Floristic investigation of Noujian Watershed (Lorestan province)

Abstract

In this project, the vegetation of the Noujian Watershed located in Lorestan province was identified. Noujian Watershed with the area of 34000 hectares is situated between the eastern latitude of 48° 23̕ to 48° 40̕ and its northern longitude ranging from 33° 17̕ to 33° 60̕ at Lorestan province in the watershed of Dez dam. Minimum altitude of the region is 770 meters and its maximum reaches to 3012 meters. The method of plant collection in this region was classical method of regional floristic studies. Collected plants were recognized and determined as families, genera and species by using taxonomic method and required references. The plants of this region included 421 species which belonged to 241 genera and 56 families. The largest families respectively, were: Asteraceae (56 species), Fabaceae (39 species), Brassicaceae (34 species), Lamiaceae (29 species), Caryophylaceae (24 species), Poaceae (23 species), Lilaceae (22 species), Ranunculuaceae (20 species), Apiaceae (19 species), Boraginaceae (17 species) and Rosaceae (15 species). The analyses of the geographical distribution of the plants wwas carried out according to Takhtajan and Zohary methods, showed that the Irano-Turanian elements, with 47% growth, were the dominant species of Noujian watershed and about 15% of these species were native of Iran. The species like Onosma Kotschyi, Cousinia Khorramabadensis, Echinops endotrichus, Morrina persica, Dionysia hausskenechtii and Bunium Lurestanicum exclusively grow in Zagros Mountains. Therophyts (36%) and geophytes (21%) were the dominant life-forms of Noujian watershed.

Keywords

• Irano
• Irano-Touranian
• Life-form
• Touranian
• Geographical distribution
• Noujian watershed
• life
• Form
• Floristic