PHYTOLOGIA BALCANICA 18 (1): 59 – 68, Sofia, 2012
59
Flora and vegetation of Golestanak (Alborz Mts), Iran
Reza Naderi1, Mohammad Reza Rahiminejad1, Bahman Eslami2 &
Saeed Afsharzadeh1
1
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, 81746-73441
Isfahan, Iran, e-mails: rezanaderia@yahoo.com; mrr@sci.ui.ac.ir; s.afshar@biol.ui.ac.ir
(corresponding author)
2 Department of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran, e-mail:
bejadidi@gmail.com
Received: September 09, 2011 Accepted: March 02, 2012
Abstract.
This study deals with the floristic and vegetation investigations of Golestanak Protected Area, an ecotone
with nearly 1800 ha area located between the timberline and subalpine-alpine zone in the central part of
the Alborz Mountain Range (Mazandaran Province). A total of 172 taxa, belonging to 39 families and 126
genera were identified, including 138 dicotyledones (99 genera) and 32 monocotyledones (25 genera). Based
on a system of sixty sample plots taken randomly along five transects and using Sørensen’s distance measure
(Index BC=Bray and Curtis) and Ward’s group linkage methods in a cluster analysis, nine plant communities
were identified.
Key words:
Alborz, cluster analysis, Golestanak, Iran, plant community, vegetation
Introduction
Iran is a mountainous country and four-fifths of its
surface lies at altitudes above 1000 m (Zohary 1973).
It is situated among three main phytochoria, including
the Euro-Siberian (Boreal), Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Sindian, or Saharo-Arabian, and is influenced by
the introgression of Somalian-Masaei and Mediterranean species (Jafari & Akhani 2008). The Euro-Siberian region extends to the northern parts of Iran via the
Caucasian-Euxino-Hyrcanian Province. The Hyrcanian district includes the South Caspian coastal plain
and the northern slopes of the Alborz Mts, up to altitudes of 2500 m (Frey & Probst 1986). The northern
slopes of these ridges are dominated by a humid-temperate to warm-temperate climate (at lower altitudes); the southern slopes have a dry steppe climate.
The Alborz Mts with the volcanic summit of Dama-
vand (5670 m) stretch over an area 650 km long and
150–500 km wide.
Many studies of the flora and vegetation ecology
of the Alborz Mts have been carried out in this area
(e.g. Kotschy 1861; Gilli 1939; Klein 1984, 2001; Nazarian & al. 2004; Naqinezhad & al. 2009, 2010; Noroozi & al. 2010). Klein (1982) described the chionophilous vegetation units of the central Alborz Mts.
Five phytosociological units have been distinguished:
Oxytropidetea persicae, Trachydietalia depressae, Catabroselletalia parviflora, Jurinelletum frigidae, and
Erigeronetum elbursensis (Klein 1982). Noroozi &
al. (2008) described a number of plant communities
and habitats in this area: the Prangos uloptera and
Onobrychis cornuta communities, rocky habitats of
subalpine-alpine areas, high alpine xerophytic areas,
alpine meadow communities, and scree habitats. The
three main vegetation types (based on Frey & Prob-
60
Naderi & al. • Flora and vegetation of Golestanak, Iran
st 1986) which can be distinguished in the study area are forb vegetation, grasslands with thorn-cushions and plant formations of the alpine zone. Lack of
any floristic or vegetation information regarding the
Golestanak Protected Area explains the selection of
that area for this study.
Notably the timberline lies lower, between 2300 m
and 2600 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1).
Study area
Situation and delimitation
The Golestanak Protected Area is located in
the central part of the Alborz Mountain Range
(Mazandaran Province), between 36°14'–36°16' N
and 51°24'–51°26' E. The area covers 1800 hectares,
including the northern and southern slopes of the
Shamjar Small Mountain. It is a transitional zone between the timberline and the subalpine-alpine zone,
between 3000 and 4000 m a.s.l., with the highest and
lowest points ranging from 2300 m to 3935 m a.s.l.
Climate and vegetation
In most parts of the Alborz Mts precipitation is directly connected to altitude. However, over the northern
slopes of the Alborz Mts the influence of the moist Hyrcanian climate weakens above the timberline, where
precipitation decreases at higher altitudes. The summer is arid, hot and sunny, with intensive sun radiation most of the time. As any meteorological data were
lacking from the area under study, the climatic parameters were estimated from data provided by the nearest meteorological station to it (Siahbisheh Station, 20
km away from the study area, at 1855 m a.s.l.). The
annual mean temperature is 10.5 °C, with an annual
average maximum of 14.8 °C and minimum of 6.3 °C.
The lowest temperature reported is minus 14.6 °C in
January (2001) and the highest temperature recorded
is 34 °C in August (2000).
1 km
N
2300 m
Golestanak
By way
Spring
3935 m
Transect
Shamjar mountain
36° 15´
IRAN
51° 25´
Fig. 1. The topographic map of the study area.
Phytol. Balcan. 18(1) • Sofia • 2012
Material and methods
Flora
Floristic explorations and collections were made during the period 2006–2008. Specimens were collected
according to the traditional taxonomic methods. The
specimens are stored at the Herbarium of the University of Isfahan (HUI), Biology Department. Delimitations and distributional data were mainly based
on Flora Iranica (Rechinger 1963–2005) and Flora of Iran (Assadi & al. 1988–2003), and on other related references, depending on the studied taxa (Davis 1965–1985; Tutin & al. 1964–1980; Townsend &
al. 1966–1985). Life form definitions were based on
Raunkiaer’s classification (Raunkiaer 1934). The specimens are presented in the Appendix.
Vegetation
Systematic random sampling was used for vegetation
description. Sixty sample plots (S1–S60) were set in
five transects, with every point having an equal chance
of being chosen in each transect (Table 1). Selection
of the sampling design was discussed by many authors (e.g. Kenkel & al. 1989; Legendre & Fortin 1989;
Fortin & al. 1989; Legendre & al. 2002; Dungan & al.
2002; Hirzel & Guisan 2002). Whereas the study area
showed rapid changes in vegetation and floristic composition, transects were set up along the altitude gradients, starting from lower altitudes towards the summit of Mt Shamjar (2300–3935 m a.s.l.). Sample plot
size is very important and varies from one type of vegetation to another (Kent & Coker 1992). Hence, on the
basis of the concept of minimal area and species-area
curves (Cain & Castro 1959), three different sample
plot sizes were used; 10×6 m (northern slopes), 9×4 m
(southern, eastern and western slopes) and 2.5×2.5 m
(around springs and rivulets). The sample plots were
located and mapped using GPS equipment to ensure a
high degree of accuracy. The percentage of foliar cover for each vascular plant species was estimated on the
Braun-Blanquet scale (Braun-Blanquet 1964). Cluster
analysis (CA) performed with PC-ORD (V. 4.17) software (McCune & Mefford 1999) was applied to assess
the plant communities. Some researchers have used
PC-ORD software for the investigation of vegetation
(Sperduto & Cogbill 1999; Willoughby 2001; Kimball
& al. 2004; Dulamsuren & al. 2005; Oswalt & al. 2006).
A species matrix including species cover data was
61
constructed (1: <1 %, 2: 1–5 %, 3: 6–25 %, 4: 26–50 %,
5: 51–75 % and 6: 76–100 %). To determine the relationship between sample plots, clustering was applied
using Sørensen’s distance measure (Index BC=Bray
and Curtis; Mueller-Dombois & Ellenberg 1974) and
Ward’s group linkage method (Ward 1963). Initially,
the distances between all pairwise combinations of
sample plots were summarized to a Q×Q distance, or
D matrix. Next, the hierarchical grouping method of
Ward was operated on this D matrix.
Table 1. Characteristics of study sample plots in the Golestanak
Protected Area. 60 sample plots at 5 transects: Transect 1: 18 sample
plots, 3.3 km long, 237 m amplitude altitude; Transect 2: 7 sample
plots, 470 m long, 198 m amplitude altitude; Transect 3: 8 sample
plots, 550 m long, 242 m amplitude altitude; Transect 4: 8 sample
plots, 740 m long, 310 m amplitude altitude; Transect 5: 18 sample
plots, 2 km long, 631 m amplitude altitude; Three different sizes of
sample plot were used; 10×6 m (northern slopes), 9×4 m (southern,
eastern and western slopes) and 2×2 m (around stream and rivulet).
Abbreviations: Q: sample plot; T: transect.
Q&T
Altitude
(m)
Aspect
Latitude
(N)
Longitude (E)
Q12T1
3163
S
36°14'09.52"
51°14'42.28"
Q08T1
3220
S
36°14'15.40"
51°26'33.20"
Q01T1
3237
E
36°14'18.25"
51°26'34.50"
Q02T1
3263
E
36°14'19.60"
51°26'31.85"
Q09T1
3287
S
36°14'21.35"
51°26'35.00"
Q03T1
3314
E
36°14'26.05"
51°26'28.75"
Q11T1
3341
S
36°14'28.95"
51°26'26.00"
Q10T1
3300
S
36°14'28.25"
51°26'27.25"
Q19T1
3341
W
36°14'30.00"
51°26'26.50"
Q20T1
3349
W
36°14'33.01"
51°26'25.76"
Q21T1
3342
W
36°14'33.35"
51°26'25.90"
Q22T1
3328
W
36°14'37.35"
51°26'26.01"
Q23T1
3346
W
36°14'47.45"
51°26'12.35"
Q24T1
3356
S
36°14'48.65"
51°26'10.85"
Q25T1
3375
S
36°14'49.01"
51°26'09.55"
Q26T1
3380
S
36°14'49.50"
51°26'07.50"
Q27T1
3385
S
36°14'54.00"
51°26'05.50"
Q28T1
3398
S
36°14'31.06"
51°25'33.00"
Q29T1
3400
S
36°14'18.25"
51°25'29.60"
Q30T2
3422
S
36°15'08.48"
51°25'28.07"
Q31T2
3386
N
36°15'08.50"
51°25'26.03"
Q32T2
3340
N
36°15'10.04"
51°25'25.65"
Q33T2
3286
N
36°15'10.70"
51°25'22.01"
Q34T2
3246
N
36°15'11.95"
51°25'16.05"
Q35T2
3236
N
36°15'12.50"
51°25'13.00"
Q36T2
3224
N
36°15'13.55"
51°25'14.60"
Naderi & al. • Flora and vegetation of Golestanak, Iran
62
Table 1. Continuation.
Q&T
Altitude
(m)
Aspect
Latitude
(N)
Longitude (E)
Q04T3
3012
N
36°15'33.80"
51°24'56.58"
Q15T3
2888
N
36°15'43.28"
51°24'58.61"
Q13T3
2870
N
36°15'54.78"
51°24'50.50"
Q07T3
2830
N
36°15'52.08"
51°24'56.58"
Q14T3
2874
N
36°16'07.44"
51°25'02.00"
Q18T3
2830
N
36°16'13.74"
51°25'52.52"
Q17T3
2812
N
36°16'10.35"
51°25'02.00"
Q16T3
2770
N
36°16'09.32"
51°25'12.00"
Q37T4
2932
W
36°14'33.20"
51°24'48.18"
Q38T4
2996
W
36°14'38.09"
51°24'43.22"
Q39T4
3035
W
36°14'41.70"
51°24'45.34"
Q40T4
3049
W
36°14'43.21"
51°24'46.12"
Q41T4
3074
W
36°14'45.37"
51°24'45.12"
Q42T4
3152
S
36°14'50.83"
51°24'40.24"
Q43T4
3198
S
36°14'53.82"
51°24'48.43"
Q44T4
3224
S
36°14'57.81"
51°24'48.19"
Q45T5
3385
S
36°15'05.77"
51°24'48.18"
Q46T5
3279
N
36°15'12.09"
51°24'47.00"
Q47T5
3190
N
36°15'18.40"
51°24'45.34"
Q48T5
3161
N
36°15'24.42"
51°24'47.80"
Q49T5
3083
N
36°15'33.74"
51°24'43.64"
Q50T5
2997
N
36°15'43.97"
51°24'39.25"
Q51T5
2953
N
36°15'51.19"
51°24'36.67"
Q52T5
2910
N
36°15'51.19"
51°24'40.32"
Q53T5
2893
N
36°16'04.13"
51°24'44.18"
Q54T5
2824
N
36°16'09.83"
51°24'42.76"
Q56T5
2754
N
36°16'11.82"
51°24'39.36"
Q05T5
2734
N
36°16'13.56"
51°24'44.28"
Q06T5
2712
N
36°16'15.22"
51°24'48.42"
Q56T5
2680
N
36°16'17.13"
51°24'41.04"
Q57T5
2660
N
36°16'18.69"
51°24'40.83"
Q58T5
2655
N
36°16'22.33"
51°24'42.31"
Q59T5
2630
N
36°16'24.53"
51°24'45.05"
Q60T5
2628
N
36°16'26.14"
51°24'47.55"
Results
Flora
One hundred and 72 plant taxa, belonging to 39 families and 126 genera were identified in the area. The floristic list is presented in the Appendix. One hundred
and 38 taxa were dicotyledones (99 genera) and 32 taxa
were monocotyledons (25 genera). The largest families were Asteraceae (28 taxa), Poaceae (20 taxa) and Lamiaceae (16 taxa). The largest genera were Astragalus
with seven and Tanacetum with four species. Eight genera could not be determined to a species level, owing
to the inadequate plant material for identification. Categorization according to the phytogeographic region
was as follows: Irano-Turanian – 105 taxa (63.65 %),
Euro-Siberian-Irano-Turanian – 23 taxa (14 %), EuroSiberian – 11 taxa (6.7 %), Euro-Siberian-Irano-Turanian-Mediterranean – 7 taxa (4.25 %), Irano-TuranianMediterranean – 6 taxa (3.7 %), Pluriregional – 6 taxa
(3.7 %), Euro-Siberian-Mediterranean – 3 taxa (2 %),
and Cosmopolitan – 3 taxa (2 %). Hemicryptophytes
were the commonest in the study area, followed by
chamaephytes, geophytes, therophytes, and phanerophytes. Three new species were reported for the flora
of Iran in our earlier paper (Naderi & al. 2009): Achillea millefolium L. subsp. sudetica (Opiz) Weiss in Koch
(Asteraceae), Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. subsp. draba
(Brassicaceae) and Scorzonera kirpicznikovii Lipsch.
(Asteraceae).
Vegetation
Species frequency and foliar cover
Of the 172 identified taxa, 131 species were recorded
in the sample plots; i.e. 41 species (23.83 %) were not
presented in any of the 60 sample plots. Some of these
remarkable species are: Iranecio elbursensis, Huynhia
pulchra, Centaurea iberica, Crepis multicaulis, Phleum
iranicum, Ferula ovina, Pimpinella tragium, Verbascum
cheiranthifolium, Linaria genistifolia, Orbanche pulchra,
and Rosa canina. The species Alopecurus textilis and
Tragopogon kotschyi were the most common sample
species occurring in 33 sample plots, followed by Bromus tomentellus (32), Plantago atrata and Onobrychis
cornuta (29), Tanacetum polycephalum (28), and Ranunculus amblyolobus (23). The maximum foliar cover was exhibited by Onobrychis cornuta, followed by
Plantago atrara, Alopecurus textilis, Bromus tomentellus, Tanacetum polycephalum, Tragopogon kotschyi, and
Asyneuma amplexicaule.
Community determination
Clustering analysis of sixty sample plots is summarized in a dendrogram (Fig. 2). The process of delimiting communities (or groups) from the information
provided by the clustering analysis is usually subjec-
Phytol. Balcan. 18(1) • Sofia • 2012
63
tive (Ludwig & Reynolds 1988). A community coefficient (CC) of 100 represents an identity, while a CC
of 0 represents complete difference. The sample plots
of one community are often expected to share a CC
above 50 (Barbour & al. 1987). A vertical dashed line
across the dendrogram at a threshold value of 60 percent created 11 vegetation groups. Nine plant communities were identified, distinctive from each other with
their ecological and floristic features (Fig. 2).
2 – Plantago atrata communities: they overlap with
many other communities and usually occur at low
slopes. High moisture is one of the major characteristics for the establishment of these communities. They
appear when the snow cover begins to melt, close to
the end of April. The accompanying species include
Astragalus magistratus, Ranunculus amblyolobus, Cirsium sp., Arabis caucasica, and Anchonium elichrysifolium.
Group I: includes sample plots 1, 30, 45 and 46 (Fig. 2;
e.g. S1). This group comprises two communities: Grammosciadium platycarpum and Plantago atrata.
1 – Grammosciadium platycarpum communities:
they are situated between 3200 m to 3260 m a.s.l., on
the slopes of an east-southeastern region with shallow-sandstone soils. The accompanying species include Nepeta racemosa, Hieracium procerum, Tragopogon kotschyi, Astragalus magistratus, Alopecurus
textilis, Geranium tuberosum, and Ranunculus amblyolobus.
Group II: constitutes only of Helichrysum spp. communities (H. oligocephalum and H. plicatum), which
lie between 3300 m to 3350 m a.s.l. on the steep slopes
of an east-southeastern region with shallow-sandstone soils. Their characteristic species is Hypericum
scabrum. The accompanying species include Arenaria
gypsophiloides, Tanacetum polycephalum, Nepeta racemosa, Silene sp., Phlomis anisodonta, Thymus kotschyanus, Ziziphora clinopodioides, Bromus tomentellus,
Poa bulbosa, plantago atrata, and Ranunculus amblyolobus.
Cluster analysis
2E-02
5.1E+00
100
75
S1
S30
S45
S46
S2
S3
S20
S21
S22
S29
S12
S24
S26
S27
S28
S25
S8
S9
S10
S11
S42
S43
S44
S19
S23
S39
S37
S41
S38
S40
S4
S7
S34
S35
S51
S54
S31
S49
S33
S36
S32
S47
S50
S48
S13
S52
S53
S15
S14
S55
S18
S5
S6
S56
S57
S17
S16
S58
S59
S60
Distance (Objective Function)
1E+01
Information Remaining (%)
60
50
1.5E+01
2E+01
25
0
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
Fig. 2. The dendrogram resulted from a cluster analysis of sixty quadrats using Sørensen distance measure and Ward’s method. A vertical dashed line represents reference point for delimiting 11 ecological groups.
64
Naderi & al. • Flora and vegetation of Golestanak, Iran
Group III: includes sample plots 20, 21, 22, and 29.
It comprises two communities: Bromus tomentellus
and Cirsium sp.
1 – Bromus tomentellus communities: whereas the
Bromus tomentellus species is represented in half of
the sample plots, like Alopecurus textilis, Tragopogon
kotschyi and Plantago atrata, therefore, their community border is not easily recognizable. The accompanying species include Tanacetum polycephalum, Tragopogon kotschyi, Taraxacum serotinum, Silene sp.,
Clastopus erubescens, Marrubium astracanicum, Nepeta racemosa, Ziziphora clinopodioides, Alopecurus textiles, and Plantago atrata.
2 – Cirsium sp. communities: these communities
are often dominant on the western slopes with shallow-sandstone soils, particularly near byways. They
include the following accompanying species: Tanacetum polycephalum, Tragopogon kotschyi, Minuartia
recurva, M. lineata, Clastopus erubescens, Astragalus
magistratus, Scutellaria pinnatifida, Thymus pubescens, and Plantago atrata.
Group VI: comprises sample plots 8, 9, 10, 11, 42,
43, and 44. They were in the windswept areas of the
study area (3300–3600 m) occupied by Astragalus
spp.-Onobrychis cornuta communities. These communities are composed of thorn-cushion and graminoid species. They form a distinct unit above the timberline in the subalpine zone, also on the northern
slopes of the Alborz Mts. Astragalus magistratus and
A. capax are dominant species in these communities.
On the basis of the systematic random sampling the
distribution of Linaria genistifolia and Camphorosma
monspeliaca are restricted to this unit. Other species
common for this vegetation type are Seratula latifolia, Tanacetum polycephalum, Draba nemorosa, Clastopus erubescens, Thymus kotchyanus, T. pubescens,
Stachys lavandulifolia, Alopecurus textilis, Bromus tomentellus, Poa bulbosa, Acantholimon demavendicum, and A. hohenackeri.
Group IV: comprises only one sample plot related to
the first sample plot in the first transect. The speciescomposition of this sample plot was very different
from the others. It was set near an asphalt road without any specific community.
Group V: includes sample plots 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28
related to Transect 1 (southern slopes, altitude 3350–
3400 m). The most important characteristic of these
sample plots is their presence in a semi-wet environment. Rumex elbursensis and Onobrychis cornuta are
two recognizable communities of this group.
1 – Rumex elbursensis communities: these communities occurred along the melt-water streams in avalanche
tracks and erosional channels, and next to the major river in the Alborz Mts. They are covered with such species
as Cousinia crispa, Tanacetum polycephalum, Onobrychis
cornuta, Dianthus orientalis, Astragalus citrinus, Dactylis
glomerata, Bromus tomentellus, and Cirsium sp.
2 – Onobrychis cornuta communities: large parts
of the south slopes were covered with these communities. Their outlook is determined by the following
accompanying species: Achillea millefolium, Cousinia
crispa, Seratula latifolia, Tanacetum polycephalum, Silene sp., Phlomis anisodonta, Leonurus cardiaca, Marrubium astracanicum, Stachys lavanulifolia, Ziziphora
clinopodioides, Alopecurus textilis, Bromus tomentellus, Plantago atrata, and Nepeta racemosa.
Group VII: comprises sample plots 19, 23, 37, 39, 38,
40, and 41, which are restricted to the high slopes of
the west regions with shallow-dry soils. This group
was formed by Acantholimon spp.-Alopecurus textilis communities, which are dominated by thorn-cushions (Acantholimon demavendicum and A. hohenackeri) and graminoid species (Alopecurus textilis). The
species richness and plant cover of these communities
is very low. The accompanying species were as follows:
Tanacetum polycephalum, Clastopus erubescens, Minuartia recurva, Astragalus magistratus, Onobrychis cornuta and Poa bulbosa.
Group VIII: consists of sample plots 31, 32, 33, 34,
35, 36, 4, 7, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, and 54. The sample plots are referred to the northern slopes with
high soil moisture. Onobrychis cornuta communities were distinguished. Nonetheless, owing to the
presence of sample plots on the northern slopes and
an easy access to nutrient sources, the floristic composition of this group differed from the Onobrychis
cornuta communities of Group V. The species richness was very high; e.g. sample plots 7, 4, 35 and
31, with the minimal area of 10×6 m2, contained
29, 24, 19 and 18 species, respectively. Dominant
species with high cover-abundance were as follows:
Bromus tomentellus, Alopecurus textilis, Ranunculus amblyolobus, Asyneuma amplexicaule, Plantago atrata, Cousinia crispa, Silene sp., Betonica nivea,
Thymus pubescens, Anthriscus nemorosa, and Minuartia lineata.
Phytol. Balcan. 18(1) • Sofia • 2012
Group IX: the soil moisture in this group was higher
than in Group VIII, because these sample plots were
located near rivulets. The sample plots overlapped
with the Onobrychis cornuta community (Group VIII).
However, density of the thorn-cushion formation was
very low. The existence of springs and of some environment protection constructions has disturbed vegetation in these sample plots. Therefore, no community
was recognized. The dominant species were: Achillea
millefolium, Stachys byzantina, Tanacetum coccineum
and Campanula glomerata. Other species include Centaurea zuvandica, Asyneuma amplexicaule, Sempervivum iranicum, Phlomis anisodonta, Nepeta racemosa,
Polygala anatolica, and Pedicularis sibthorpii.
Group X & XI: the sample plots of these groups are
referred to the spring spots and rivulet tracks with the
minimal area of 2.5×2.5 m. According to the dendrogram following from the cluster analysis (see Fig. 2),
the community coefficient of these groups was zero,
as compared to the other groups. Because of the multiple-layer vegetations, the total cover values of these
groups exceeded 100 per cent. No community was
recognized in these groups too. Dominant species of
the upper stratifications were: Ligularia persica, Heracleum rechingeri and Alchemilla persica. The lower
stratifications of these groups are formed by Carex orbicularis, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Gentiana septemfida, Swertia aucheri, Mentha longifolia, Dactylorhiza
umbrosa, Primula macrocalyx, P. auriculata, and Veronica anagallis-aquatica.
Discussion
Flora
The results of floristic study have shown that the area
is located in the transitional zone between the IranoTuranian and Euro-Siberian region. Six hundred and
82 species, belonging to 193 genera and 39 families,
are known from the alpine zone of Iran (Noroozi & al.
2008). Approximately 58 % of the alpine and nival species are endemic and sub-endemic for Iran (394 taxa).
Ca. 32 % of the alpine endemic species are restricted
to the Alborz Mts. In our study, 19 % of the species (34
taxa) of Golestanak are endemic to Flora Iranica and
most of them are restricted to the Alborz Mts. Some of
the endemic taxa to the Alborz Mts occur in Golestanak, including Achillea millefolium subsp. elbursensis,
Crepis heterotricha subsp. lobata, Iranecio elbursen-
9 • Phytol. Balcan. 18(1) • 2012
65
sis, Leontodon hispidus var. mazanderanicus, Ligularia persica, Tanacetum hololeucum, Asyneuma mazanderanicum, and Betonica nivea subsp. mazandarana.
These results show that Golestanak is rich in endemic taxa in comparison with the endemic species of
the Alborz Mts and some study regions in the neighboring countries (e.g. Ocakverdi 2001; Akçiçek 2003;
Palabaş & Anşin 2006).
Vegetation
The cluster analysis of the 60 sample plots has identified
nine plant communities that differed in species-composition and abundance. Kent & Coker (1992) stressed
that although the numerical classification process can
be described as objective, the interpretation and the
problem of how to choose the final groups still remains
subjective and relies on the ecological knowledge and
experience of the user. On the other hand, the transitional areas of the Alborz Mts cannot be examined with
the technique of Braun-Blanquet. Hence, plant communities of Golestanak Protected Area are presented by the cluster analysis without using the hierarchical classification units of the Braun-Blanquet system
(e.g. class -etea, order -etalia, alliance -ion and association -etum). The presence of two distinct communities
of Onobrychis cornuta with different species-compositions in the Groups V and VIII can be described as follows: Onobrychis cornuta is a species compatible with
the environmental factors, which occurred almost in
half of the sample plots, therefore, this species repeated
itself with great regularity over the study area (see Clements 1916, 1928), but the accompanying species of the
Onobrychis cornuta communities respond individually to variations in environmental factors and also every species has its own tolerance range for the study area (see Gleason 1917, 1926, 1939). All accompanying
species are distributed as a continuum, but classification of the cluster analysis based on the species-composition of each sample plot has divided this continuum
into distinguishable partitions (Group V on southern
slopes and Group VIII on northern slopes).
Conclusions
The statistical tools used in the study were cluster analysis and its subparts, namely Ward’s linkage method
and Sørensen’s similarity coefficient (Index BC=Bray
and Curtis). These tools seem to provide a meticulous
66
method for determining plant communities. However, a further painstaking investigation will reveal some
yet hidden facts needed for determination of the ecological group’s boundaries, especially within the transitional zones of the Alborz Mts.
Naderi & al. • Flora and vegetation of Golestanak, Iran
Acknowledgments. The authors would like to extend their
thanks to Dr. A. Naqinezhad (Assistant Professor at the University
of Mazandaran, Babolsar) for his valuable guidance and to Dariush Naderi, Hossein Naderi, Homan Jafari, Hamid Gholizadeh, and
Morteza Joonian for helping to collect the herbarium specimens.
Appendix
Floristic list
The following abbreviations are used: He = Hemicrytophyte; Ch = Chamaephyte; Th = Therophyte; Ge = Geophyte; Ph =
Phanarophyte; ES = Euro-Siberian element; IT = Irano-Turanian element; M = Mediterranean element; Cosm = Cosmopolitan; PL = Pluriregional; End = Endemic.
Apiaceae (Umbelliferae): Anthriscus nemorosa (M.
Bieb.) Spreng., He, Es-IT. Cervaria cervariifolia (C.A.Mey.)
Pimenov, He, ES. Diplotaenia cachrydifolia Boiss., He, IT.
Ferula ovina (Boiss.) Boiss., Ch, IT. Grammosciadium
platycarpum Boiss. & Hausskn., He, IT. Heracleum rechingeri
Manden., He, IT [End.]. Pimpinella tragium Vill. subsp.
polyclada (Boiss. & Heldr.) Tutin, He, IT. Trinia leiogona
(C.A.Mey.) B. Fedtsch., He, IT. Asteraceae (Compositae):
Achillea millefolium L. subsp. elbursensis Hub.-Mor., He, IT
[End.]. A. millefolium L. subsp. millefolium, He, ES-IT. A.
millefolium L. subsp. sudetica (Opiz) Weiss in Koch, He, IT
[End.]. A. vermicularis Trin., Ch, IT. Artemisia absinthium
L., Ch, ES-IT. A. chamaemelifolia Vill., Ch, ES-IT. Centaurea
iberica Trev. ex Spreng., He, IT-M. C. zuvandica (Sosn.)
Sosn., He, ES-M. Centaurea sp., He. Cirsium sp., He.
Cousinia crispa Jaub. & Spach, He, IT. Crepis heterotricha
DC. subsp. lobata Babcock, He, IT [End.]. C. multicaulis
Ledeb. subsp. multicaulis, He, IT. Erigeron acer L., He, IT.
Helichrysum oligocephalum DC., Ch, IT [End.]. H. plicatum
DC., He, IT. Hieracium procerum Fr., He, ES. Iranecio
elbursensis (Boiss.) B. Nord., He, IT [End.]. Leontodon
hispidus L. var. mazanderanicus Rech. f., He, IT [End.].
Ligularia persica Boiss., He, IT [End.]. Scariola orientalis
(Boiss.) Soják subsp. orientalis, Ch, IT. Scorzonera
kirpicznikovii Lipsch., He, Es. Seratula latifolia Boiss., He,
ES. Tanacetum coccineum (Willd.) Grierson subsp.
coccineum, He, ES. T. hololeucum (Bornm.) Podlech, He, IT
[End.]. T. polycephalum Sch. Bip. subsp. duderanum (Boiss.)
Podlech, Ch, IT. Taraxacum serotinum (Waldst. & Kit.)
Poir., He, ES. Tragopogon kotschyi Boiss., He, IT [End.].
Boraginaceae: Huynhia pulchra (Willd. ex Roemer &
Schultes) Greuter & Burdet, He, ES. Lappula microcarpa
(Ledeb.) Gürke, Th, IT. Onosma demavendica Riedl, He, IT.
O. dichroantha Boiss., He, IT. Brassicaceae (Cruciferae):
Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande, Th, ES-IT-M.
Anchonium elichrysifolium (DC.) Boiss. subsp. persicum
(DC.) Cullen & Coode, He, IT. Arabis caucasica Willd.
subsp. caucasica, He, IT. A. gerardii Besser, He, ES-IT. A.
Sagittata (Bertol.) DC., He, ES-IT-M. Barbarea plantaginea
DC., He, IT. Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. subsp. draba, He, IT.
Clastopus erubescens Hausskn., He, IT [End.]. Conringia
persica Boiss., He, IT. Draba nemorosa L., He, ES-IT.
Sisymbrium irio L., Th, IT. Campanulaceae: Asyneuma
amplexicaule (Willd.) Hand. – Mazz. subsp. amplexicaule,
He, IT [End.]. A. mazanderanicum Rech. f., He, IT [End.].
Campanula glomeratra L., He, ES-IT. C. lourica Boiss. He,
IT [End.] C. stevenii M. Bieb., He, IT. Caryophyllaceae:
Arenaria gypsophiloides L. var. gypsophiloides, He, IT.
Dianthus orientalis Adams subsp. gorganicus, Rech. f., Ch,
IT. D. orientalis Adams subsp. stenocalyx (Boiss.) Rech. f.,
Ch, IT. Gypsophila aretioides Boiss., Ch, IT. Minuartia
lineata Bornm., Ch, IT [End.]. M. recurva (All.) Schinz et
Thell subsp. oreina (Mattf.) Mc Neill, Ch, IT. Silene sp., He.
Chenopodiaceae: Camphorosma monspeliaca L., Ch, ESIT-M. Crassulaceae: Sedum gracile C. A. Mey., Ge, IT. S.
pilosum M. Bieb., He, ES-IT. Sempervivum iranicum Bornm.
& Gauba, He, IT [End.]. Cupressaceae: Juniperus excelsa M.
Bieb., Ph, IT. Cyperaceae: Carex orbicularis Boott subsp.
kotschyana (Boiss. & Hohen.) Kukkonen, He, IT. Eleocharis
quinqueflora (Hartmann) O. Schwarz, He, Cosm.
Dipsacaceae: Cephalaria kotschyi Boiss. & Hohen., He, IT.
Euphorbiaceae: Euphorbia bungei Boiss., Ch, IT. Fabaceae:
Astragalus aureus Willd., Ch, IT [End.]. A. capax
Maassoumi, Ch, IT [End.]. A. citrinus Bunge subsp. citrinus,
He, IT [End.]. A. magistratus Maassoumi, Ghahreman &
Mozzaffarian, Ch, IT [End.]. A. oxyglottis M. Bieb., He, IT
[End.]. A. submitis Boiss. & Hohen. subsp. maassoumii
Tietz & Zarre, Ch, IT [End.]. Astragalus sp., He. Onobrychis
cornuta (L.) Desv., Ch, IT. Trifolium sp., He. Vicia canescens
Labill. subsp. gregaria (Boiss. & Heldr.) P.H. Davis, He, IT.
V. sojakii Chrtková, He, IT. Fumariaceae: Corydalis sp., Ge.
Gentianaceae: Gentiana septemfida Pall., He, IT. Swertia
Phytol. Balcan. 18(1) • Sofia • 2012
67
aucheri Boiss., He, IT. Geraniaceae: Geranium tuberosum
L., Ge, ES-IT-M. Hypericaceae (Guttiferae): Hypericum
armenum Jaub. & Spach, He, IT. H. scabrum L., He, IT-M.
Iridaceae: Iris acutiloba C. A. Mey., Ge, IT. Iris barnumae
Baker & Foster subsp. demavendica (Bornm.) Mathew &
Wendelbo, Ge, IT [End.]. Lamiaceae (Labiatae): Ajuga
chamaecistus Ging. ex Benth., He, IT [End.]. Betonica nivea
Steven subsp. mazandarana (Bornm.) Rech. f., He, IT
[End.]. Leonurus cardiaca L. subsp. persicus (Boiss.) Rech.,
f. He, IT [End.]. Marrubium astracanicum Jacq., He, IT.
Mentha longifolia (L.) Hudson var. chlorodictya Rech. f., Ge,
PL. Nepeta racemosa Lam., He, IT. N. sintenisii Bornm., He,
IT. Phlomis anisodonta Boiss., He, IT [End.]. Salvia staminea
Montbr. & Aucher ex Benth., He, IT. S. xanthocheila Boiss.
ex. Benth., He, IT. Scutellaria pinnatifida A.Ham. subsp.
alpina (Bornm.) Rech. f., He, IT. Stachys byzantina K. Koch,
He, IT. S. lavandulifolia Vahl, He, IT-M. Thymus kotschyanus
Boiss. & Hohen., Ch, IT. T. pubescens Boiss. & Kotschy ex
Celak, Ch, IT. Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. subsp.
elbursensis (Rech. f.) Rech. f., Ch, IT. Liliaceae: Allium
erubescens K. Koch, Ge, ES-IT. Gagea gageoides (Zucc.)
Vved. Ge, IT. Ornithogalum balansae Boiss., Ge, ES-IT. O.
bungei Boiss., Ge, ES-IT. O. gussonei Ten. (O. tenuifolium
Guss.), Ge, ES-IT. Tulipa biflora Pall., Ge, IT. Tulipa sp., He.
Linaceae: Linum nervosum Waldst. & Kit. var. bungei
(Boiss.) Sharifinia, He, IT [End.]. Linum nervosum Waldst.
& Kit. var. nervosum, He, IT [End.]. Ophioglossaceae:
Botrychium lunaria (L.) SW., He, PL. Orchidaceae:
Dactylorhiza umbrosa (Kar. & Kir.) Nevski, He, PL.
Orobanchaceae: Orobanche pulchra Gilli, Ge, IT [End.].
Papaveraceae: Papaver armeniacum (L.) DC., He, IT. P.
bracteatum Lindl. He, ES-IT. Poaceae: Agropyron cristatum
(L.) Gaertn. subsp. pectinatum (M. Bieb.) var. pectinatum,
He, ES-IT-M. Agrostis gigantea Roth, He, PL. Alopecurus
textilis Boiss., He, IT. Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) P. Beauv.
ex J. Presl. & C. Presl, He, ES-IT-M. Brachypodium
sylvaticum (Huds.) P. Beauv., He, ES-M. Bromus tomentellus
Boiss., He, IT. Calamagrostis parsana (Bor) M. Dogan, He,
IT. Dactylis glomerata L. subsp. glomerata, He, ES-IT-M.
Elymus elongatiformis (Drobov) Assadi, Ge, IT. Festuca
ovina L., He, Cosm. Hordeum bulbosum L., Ge, IT. H
.violaceum Boiss. & Hohen., He, IT-M. Melica jacquemontii
Decne. subsp. jacquemontii, He, IT. Phleum iranicum
Bornm. & Gauba, He, IT [End.]. Poa bulbosa L., Ge, IT-M.
Poa nemoralis L., He, PL. Poa supina Schrad., He, Es-IT.
Psathyrostachys fragilis (Boiss.) Nevski, He, IT. Stipa barbata
Desf., He, ES-IT. Trisetum flavescens (L.) P. Beauv., He, ESIT. Plantaginaceae: Plantago atrata Hoppe, He, ES-IT.
Plumbuginaceae: Acantholimon demavendicum Bornm.,
Ch, IT [End.]. A. hohenackeri (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss., Ch, IT.
Polygalaceae: Polygala anatolica Boiss. & Heldr., He, ES-M.
Polygonaceae: Polygonum alpestre C. A. Mey., He, ES. P.
rottboellioides Jaub. & Spach, He, IT. Rumex elbursensis
Boiss., He, IT [End.]. Primulaceae: Primula auriculata
Lam., He, IT. P. macrocalyx Bunge, He, ES-IT.
Ranunculaceae: Ficaria kochii (Ledeb.) Iranshahr & Rech.
f., He, IT. Ranunculus amblyolobus Boiss. & Hohen., He, IT
[End.]. Rosaceae: Alchemilla gigantodus Frohner, He, ES. A.
persica Rothm., He, ES IT. Cotoneaster nummularioides
Pojark., Ph, IT. Potentilla canescens Besser, He, ES-IT. Rosa
canina L., Ph, IT. Rubiaceae: Crucianella gilanica Trin.
subsp. hirsuta (Ehrend.) Ehrend. & Schönb.-Tem., He, IT.
Cruciata taurica (Pall. ex Willd.) Ehrend. subsp. persica
(DC.) Ehrend., He, IT. Galium ghilanicum Stapf, Th, IT.
Galium verum L. subsp. verum f. verum, Th, IT. Salicaceae:
Salix aegyptiaca L., Ph, ES-IT. Scrophulariaceae: Linaria
genistifolia (L.) Mill. subsp. genistifolia, He, ES. Pedicularis
sibthorpii Boiss., He, IT. Scrophularia elbursensis Bornm.,
He, IT [End.]. Verbascum cheiranthifolium Boiss. var.
transcaspicum Murb., He, IT. V. gossypinum M. Bieb., He,
ES. Veronica anagallis-aquatica L., Ge, IT-M. Veronica sp.,
He. Urticaceae: Urtica dioica L. subsp. dioica, He, Cosm.
Valerianaceae: Valeriana sisymbriifolia Vahl, He, ES-IT.
Violaceae: Viola rupestris F. W. Schmidt, Th, ES.
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