1- Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University
Abstract: (149 Views)
Background: Identifying and studying the plant species of a region, as a fundamental aspect of ecology, yields insights into biodiversity and the reactions of biological communities to prevailing environmental conditions, while also providing a thorough understanding of the evolutionary history of plants and the ecological potential of that area. Darabkla forest in the southeast of Sari city is one of the forests in the lower parts of the Hyrcanian forest zone. Despite the very high importance of studying the flora of plants, until now there has not been a detailed and focused study related to the flora, biological form and geographical distribution of plants in this region and this altitude range of Hyrcanian forest. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to identify and introduce the plant species of the region, especially the floor covering of this forest for optimal management and protection of this natural ecosystem. Also, providing information on flora, biological form, and geographical distribution of plants can be a basis for conducting other researches, including plant sociology in the region.
Methods: The present study was conducted in Darabkola educational and research forest (area 2612 hectares) located in watershed 74 of the Natural Resources Organization of Mazandaran province. This area is located in the southeast of Sari city. In order to identify and introduce the flora of the region, plant species were collected from the beginning of October 2018 to the end of September 2019, using the braun blanquet method and 400 square meter sample plots with 400 meter grid dimensions, as well as the field survey method, from all the study area. Also, the samples were identified with the help of the Flora Iranica. Also, the biological form of plants was determined based on Raunkiaer classification.
Results: In the floristic study of the educational and research forest of the faculty of Natural Resources, Sari, Darabkola, a total of 141 plant species belonging to 122 genera and 60 plant genera were identified. Asteraceae family with 13 plant species, Poaceae family with 12 plant species and Lamiaceae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae families with 9, 8 and 7 plant species, respectively, were introduced as the richest plant families in Darabkla forest. In total, they include 35% (50 plant species) of all species. The genera Carex with 4 species and Hypericum with 3 species were the most diverse plant genera in terms of the number of species in Darabkla forest. The study of the biological forms of the species in the region using the Raunkiaer method showed that cryptophytes with 28% (number of 40 species), phanerophytes with 26% (36 species), trophytes with 23% (32 species) and hemi-cryptophytes respectively. with 21% (30 species), are the main biological forms of the vegetation composition of Darabkella forest. Chamaephytes are also the rarest biological form in the region with 2% (3 species). The results of the geographical distribution of plant species in the region showed that most of the plant species belong to the PL region (48 species) and the ES region (34 species), which is more than 58% of the species (81 species) have been assigned to themselves. After that, the species of ES/IT/M (16 species, 11 percent), ES/IT (15 species, 11 percent), COS (15 species, 10 percent), vegetation ES/M (11 species, 8%) were located. The vegetative regions of IT and IT/M, each with one species, had the lowest presence in the region.
Conclusion: As a habitat rich in biodiversity, Darabkola educational and research forest provides a valuable opportunity for ecological research. The floristic study in this research showed the identification of 140 plant species belonging to 121 genera and 59 families, which shows the high diversity of this region. In particular, Asteraceae, Poaceae and Lamiaceae families were recognized as the richest plant families, which indicates the high compatibility of these species with the environmental conditions of the region. Morphological analysis showed that cryptophytes and phanerophytes, as two dominant groups, play an important role in adapting to the ecological conditions of Darabkla forest. These findings can be a sign of the stability of this ecosystem against environmental changes. The geographical distribution of plants also showed that more than half of the species belong to multi-zones and the European-Siberian vegetation zone. This geographical distribution can help to better understand ecological patterns and ecological interactions in these forests. Considering the ecological and scientific value of Darabkla forest, it is necessary to protect this habitat. The implementation of conservation programs to prevent forest destruction, reduce grazing pressure by livestock and protect biodiversity should be considered as the main priorities. These measures not only help to preserve forest ecosystems, but also provide an opportunity for future research in the field of ecology, forest management and climate change. In general, floristic identification and analysis is an efficient tool for understanding the status and biodiversity of forests and can be the basis for deeper research in various fields related to ecology and natural resource management..
Methods: The present study was conducted in Darabkola educational and research forest (area 2612 hectares) located in watershed 74 of the Natural Resources Organization of Mazandaran province. This area is located in the southeast of Sari city. In order to identify and introduce the flora of the region, plant species were collected from the beginning of October 2018 to the end of September 2019, using the braun blanquet method and 400 square meter sample plots with 400 meter grid dimensions, as well as the field survey method, from all the study area. Also, the samples were identified with the help of the Flora Iranica. Also, the biological form of plants was determined based on Raunkiaer classification.
Results: In the floristic study of the educational and research forest of the faculty of Natural Resources, Sari, Darabkola, a total of 141 plant species belonging to 122 genera and 60 plant genera were identified. Asteraceae family with 13 plant species, Poaceae family with 12 plant species and Lamiaceae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae families with 9, 8 and 7 plant species, respectively, were introduced as the richest plant families in Darabkla forest. In total, they include 35% (50 plant species) of all species. The genera Carex with 4 species and Hypericum with 3 species were the most diverse plant genera in terms of the number of species in Darabkla forest. The study of the biological forms of the species in the region using the Raunkiaer method showed that cryptophytes with 28% (number of 40 species), phanerophytes with 26% (36 species), trophytes with 23% (32 species) and hemi-cryptophytes respectively. with 21% (30 species), are the main biological forms of the vegetation composition of Darabkella forest. Chamaephytes are also the rarest biological form in the region with 2% (3 species). The results of the geographical distribution of plant species in the region showed that most of the plant species belong to the PL region (48 species) and the ES region (34 species), which is more than 58% of the species (81 species) have been assigned to themselves. After that, the species of ES/IT/M (16 species, 11 percent), ES/IT (15 species, 11 percent), COS (15 species, 10 percent), vegetation ES/M (11 species, 8%) were located. The vegetative regions of IT and IT/M, each with one species, had the lowest presence in the region.
Conclusion: As a habitat rich in biodiversity, Darabkola educational and research forest provides a valuable opportunity for ecological research. The floristic study in this research showed the identification of 140 plant species belonging to 121 genera and 59 families, which shows the high diversity of this region. In particular, Asteraceae, Poaceae and Lamiaceae families were recognized as the richest plant families, which indicates the high compatibility of these species with the environmental conditions of the region. Morphological analysis showed that cryptophytes and phanerophytes, as two dominant groups, play an important role in adapting to the ecological conditions of Darabkla forest. These findings can be a sign of the stability of this ecosystem against environmental changes. The geographical distribution of plants also showed that more than half of the species belong to multi-zones and the European-Siberian vegetation zone. This geographical distribution can help to better understand ecological patterns and ecological interactions in these forests. Considering the ecological and scientific value of Darabkla forest, it is necessary to protect this habitat. The implementation of conservation programs to prevent forest destruction, reduce grazing pressure by livestock and protect biodiversity should be considered as the main priorities. These measures not only help to preserve forest ecosystems, but also provide an opportunity for future research in the field of ecology, forest management and climate change. In general, floristic identification and analysis is an efficient tool for understanding the status and biodiversity of forests and can be the basis for deeper research in various fields related to ecology and natural resource management..
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