Biodiversity & Biosafety
Reza Sheikhakbari-Mehr; Zahra Khalili; Younes Asri; Mehdi Ramezani
Abstract
Introduction: Plants play a key role in the balance of ecosystems and therefore are vital for the sustainability of the environment. Any knowledge about the plant species of a region is considered the basic principle for other research and can be a starting point for future supplementary studies. Biodiversity ...
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Introduction: Plants play a key role in the balance of ecosystems and therefore are vital for the sustainability of the environment. Any knowledge about the plant species of a region is considered the basic principle for other research and can be a starting point for future supplementary studies. Biodiversity is one of the important aspects of life, especially considering the climate and land use. Destruction of the environment and natural resources has caused the extinction of plant and animal species and consequently, the reduction of biodiversity in the world. Given that today humans are facing numerous environmental issues and threats to biodiversity, the best way to save biodiversity and understand its values is to continuously evaluate and monitor natural habitats. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating and analyzing plant biodiversity in the Plang-Dareh protected area in Qom province, as well as determining the endemism and conservation status of plant species in the area. The results obtained from this research can be used to explain the role of protected areas in the preservation and maintenance of genetic resources, environmental health and the development of appropriate management-protection plans.Materials and Methods: Palang-Dareh protected area is located southwest of Qom province. In order to make a contribution to the flora of the region during periodic visits, plant samples were collected in the growing seasons for two consecutive years. Any information about collected samples was noted, and the samples were pressed and dried. Plant species were identified using relevant Floras. In addition to determining the endemic and conservation status of plant species, the life form of plants was determined based on the Raunkier method and the chorology of plant species in the study area was determined using Zohari and Leonard classification. In order to evaluate the biodiversity of vegetation along an altitude gradient, the height (a.s.l.) in the study area was divided into three zones (1600-1900, 1300-2200, 1600-1900 meters). Systematic-random sampling was done from different altitude zone of the study area and biodiversity indices were calculated.Results: Based on our results there are 171 plant species belonging to 126 genera and 46 families in the studied area. The family Asteraceae is the richest plant family in Palang-Dareh. In terms of life form, 45% of the species belong to hemicryptophytes and 22% to therophytes. The chorology of the species showed that more than 65% of the flora of the Palang-Dareh protected area belong to the Irano-Turanian chorotype and 12% belong to the Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean phytogeographical regions. 15% of the identified species are endemic to Iran and some plants are on the list of vulnerable or endangered species. The evaluation of biodiversity indices in different altitude zones revealed that the species diversity and species richness indices have reached their maximum in the intermediate altitude zone and the species diversity decreases with increasing altitude.Discussion: Having comprehensive knowledge about the vegetation of an area is an essential and the first step in solving ecological issues such as biodiversity conservation, natural resources management and, assessment of environmental conditions. The dominance of a dry climate as well as over-grazing and unauthorized human activities have led to the high prevalence of certain plant species (known as indicators of destruction) and also therophytes in the studied area. Enjoying diverse vegetation and suitable natural habitats, protected areas have an essential role in biodiversity conservation. Based on our results some endemic plants of the area have vulnerable or endangered conservation status so that, more precise conservation plans should be put on the agenda.
Somayeh Arazi
Abstract
Habitat destruction is one of the important factors in species extinction. Ecosystems provide a variety of services to humans, and humans need a set of these services to survive. For this purpose, the present study was conducted to identify the objectives of the Habitat Restoration Plan for the management ...
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Habitat destruction is one of the important factors in species extinction. Ecosystems provide a variety of services to humans, and humans need a set of these services to survive. For this purpose, the present study was conducted to identify the objectives of the Habitat Restoration Plan for the management and protection of vegetation and wildlife in the winter of 2020. To achieve the objectives of the present study, resource review was performed using the keywords Habitat Restoration and Search Restoration Ecology in online digital libraries. According to the findings of the present study, the process of ecological Restoration consists of three aspects including vegetation structure, ecological process and ecological performance. A successful habitat Restoration project also pursues four major global priority priorities, Including Regeneration, Ecosystem restoration, Rehabilitation, and Regeneration. Achieving the goals of Habitat Restoration requires a greater understanding of the ecological factors that enhance the success of the regeneration project. Water resources management is very difficult and complex.
Environment Assessment
Jalil Sarhangzadeh; Parastoo Parivar
Abstract
Nowadays because of various factors, including inappropriate land use, and indiscriminate exploitation of water resources, soil and vegetation, wide areas of the country were exposed to destruction of lands and desertification. Therefore land use planning based on its ecological capability has a significant ...
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Nowadays because of various factors, including inappropriate land use, and indiscriminate exploitation of water resources, soil and vegetation, wide areas of the country were exposed to destruction of lands and desertification. Therefore land use planning based on its ecological capability has a significant role in environmental management and in preventing environmental degradation in the direction of sustainable development. In this study, land use planning for Makidi village (2415 ha) in south of Arasbaran protected area has been conducted. The main objectives of the plan were to promote sustainable use, to increase living conditions, and enhance environmental conservation in the region. First, ecological and socio-economic resources were surveyed and mapped (scale 1:10000). Then data analysis and integration with system analysis approach were performed. As a result, 1571 micro-ecosystems were mapped. Ecological capability of mapping unit was evaluated for aquatic cultivation, dry farming, range management, forestry, ecotourism and conservation with the aid of specified ecological models. Finally with coordination of socioeconomic data and ecological capability of mapping unit, priority of land uses was established. At the end, map of land use planning for Makidi area was depicted for management purposes. The results show that %0.67 of allocated land use is suitable for irrigation farming, %8.49 for dry farming, %26.89 for range management, %13.64 for protected forestry, %0.34 for intensive ecotourism and finally .%49.15 for conservation.