Floristic characteristics of the wetland sites on dry southern slopes of the Alborz Mts., N. Iran: The role of altitude in floristic composition

Abstract

The Alborz Mountains, the second largest range in Iran, is, on its southern slopes, mainly covered by steppe vegetation. These dry slopes also include ‘green islands’ of wetland. Floristic diversity and environmental characteristics of 45 of these little-studied wetland sites have been assessed along an altitudinal gradient using one-way ANOVA, Pearson r and detrended correspondence analysis/canonical correspondence analysis (DCA/CCA) analyses. The wetlands proved to be of conservation importance with 310 plant taxa, including 35 endemics or subendemics. Predictably, and consistent with the phytosociological classification of Klein [2001. La végétation altitudinale de L’Alborz Central (Iran): Entre les régions Irano-Touranienne et Euro-sibérienne. Institut Français de Recherche en Iran, Téhéran], there were parallel changes in vegetation both within wetlands and the surrounding steppes and in DCA/CCA analyses altitude appeared to be the primary determinant of floristic composition. Upper mountain wetlands are particularly species-rich and contain many endemics and other species of a narrow phytogeographical distribution. Soil pH declined with altitude, perhaps in part as a consequence of low salinity (and high pH) in the mountains. Consistent with the work of Raunkiaer [1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Clarendon Press, Oxford], hemicryptophytes are mainly restricted to upper mountain areas. Though correlated both directly with altitude and with correlation in DCA/CCA plots, phytogeography, life-form and soil pH fail to adequately explain the ecological processes that maintain the altitudinal gradient in vegetation types and species composition. Further studies on site productivity, soil chemistry and climate-related variables are, therefore, on-going in an attempt to understand more fully the ecosystem processes maintaining the diversity of these important wetland sites.