Plant Diversity and Richness in Relation to Environmental Gradient in Zagros Ecosystems, West of Iran
الموضوعات :
Javad Mirzaei
1
(Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran)
Arash Karami
2
(Ph.D. Student, Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran)
الکلمات المفتاحية: Biodiversity, Zagros, soil, Herbaceous species,
ملخص المقالة :
Plant diversityis essential to maintain the health of planet's ecosystems. Conservation of biodiversity is necessary for the ecological stability and productivity in natural ecosystems. The aim of this research was to study the biodiversity and richness of plant species (including trees, shrubs and grasses) related to the environmental factors (soil and physiography) in the forests of Zagros, west of Iran. This study was conducted in Manesht-Ghalarang protected area in the north of Ilam province, Iran. For this purpose, some plots with a systematic distribution were selected and vegetation (trees and herbaceous), soil factors (organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, limestone, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, bulk density and soil texture) and physiographic ones (slope, aspect and elevation from sea level) were measured. Results showed that the diversity of ground vegetation had a negative correlation with sand percent and it was decreased by the increased slope, elevation, EC percent and silt percent in the southern aspect. In the northern aspects, richness and diversity of ground vegetation were decreased with the increased elevation from sea level. While the tree species diversity was increased by increasing the elevation. In western aspects, the biodiversity of herbaceous species increased as CaCo3 and organic matter were increased and salinity and elevation from sea level decreased. Also, the diversity of tree species in these aspects had positive reactions to potassium percent in soil.
Ahmadi, R., Kiadaliri, H., Mataji, A. and Kafaki, S., 2014. Oak forest decline zonation using AHP model and GIS technique in Zagros Forests of Ilam Province. Jour., Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences, 4(3): 141-150. (In Persian).
Baybordi, M., 1993. Physician soil. Publication of University Tehran, Iran. 658 p. (In Persian).
Badano, E. I., Cavieres, L. A., Molina-Montenegro, M. A. and Quiroz, C. L., 2005. Slope aspect influences plant association patterns in the Mediterranean natural of central Chile. Jour., Arid Environments, 62: 93-108.
Bale, C. L., Williams, J. B. and Charley, J. L., 1998. The impact of aspect on forest structure and floristic in some Eastern Australian sites. Forest Ecology and Management, 110: 363-377.
Bazyar, M., Bonyad, A. and Babaie Kafaki, S., 2013. Study of most element of forest destruction using IRS-1C and LANDSAT image in the southern Zagros forest (Case study: Kohkeloeye and Boveirahmad province). International Jour., Advanced Biological and Biomedical Research, 1(1): 35-44. (In Persian).
Bazyar, M., Haidari, M., Shabanian, N. and Haidari, R. H., 2013. Impact of physiographical factors on the plant species diversity in the Northern Zagros Forest (Case study, Kurdistan Province, Marivan region). Annals of Biological Research, 4 (1): 317-324. (In Persian).
Bremner, J. M., 1996. Nitrogen-Total. In: Sparks, D.L., et al., (Ed.), methods of soil analysis, part 3-chemical methods, Book Series No. 5. SSSA and ASA, Madison, WI, pp. 1085–1123.
Ebrahimi Kebriya, K., 2002. The effects of topography factors and grazing on percent cover vegetation change and diversity in the watershed Absefide of Haraz (Iran). M.Sc. thesis in Engineering of Natural Resources, Forestry of University Mazandaran, Iran. 82pp. (In Persian).
El-Ghani, M. M. A., 1998. Environmental correlates of species distribution in arid desert ecosystems of eastern Egypt. Arid Environment, 38: 297-313.
Enright, N. J., Miller, B. P. and Akhter, R., 2005. Desert vegetation and vegetation-environment relationships in Kirthar National Park, Sindh, Pakistan. Jour., Arid Environments, 61: 397-418.
Fahimipoor, F., Zare Chahouki, M. A., Jafari, M., Goldansaz, M. and Mohhebi, Z., 2010. Investigation of plant diversity in Middle Rangelands of Taleghan by Using BIO-DAP. Jour., Rangeland Science, 1(1): 47-51.
Fisher, M. A. and Fuel, P. Z., 2004. Changes in forest vegetation and Arbuscular mycorrhizae along a steep elevation gradient in Arizona. Forest Ecology and Management, 200: 293-311.
Guerrero-Campo, J., Alberto, F. Hodgson, J. Garcia-Ruiz, J. and Montserrat-Marti, G., 1999. Plant community patterns in a gypsum area of NE Spain. I. Interactions with topographic factors and soil erosion. Jour., Arid Environments, 41(4): 401-410.
Gron Groft, A., Petersen, A. and Miehlich, G., 2003. Edaphically diversity and biodiversity in mutual dependency project. ID: 01 LC 0024; Biota Africa So2.
Grytnes, J. A. and Vetaas, O. R., 2002. Species richness and altitude: A comparison between null models and interpolated plant species richness along the Himalayan altitudinal gradient, Nepal. The American Naturalist, 159(3): 294-304.
Heydari, M. and Mahdavi, A., 2009. The survey of plant species diversity and richness between ecological species groups (Zagros ecosystem, Ilam). Jour., Applied Sciences, 9(4): 745-751. (In Persian).
Heydari, M., Poorbabaei, H., Rostami, T., Begim Faghir, M., Salehi, A. and Ostad Hashmei, R., 2013. Plant species in Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) understory and their relationship with physical and chemical properties of soil in different altitude classes in the Arghvan valley protected area, Iran. Caspian Jour., Environmental Sciences, 11(1): 97-110. (In Persian).
Hejazy, A. K., EL-Demedesh, M. A. and Hosni, H. A., 1998. Vegetation, species diversity and floristic relations along an altitudinal gradient in south-west Saudi Arabia. Arid Environment, 3: 3-13. (In Persian).
Huebner, C. D., Randolph, J. C. and Parker, G. R., 1995. Environmental factors affecting understory diversity in second-growth deciduous forests. The American Midland Naturalist, 134: 155-165.
Jafarri, M., 2000. The salty soils of the natural resources (recognition and amendment). Publication of University Tehran. 195 p. (In Persian).
Jazirehi, M. H. and Rostaghi, E. M., 2003. Silviculture in Zagros, University of Tehran Press, Tehran, Iran, 560p. (In Persian).
Kalra, P. and Maynard, D. G., 1991. Methods manual for forest soil and plant analysis. Information Report. NORX- 319 Forestry Canada, Edmonton, AB.
Krzic, M., Newman, R. F. and Broersma, K., 2003. Plant species diversity and soil quality in harvested and grazed boreal aspen stands of northeastern British Columbia, Forest Ecology and Management, 182: 315-325.
McLean, E. O., 1982. Soil pH and lime requirement. In: Page, A. L., et al. (Ed.), Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties. American Society of Agronomy, SSSA, Madison, WI, pp. 199–22 4.
Pausas, J. and Austin, M. P., 2001. Patterns of plant species richness in relation to different environment: an appraisal. Jour., Vegetation Science, 12: 153-166.
Schuster, B. and Diekmann, M., 2005. Species richness and environmental correlates in deciduous forests of Northwest Germany. Forest Ecology and Management, 206: 197-205.
Scott, L. C., Knapp, A. K., Briggs, J. M., Blair, J. M. and Steinauer, E. M., 1998. Modulation of diversity by grazing and moving in native tall grass prairie. Jour., Science, 280: 745-747.
Small, Ch. J. and McCarthy, B. C., 2005. Relationship of understory diversity to soil nitrogen, topographic variation, and stand age in an eastern oak forest, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 217 (2-3): 229–243.
Walkley, A. and Black, I. A., 1934. An examination of Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37: 29–37.
Watanabe, F. S. and Olsen, S. R., 1965. Test of an ascorbic acid method for determining phosphorus in water and NaHCO extracts from soil. Soil Science Society of America, 29: 677–678.
Zar, J. H., 1999. Biostatistical analysis. Prentice Hall International. 660 pp.
