Endemic Gypsophytes Composition Delimitated by Soil Properties and Altitude from Calciphytes and Halophytes in the South- Central Alborz Ranges
22 August 2017
Zare-Maivan, Hassan; Rabizadeh, Fatemeh ; Kazempour Osaloo, ShahrokhEndemic specialized plant species have served as geobotanical tools for locating mines and ores. Despite their importance, not much research has been dedicated to studying ecology of endemic specialized plant species, such as in gypsum or calcareous habitats. This investigation reports on the endemic plant species frequented in 30,000 ha of the gypsum habitats of the South-Central Alborz Ranges (Semnan), Iran, in relation to altitude and soil properties. Ecological data and soil samples were collected from 120 plots along intersections of eight horizontal and 6 perpendicular parallel transects. Each grid cell was 2000 x 2000 m in dimensions. One-way ANOVA was used to test for differences among ecological factors in vegetation groups and abundance, richness and biodiversity indices calculated for each plot. Forty seven plant species, including 6 endemic specific species of Semnan area and 20 endemic specific species of Iran, were identified, analyzed using canonical correspondence (CCA) and detrended correspondence Analysis (DCA), categorized as gypsophytes G1 (1600- 2245 m asl), calciphytes (1500-1700 m asl), gypsophytes G2 (1300-1600 m asl) and halophytes (1100-1300 m asl) and respective altitudinal occurrence maps developed using Arc-GIS 9.3 and ENVI 4.8 softwares. Endemic Semnan plant species included Astragalus fridae, Euphorbia gypsicola and Gypsophila mucronifolia at higher altitude and Astragalus semnanensis, Centaurea lachnopus and Nepeta eremokosmos at lower altitude gypsic soils. More frequent Iranian endemic plant species included Moltkia gypsaceae at higher altitude; Echinops nizvanus and Acantholimon cymosum at lower altitude gypsic soils and Astragalus glaucacanthos, Astragalus podolobus and Astragalus microcephalus occurred primarily in calcic carbonate soil while halophyte plants, such as Artemisia sieberi dominated lower altitudes with more saline-alkaline soil. This is a first report on the ecology of endemic specific gypsophytes occurrence in South- Central Alborz Ranges in relation to soil properties and altitude which delimits them from calciphytes and halophytes.