A Survey of Floritic, Life Forms, and Chorology of Plants in Akhardaghe Watershed (North Khorasan province, Iran)

Document Type : Original Research

Author
A. M. Asaadi
Department of Nature Engineering, Shirvan Agriculture Faculty, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran.
Abstract
Aims Floristic surveys are important methods to find the new herb species and protect natural ecosystems. Since there is no report about floristic survey in Akhardaghe region, the aims of this research were to determine floristic list, life forms, chorological analysis, protected status and endemic of plants species in the Akhardaghe watershed in Bojnourd.

Materials & Methods The plant specimens of the study region were collected during active growth periods in 2016 to 2020. Determining the life form was done by Raunchier category, Endemic, rare and endangered species of Iran was determined based on Red data book of Iran and chorology of species is according to vegetative regions classified by Zohary and Takhtajan.

Findings In the floristic survey, a total number of 346 plant species were belong to 234 genera and 63 families. The most important families were Asteraceae with 54 species and Lamiaceae with 36 species. In terms of life forms, the highest percentage for both hemicritophytes and therophytes (61%) were found.

Based on chorology, there were a high ratio of Irano-Turanian elements (55%). In addition, 37 endemic species were determined. According to the IUCN, 53 threatened plant species in this area.

Conclusion

The finding of the current floristic research revealed that the vascular plant flora in the area is rich in species and contains numerous endemic, rare and medicinal plants species. However, most of the plants species are severely threatened by human overutilization. Therefore, conservation and protection management policies have to be applied to the Akhardaghe watershed vegetation.
Keywords
Akhardaghe
Floristic
Chorotype
IUCN Categories
Iran

Subjects

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