Recognition of some plant species in Dena Biosphere Reserve (Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Forests, rangelands and watershed Research Department, Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Yasouj, Iran

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

10.48308/pae.2026.241383.1122

Abstract

The Dena Biosphere Reserve is one of the most important protected mountain ecosystems in southwestern Iran. It includes protected areas, the Dena National Park, Eastern Dena, the Padna no-hunting areas in Isfahan Province, Khorram-Naz, and some open areas. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between environmental gradients and vegetation distribution patterns in the Dena Biosphere Reserve.  The combination of climatic, weather, and ecological factors has caused the interaction of parameters affecting plant growth and development, and has shown its effects in the formation of numerous formations, the presence and abundance of many species, and the high biodiversity and species richness. Significant altitudinal variations resulted in distinct vegetation zones, including the two high and low parts in populations of the same species. While the northern slopes lack forest cover, and in some places have completely scattered shrub cover. Towards the high altitudes, the final limit of forest growth, the heath formation, is established. Above the heath range, the formation of alpine vegetation begins. At the upper altitudes, especially on the peaks of the Dena, the vegetation is mainly annual and very small and thin. These vegetations grow as short herbaceous plants in the shelter of rocks and within the veins of rocks and dunes of the peaks, without being clearly visible or covering the appearance of these areas. The results highlight the critical role of altitudinal gradients in shaping vegetation patterns and biodiversity conservation within the Dena Biosphere Reserve.

Keywords

References

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Plant, Algae, and Environment
Volume 10, Issue 2
DOi
2026
Pages 18-27

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