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

Saqalaksar forest is a relict of Caspian plain forests with an area of ۲۰۰ ha in northern Iran and an altitude of ۶۰ to ۱۵۰ 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, ۹۴ vascular plant species belonging to ۸۰ genera and ۴۶ families were identified in the study area. The most numerous families were Rosaceae (۱۰ species), Fabaceae (۸ species), Poaceae (۷ species) as well as Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (۶ species each). The classification according to the life spectrum showed that geophytes with ۲۸ species (۲۹.۷۹ %) and therophytes with ۲۵ species (۲۶.۶۰ %) 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 (۳۴ species, ۳۶.۱۷ %). 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.

کلیدواژه ها:

plant ، Flora ، Guilan Province ، Lowland forest ، Chorological studies