Plant diversity of Ghorkhod Protected Area, NE Iran

Abstract

Ghorkhod Protected Area (GPA) is located in a transitional zone among different biogeographical units in North Khorassan Province, NE Iran. The study area is mainly a mountainous region in western extensions of Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province. We investigated the floristic composition, life form spectrum and phytogeography of the study area through several random collection efforts and 200 vegetation samples (reléves) in selected vegetation types during 2007–2012. A total of 663 vascular plant species belonging to 367 genera and 81 families are recorded as native and naturalized in GPA. Angiosperms and Dicots are among the most diverse plant groups. The richest plant families are Asteraceae (88 species), Poaceae (78), Lamiaceae (45), Brassicaceae (43), Fabaceae (38), and Caryophyllaceae (32). The genera Allium L. (17 species), Astragalus L. (15) and Cousinia Cass. (12) are the richest ones, however, the majority of the species belongs to oligotypic and monotypic genera. Life form spectrum of the study area is dominated by hemicryptophytes (38.9%) and therophytes (23.4%). Allium transvestiens Vved., Agropyron desertorum Schult., Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov and Piptatherum latifolium (Roshev.) Nevski are recorded as new to Iran. The core flora of the area has the Irano-Turanian origin. However, the wide-range and widespread elements are also well represented in the study area. GPA is inhabited by several endemic, rare and narrow-range plant species, indicating the biodiversity importance of the study area in NE Iran.

Plant diversity of the Heydari Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Iran, with a checklist of vascular plants

“…Based on the Sørensen similarity Index, the floristic composition of HWR revealed the greatest similarity (57.64%), to the flora of Fereizi (Memariani et al 2009). The Fereizi area is closest in distance to the HWR comparing with the two others; Ghorkhod Protected Area (Memariani et al 2016c) and Baghshangach (Ghahreman et al 2006) have less than 50% similarity of the floristic composition to HWR. The Fereizi and Baghshangach are located in the central Khorassan-Kopet Dagh in the Binalood mountain range, while the Ghorkhod P. A. is located in the western Khorassan-Kopet Dagh.…”

“…Furthermore, the HWR is housing many endemic, rare, vulnerable or endangered species. For example, Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov (1970: 23), a rare species, is reported as a second record in Iran after Memariani et al (2016c). The type locality for Cousinia amicorum is located in the study area.…”

“…This plant is easily resistant to dry summers and harsh winters. It forms open woodlands mixed with Amygdalus scoparia Spach (1843: 109) and Pistacia atlantica Desfontaines (1799: 364) in the central and western parts of Iran (Zohary 1973), and also with Acer monspessulanum Linnaeus (1753Linnaeus ( : 1056 in the northeast of Iran (Akhani 1998, Memariani 2016a, 2016c; however, J. polycarpos associates with Cotoneaster Medikus (1789: 154), lonicera Linnaeus (1753: 173), and Ephedra Linnaeus (1753: 1040) species in the HWR. Indigenous people use J. polycarpos for the backbone of buildings, firewood, etc.…”

Taxonomic novelties from Irano-Turanian region and NE Iran: Oreosalsola, a new segregate from Salsola s.l., two new species in Anabasis and Salvia, and two new combinations in Caroxylon and Seseli

“…GNP is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and its surface area is approximately 91,895 ha, in which 1362 species of flowering plants have been identified (Akhani 1998, Akhani & Khoshravesh 2011. GPA, with a surface area of 43216 ha, is a combination of Artemisia and montane steppes and Juniper woodland with 663 known species (Memariani et al 2016a). Altogether, 1463 species are known from these two areas, which represent c. 20% of the total known vascular plant species of Iran (Akhani 2006).…”

Stipa richteriana (Poaceae) and Galium songaricum (Rubiaceae): two new additions of the Central Asian species to the flora of Iran

“…In the monograph of Stipa in the southwest and south Asia, Freitag (1985) recorded 22 species from Iran. Based on published works, 13 species of Stipa are recognized for the flora of Khorassan in northeastern Iran (Freitag, 1985;Joharchi et al, 2007;Ghahremaninejad et al, 2012;Memariani et al, 2016c).…”