Botanical criterions of Quchan Baharkish Rangeland in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran

Jahedi Pour Saeed,Koocheki Alireza,Rezvani Moghaddam Parviz,Nassiri Mahallati Mehdi

doi:10.4314/jasem.v20i3.11

Abstract

The article was retracted because of there was an error on it. The researcher can find the corrected version on May 2017 issues vol 21 no. 3 ( https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem/article/view/158830 ) Rangelands are natural ecosystems containing a range of resources of genetic reserves and numerous plant species and its evaluation has always been essential. However, biodiversity is one of the most important components of Habitat assessment and the identification and introduction of the flora of an area is one of the significant operations that can be used in order to optimize the utilization of the available natural resources. Baharkish rangeland is located at a distance of about 60 km south of the city of Quchan. The rangeland’s average elevation is about 2069 m above sea level, with its lowest at 1740 m and highest at 2440m. Baharkish rangland in over a ten year period has had the average annual rainfall of 337 mm and 998.2 mm evaporation as well as average annual temperature of 9.4°C, respectively. The results of the research conducted in the spring of 2014, showed that the total study area includes 22 species from 78 families with Poaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Papilionaceae being the dominant families with respectively 19, 15, 12, 9, 8, 7 and 5 frequencies. Classification of biological Form according to Raunkiaer method showed the dominance of the hemicryptophytes with the greatest frequency (42%), followed by Therophytes, Chamaephytes, Cryptophyte, and Phanerophytes with 30%, 15%, 8% and 5% of species are the dominant life forms of the area. In terms of geographical distribution, the Iran-Turanian plant species with the frequency of 63% obtained the maximum value. Keywords: Biological form, Flora, Geographical distribution, Plant vegetation, Raunkiaer

Highlights

Due to the importance of the subject in Iran, a lot of studies have been conducted on the flora and species composition in different regions of the country, all of which centralized on the preparation and measurement of the floristic list and plant cover structure in terms of family and bioforms
In the case of shrubs and their impact on the community, it suffices to note their role in the expansion of production in the community, providing the possibility to use rangelands multipurposely, and increasing ecological stability (Koocheki et al, 2008). (Mousavi, 2004) in a floristic study in Khanchay Tarom watershed in Zanjan came to the conclusion that 71 percent of plants belonged to the Iranian-Turanian region
Among the life forms Hemicryptophytes and Therophytes respectively had accounted for the highest percentages. (Ashrafi et al, 2004) by the assessment of the flora in Varamin region identified 202 plant species, in which IranTuranian plants showed the highest distribution. (Kashipazha et al, 2004) by studying the the flora of Bagheshad found that 85.29% of the species belonged to the Iran – Turanian region

Summary

Introduction

Due to the importance of the subject in Iran, a lot of studies have been conducted on the flora and species composition in different regions of the country, all of which centralized on the preparation and measurement of the floristic list (number of species) and plant cover structure in terms of family and bioforms. On account of the importance of the botany in different sciences such as agriculture, biology and pharmacy, with careful and thorough identification of the flora, this study set out to evaluate vegetation characteristics in Baharkish rangeland which is Botanical Criterions of Quchan Baharkish pastureland important in terms of medicine plants and forage production for a large part of the livestock in Khorasan Razavi Province for the first time These studies are important for accessing specific plant species in a certain time and location, determination of rangeland’s potential vegetation growth, the possibility of increasing vegetation density, identification of resistant, threatened or endangered species, determining the country's vegetation, the possibility of achieving new plant species, and identification of destructive factors for vegetation cover of the given area. The aim of this study is to provide basic floristic information to identify plant species for preservation, restoration and development of Quchan Baharkish Pastureland in Khorasan Razavi

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