Floristic, life form and chorological studies of the Saqalaksar forest, Rasht, Northern Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

10.22124/cjes.2024.7630

Abstract

Saqalaksar forest is a relict of Caspian plain forests with an area of 200 ha in northern Iran and an altitude of 60 to 150 m a.s.l. This study was conducted to determine the floristic composition, life form and chorology of all plants of the region. Based on the results, 94 vascular plant species belonging to 80 genera and 46 families were identified in the study area. The most numerous families were Rosaceae (10 species), Fabaceae (8 species), Poaceae (7 species) as well as Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (6 species each). The classification according to the life spectrum showed that geophytes with 28 species (29.79 %) and therophytes with 25 species (26.60 %) had the highest proportion of life forms in the region. Similarly, the results of the chronological studies showed that the largest proportion of the flora consisted of pluri-regional elements (34 species, 36.17 %). As the forests investigated in this study are considered remnants of the Caspian Plain forests, urgent conservation measures are needed to protect these very important, vulnerable and threatened ecosystems.

Keywords


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