Vegetation Survey of the Forest Floor in the Sarabtaveh Region of Boyer-Ahmad County (Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad, Iran)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Research Division of Forest, rangeland and watershed, Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Yasouj, I. R. Iran.

2 Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

10.48308/pae.2026.242839.1133

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Sarabtaveh forest stand in Boyer-Ahmad County, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. Within a selected one-hectare stand, vegetation was sampled using a nested design comprising four 100 m² macro-plots for general survey, with detailed cover assessment in twenty 1 m² micro-plots distributed within them. The density of species in the sample plots, as well as species frequency, were then determined and reported. In the next stage, biodiversity indices were calculated based on the density of plant species in the sample plots. The results show, the ground vegetation cover at the time of sampling in the Sarabtaveh site was 45.50%. In the region 24 plant species were identified. The Poaceae family with 7 species, and the Fabaceae and Ranunculaceae families, each with 2 species, were the largest plant families in the study area, respectively. More than half (54%) of the species in this habitat were annual plants (Therophytes), while 21% were Hemicryptophytes, 4.2% were Chamaephytes and Phanerophytes, 8.3% were Geophytes (Cryptophytes), and 12.5% were Phanerophytes. The total number of plants counted in the 20 micro-plots was approximately 1,864 individuals, with an average of about 93 plant individuals per square meter. The highest number of counted individuals belonged to the species Bromus tectorum (1,084 individuals), followed by the species Bromus sterilis (163 individuals). In other words, over 60% of the plant density in the studied sample plots was attributed to these two short-lived annual species. The abundance of plants from families such as Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Ranunculaceae in the region can be attributed to vegetation degradation caused by human activities and excessive livestock grazing, a pattern that has also been observed in other vegetation studies conducted in areas with intense human impact. This quantitative baseline is essential for evaluating the long-term effects of coppice management and grazing in the Zagros forests and can inform regional conservation strategies.

Keywords

References

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Plant, Algae, and Environment
Volume 10, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
DOi
March 2026
Pages 56-68

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