Abstract
This study evaluated the distribution pattern, species diversity index (richness, diversity, and evenness), importance value index (IVI), and family importance value (FIV) of all vascular plant species and various plant community life-form spectra along the Moghan Plain–Sabalan Mountain rangelands, Ardabil province, Iran. Sampling was conducted in 11 elevation classes at 300-m elevation intervals (100–3300 masl). In each elevation interval, 30 quadrats (1 × 1 m) were laid to collect vegetation data. Different vegetation attributes (density, frequency, and canopy cover) were measured for each quadrat. Regression analyses were employed to explore the interrelation of elevation with diversity, species richness, evenness, and IVI. In total, 251 species (143 genera, 38 families) were recorded across the study area. Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae were most dominant families according to the FIV. According to the IVI, Poa bulbosa, Festuca ovina, Medicago minima, and Artemisia austriaca were the dominant species along the elevation gradient. Total diversity and species richness showed a normal distribution along the elevation gradient. Overall, hemicryptophytes and therophytes were the dominant life forms, while chamaephytes and geophytes were less frequent forms. The life-form patterns changed along elevation gradients. While the diversity and species richness values of therophytes and chamaephytes showed a decreasing trend, hemicryptophytes increased with increasing elevation. Diversity, species richness, and evenness of geophytes were not significantly different across the elevation gradient. Class I (highly palatable) and class II (mostly palatable) species declined as the elevation increased and then increased, while class III (hardly or unpalatable) species showed a reverse trend. The difference in the abundance and distribution of species in elevation classes could be related to resource availability, overlap of habitats, habitat patchiness, land area, degree of human influence, or biotic disturbances.
Highlights
The Moghan Plain–Sabalan Mountain rangelands (MPSMRs) in Ardabil province, Iran, supply livestock forage and play an essential role in food provision, groundwater enrichment, clean water production, wildlife, tourism, recreation, medicinal plant provision, beekeeping, and climate change mitigation (Ghorbani et al 2014, 2017, 2018; Nazari Anbaran et al 2016; Ghafari et al 2017, 2018)
Species were sorted into palatability classes: highly palatable—forage plants, most preferred by domestic livestock; mostly palatable— plants averagely preferred by livestock; hardly or unpalatable—plants least preferred or not grazed by livestock at any stage; and harmful and possibly toxic (Hussain and Durrani 2009)
The importance value index (IVI) of species differed along the elevation, which indicates the relative importance of each species in the spectrum of elevation classes (Pandey 2015)
Summary
The Moghan Plain–Sabalan Mountain rangelands (MPSMRs) in Ardabil province, Iran, supply livestock forage and play an essential role in food provision, groundwater enrichment, clean water production, wildlife, tourism, recreation, medicinal plant provision, beekeeping, and climate change mitigation (Ghorbani et al 2014, 2017, 2018; Nazari Anbaran et al 2016; Ghafari et al 2017, 2018). 396 plant taxa have been identified in the area. 25 plant taxa are endemic to Iran (Ghafari et al 2017, 2018). Because of the variety of plant species and the climate, beekeeping is a good source of food in this area (330,000 kg/y honey products; Sharifi et al 2017). The rapid change in elevation, even over short distances, makes the MPSMRs an ideal place for studying the vegetation dynamics associated with biotic and abiotic factors that vary with elevation (Ko€rner et al 2011)
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