keywords

Forest Research and Development
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2016
Pages 130-142

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