Effect of Milk thistle plant, Vitis vinifera extract on immune system of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) challenge by diazinon

The pollutants due to effect on the immune system of fish increase fish sensitivity to pathogens. Diazinon is one of the most used organophosphates pesticide in many agricultural areas. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diazinon on the immune system of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and application of Milk thistle plant, Vitis vinifera extract to reduce the adverse effects of this pesticide on its immune system. The reduction in the level of plasma peroxides, IgM, total complement and lysozyme were observed in fish exposed to diazinon showing its effect on the fish's immune system. No significant difference between control group and fish fed by Milk thistle plant extract and exposed to diazinon can reflect protective impact of Milk thistle plant extract on the immune system of rainbow trout by eliminating the free radicals and boosting the immune system

New records of five Staurothele species (Verrucariacaea, Ascomycota) from Iran

This study aimed to the taxonomic investigation of the genus Staurothele (Ascomycota, Verrucariaceae) in northeast Iran. Lichen samples were collected from the Khorasan Razavi province and their morphological, anatomical, and ecological features were studied. Five species (Staurothele lecideoides, Staurothele frustulenta, Staurothele drummondii, Staurothele rufa, and Staurothele polygonia) were documented for the first time from Iran

A floristic study in Chal-e Kabod mountain of Alashtar, Lurestan province

The current investigation concerns the flora of a Chal-e Kabod mountain, 20 km north of Alashtar, Lurestan province. A total of 178 plant species belonging to 40 families and 134 genera were identified during 2015. The largest families in terms of species richness, were Asteraceae (20 species), Lamiaceae (17 species), Apiaceae, Brassicaceae and Poaceae (each with 14 species), respectively. Hemicryptophytes (51.7%), geophytes (18.5%) and therophytes (15.7%) constitute the dominant life forms of the study area. From a chorological point of view, Irano-Turanian elements were dominant chorotypes (81.5%) and the other species were belonged to two, three or more phytogeographical regions. The area comprises 29 Iranian endemic species which according to IUCN conservation categories were classified as vulnerable (VU) and lower risk (LR) in Iranian red data list. Among the plants collected from the area, 99 species (55.6%) in the zone of 2300-2700 m and 79 species (44.4%) in the zone of 2700-3100 m had the most appearances

The study of plant associations in salt marshes of the Mouteh Refuge, Delijan

Mouteh Refuge covers an area of 200000 hectars located in the northwest of Meymeh and southwest of Delijan. In this study, the vegetation of salt marshes in Mouteh Refuge was studied, using the Braun-Blanquet method. Phytosociological data were analysed by analyse factorielle des correspondances (AFC) and classification ascendant hierarchique (CAH) methods, using the Anaphyto software. In general, 17 plant associations were determined in the area. Some of physical and chemical soil features of plant associationâs habitats were measured. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the soil data. The results showed that the plant associationâs distribution was mainly related to EC, Na, Ca, Mg, Cl, SO4, HCO3- and to the texture of soil

Vegetation analysis based on plant associations and soil properties in natural forests

In natural ecosystems, site classification can be used as a model to determine the quality of forest ecosystems based on ecological factors. Therefore, vegetation analysis based on plant communities and soil properties was performed in Kheyroudkenar forest – Nowshahr. Based on Braun - Blanquet method and using ANAPHYTO software vegetation data were analyesed, and associations recognized. Morevere, ecological groups and differential species were determined based on phytosociological data using TWINSPAN. Afterwards, depending on one sample selected in each landform class, the area with differential species were recognized for soil study. Results showed thattwo communities constitute the major part of the study area, Rusco-Fagetum and Carpineto–Fagetum. Soil variables that played the most important role for expantion of Rusco-Fagetum associaton were depth, silt, P and pH, while in Carpineto–Fagetum important were clay, sand, Sp, N and C

Introduction of the flora, life form and chorology of the Parrotia persica C.A. Mey. Habitats (case study: Izdeh-e Noor area)

The lowland Caspian habitats are remnant (relict) patches of deciduous Euro-Siberian forests distributed in the Iranian three Northern provinces. Izdeh-e Noor plain forest with 3123 hectors is one of the great patches. In spite of a few studies, broad knowledge upon the flora and biodiversity of these areas does not exist. A total of 157 species belonging to 137 genera and 67 plant families were collected from the Parrotia persica habitats in the plain forest. The largest families in terms of species richness, were Poaceae (17 spp.), Rosaceae (13 spp.), Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae (each with 6 spp.), respectively. The genera with the largest number of species were Carex (4 spp.) and Rubus, Viola (each with 3 spp.), respectively. In the assessment of life form spectrum, the dominant life forms were geophytes (36.9%), followed by the phanerophytes (24.2%), hemicryptophytes (21.7%) and therophytes (17.2%). The flora was mostly composed of Euro-Siberian elements with 45 taxa (28.7%), followed by pluriregional elements with 32 taxa (20.4%), Euro-Siberian/Irano-Turanian/Mediterranean elements with 31 taxa (19.7%) and Euro-Siberian/Irano-Turanian elements with 27 taxa (17.2%). Among taxa collected from this area, 51 taxa (32.5%) in forest habitats, 54 taxa (34.4%) in margin and gap of forest and 52 taxa (33.1%) are present in both habitats

Evaluation of morphological changes of Crataegus meyeri Pojark in relation to some climatic parameters in Iran

The genus Crataegus L. has a wide distribution in Iran. Induviduals of Crataegus meyeri Pojark. show morphological variations in different regions. In this research, the effects of climatic variations on morphological traits of C. meyeri were studied. Seventy five specimens collected from nine provinces of Iran were measured in two sets of quantitative and qualitative traits. Statistical analysis of climatic data and morphological traits showed that wind and temperature were the most effective factors affecting the variety of morphological traits including leaf blade of short shoot and flowering shoot, indumentum of fruit surface and fruit shape. Relative humidity has also been correlated with the shape of the fruit base. Quantitative traits of leaf blade of short shoots and flowering shoots showed the highest correlation and leaf blade of elongate shoots with the least statistical correlation with climatic data

Evaluation of statistical fidelity indices in determination diagnostic species in Hyrcanin Box tree (Buxus hyrcana Pojark.) communities

There are several available indices to assess the group associations between species and sites in order to identify diagnostic species. In this study, we introduced 11 indices of species-site groups and evaluated their quality by means of a TFVI model and four numerical criteria, including average positive fidelity, sharpness, uniqueness and crispness based on of 168 releve of Buxus hyrcana habitats. We used a modified TWINSPAN classification of 168 releve (Nine vegetation community/site groups) to determine the species fidelity value. The results showed that new classification obtained from assigning releve using TFVI model based on IndVal, UbinB and Ochiai indices returned the highest values of the fourfold criteria in evaluating classification quality. Moreover, they achieved higher qualities compared to other indices. Also results of cluster analysis and PCA diagram showed that 11 species-site groups’ association indices can be divided into four groups. The scatter plot of association indices along two first axes in PCA (eigenvalues 0.556 and 0.365, respectively) explained 92% of total variation, and species fidelity values based on IndVal and Ochiai indices were similar and noticeably different with other indices. Finally, the results of this study revealed that IndVal and Ochiai indices have the most priority in determining diagnostic species of vegetation communities compared to the other examined association indices

A Preliminary Survey of Flora, Life form and Chorotype of Plants of the Booz Daghi Region in North Khorassan Province

The Booz Daghi region with an area of 62,000 hectares is located 47 kilometers from Maneh and Semelghan city. The floristic composition, biological, and chorological spectra of this area were investigated through several random collections in different habitats and vegetation types, as well as from 220 plots established in selected plant communities during the growing season of 2021. In this regard, 252 vascular plant species belonging to 173 genera and 53 families were recorded as native plants in the Booz Daghi region. The richest families were Asteraceae (31), Poaceae (25), Lamiaceae (22), and Fabaceae (21). The genera Astragalus L. (10), Allium L., Convolvulus L., and Stachys L. (each with 5 species) were the richest ones. Hemicryptophytes (31.3%) and therophytes (29.8%) were the dominant life forms of the region. A considerable number of species (63.5%) belonged to the Irano-Turanian region. The results of this study showed that the Booz Daghi region had a relatively rich flora that requires special attention and proper planning to protect its biodiversity.Key words: Biodiversity, Endemic Species, the Irano-Turanian Region, Vegetation. IntroductionBecause of the accelerated process of destruction in different ecosystems and its negative effects on reducing biodiversity in recent decades, researchers are more interested in conservation issues. Considering that the first step in the effective and efficient protection of any resource is to have correct and comprehensive information about it, floristic studies provide valuable information about the types of plants and their general biological and vegetative characteristics in different regions.The climatic and environmental diversity of Iran created a rich flora and variety of vegetation in its different regions. The Booz Daghi region in North Khorassan province is one of the regions that has not been studied in terms of floristic aspects. The current research was conducted to investigate the flora and geographical distribution of plants in this region. The findings of this research can provide valuable information for managers and decision-makers in the field of existing plant reserves and planning for the protection of these resources. Materials and MethodsAbout 500 plant samples were collected from different habitats and vegetation types randomly. Some of them were collected from 220 plots of 100 m2 located in selected plant communities during the growing season of 2021. Plant samples were identified by using Flora of Iran, Flora Iranica, and a number of revision papers. Nomenclature conforms to Flora Iranica and is updated according to databases such as IPNI and POWO. The life form of plants was determined based on the Raunkiaer's classification system, distribution areas of plant species by suitable flora, and the chorotype of the species with their distribution areas in Iran and other countries. Findings (Results)In the preliminary survey of the Booz Daghi region, 252 plant species belonging to 173 genera and 53 families were found. In terms of the number of species, Asteraceae with 22 genera and 31 species, Poaceae with 19 genera and 25 species, Lamiaceae with 10 genera and 22 species, and Fabaceae with 10 genera and 21 species had the largest contribution among the identified families. Astragalus with 10 species, Allium, Convolvulus, and Stachys (with 5 species), Centaurea, Cousinia and Ziziphora (with 4 species) and Acanthophyllum, Salvia and Tulipa (with 3 species) had the maximum number of species among the plant genera of the region.The investigation of the biological spectrum of the region showed that hemicryptophytes, therophytes, geophytes, chamaephytes, and phanerophytes had 31.3, 29.8, 14.7, 12.7 and 11.5% of life forms, respectively. The results of plants’ geographical distribution studies showed that Irano-Turanian elements formed 63.5% of the species. After that, there were Irano-Turanian/Mediterranean elements with 13.9% and Euro-Siberian/Mediterranean/Irano-Turanian elements with 11.9%. The other species found in the Irano-Turanian region were in other floristic regions. ConclusionIn the present research, the flora of the Booz Daghi region was investigated. The results of the research showed that there were 252 plant species from 173 genera and 53 families in this area. More than 63.5% of them belonged to the Irano-Turanian region. The Booz Daghi region belonged to this floristic region. Due to the hard environmental conditions, the Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae and Fabaceae families, and among the life forms, hemicryptophytes and therophytes were the most abundant. Based on the results, the Booz Daghi region had relatively good species richness. For this reason, it can be considered an important region in studies. Comprehensive planning and supplementary studies for biodiversity protection should be conducted in this region

The effect of environmental factors on growth characteristics, seed germination and essential oils of Ziziphora clinopodioides

In this study, the relationship between altitude, climate and soil characteristics as important and effective factors on the growth characteristics, seed germination and essential oils of Ziziphora clinopodioides were examined. Three habitats of this species with different altitudes were selected in Alborz and Mazandaran provinces. Growth characteristics of Z. clinopodioides bushes in 45 plots located at the three habitats were recorded. Seed of this species collected from three habitats and their viability was determined. Three soil samples were taken from each habitat and some physical and chemical characteristics were measured. Analysis variance results of data showed that there is a significant difference among the three habitats from the viewpoint of growth characteristics, soil features and common combinations of essential oils. The highest seed viability was obtained for Rineh habitat with chilling and scratching seed coat. The most important environmental factors affecting the vegetative characteristics and essential combinations was determined using principal component analysis. The results showed that annual temperature, absolute minimum temperature, maximum temperature of the warmest month, number of frost days, altitude, electrical conductivity, moisture saturation, organic matter and soil texture had the greatest impact on these properties