University of Isfahan Taxonomy and Biosystematics 3115-9001 15 54 2023 05 22 A Floristic Study of the Almabolaq Asadabad Protected Area in Hamadan Province بررسی فلوریستیک منطقۀ حفاظت‌‌شدۀ آلمابلاغ اسدآباد در استان همدان، ایران 41 82 27606 10.22108/tbj.2023.137553.1231 EN Keivan SafiKhani Assistant professor, Department of Forests and Rangelands Research, Hamedan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Hamedan, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 03 This survey studies the flora of the Almabolaq protected region, located west of Hamadan and north of Asadabad. The method for plant collection in this region followed the classical approach of plant taxonomic studies. Collected plants were identified, and their families, genera, and species were determined using essential references. An alphabetical list of taxa in this region was provided, based on families and scientific names. The collected plants were deposited in the Herbarium of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center of Hamadan province. The biological spectrum of the region's plants was established by determining the percentage of species belonging to each biological form. Based on the data obtained from the geographical distribution of identified species and available references, the percentage of regional vegetative elements was determined. Using various sources, the endemic plants of Iran in the region and their conservation status were identified. The study found 50 families, 175 genera, and 275 species of plants in the Almabolaq region. The largest families are Lamiaceae (36 species), Fabaceae (28 species), Asteraceae (28 species), Brassicaceae (17 species), Caryophyllaceae (14 species), Poaceae (17 species), and Apiaceae (13 species). The life forms of plants include 49.09% Hemicryptophytes, 21.45% Therophytes, 15.27% Cryptophytes, 11.63% Chamaephytes, and 2.54% Phanerophytes. The Irano-Turanian element, comprising 58.9% of the flora, dominates the chorology of the region's plants. Thirty-one plant species are endemic to Iran. Introduction The presence of parts of the central Zagros in Hamadan province has contributed to the floristic and vegetation diversity of this province. Considering that determining the floristic list, biological spectrum, and chorology of plant species in each region is a preliminary study for further research, the purpose of this study is to provide basic floristic information for identifying plant species in the Almabolaq protected area and to ascertain its potential. As a result, it becomes possible to devise appropriate management plans for conserving this habitat. Without information about the vegetation, floristic studies, and the habitat resources of this area, it is impossible to offer fundamental solutions for protecting plant genetic reserves or to develop detailed and informed plans for its preservation, restoration, and expansion. The outcomes of this research will assist in accurately determining species diversity in Hamadan province and ultimately in the country. Furthermore, these studies enable comparison of species diversity across different regions. On the other hand, this research can aid in identifying the valuable plant species of the province, including rare and endangered species, and provide solutions for their protection. Materials and Methods The Almabolaq protected area, covering an area of 9696 hectares, is situated north of Asadabad city (35 km northwest of Hamadan city). The region's minimum altitude is 2200 meters above sea level, and the highest point is Almabolaq Peak, at an altitude of 2946 meters above sea level. According to the classification by the country's Meteorological Organization, the Almabolaq region falls into the cold and dry subgroup. The method used for collecting plants, preparing herbarium samples, and identifying plant samples in this research followed the conventional taxonomic study approach. The plant samples were identified using Flora Iranica (Rechinger, 1963-2015), Flora of Iran (Assadi et al., 1988–2021), Flora of Iraq (Townsend et al., 1966–1985), and Flora of Turkey (Davis, 1965–1985). All original specimens are deposited in the Herbarium of the Hamadan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. The classification of plants was presented based on The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV system (2016). The correct spelling of scientific names was verified by referring to the International Plant Names Index (https://www.ipni.org) and their synonymy using the websites (https://powo.science.kew.org) and (https://www.gbif.org). The biological types were determined using Raunkier's method (1934), and the chorology of species was based on Zohary (1973), Takhtajan (1986), and Leonard (1988). Based on available sources about the medicinal and practical plants of Hamadan province (Kalvandi et al., 2007), plants with medicinal or industrial value were identified in the list of plants of the studied region. Using the Red List of Iranian Plant Species (Jalili & Jamzad, 1999), the conservation classes of distributed endemic plants of Iran in the studied area were determined based on the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Research Findings In this study, a total of 275 taxa of vascular plants were identified in the Almabolaq region. These included 21 monocots, 153 dicots, and 1 pteridophyte, distributed across 50 families (comprising 7 monocots, 42 dicots, and 1 pteridophyte) and 175 genera (consisting of 17 monocots, 157 dicots, and 1 pteridophyte). The largest families were Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Apiaceae, Poaceae, and Polygonaceae. Equisetaceae was the only family of pteridophytes in this region. Additionally, 7 families including Amaranthaceae, Araceae, Colchicaceae, Cyperaceae, Iridaceae, Juncaceae, and Liliaceae formed the monocot families of the region. Thirty-one species (11.27%) of the plant species in the Almabolaq region were endemic to Iran. In terms of biological form, the plants in the region comprised 49.09% Hemicryptophytes, 21.45% Therophytes, 15.27% Cryptophytes, 11.63% Chamaephytes, and 2.54% Phanerophytes. Geographically, 58.9% of the plant species belonged to the Iranian-Turanian vegetation elements, 0.72% to European-Siberian, and 0.72% to Cosmopolitan. Other species belonged to two or more geographic areas. Discussion of Results and Conclusion Overall, the flora of the Almabolaq region is in a relatively favorable condition regarding species diversity. The largest plant families in the Almabolaq protected area were Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Apiaceae, Poaceae, and Caryophyllaceae, together comprising 163 species and 59.27% of the flora of the Almabolaq region. This study found that 19 plant families in the Almabolaq region are monotypic. Astragalus L., with 17 species, is the largest genus in the region. Salvia L., Silene L., Rumex L., and Nepeta L. rank higher in the number of species due to their adaptability and tolerance to different climatic and ecological conditions or due to the lack of grazing by livestock. Tree and shrub species (Phanerophytes) had a low density, accounting for only 2.54% of all species in the Almabolaq region. Approximately 36.40% of the plant species identified in the region had distributions in two or more regions, illustrating the impact of this region on the climate, weather currents, and flora of other vegetation areas. The largest share of geographical distribution belonged to the Irano-Turanian elements. A total of 111 plant species belonging to 81 genera and 35 families were identified as having medicinal or industrial value. To protect and support endangered species, it is recommended to first identify these species, investigate the factors of natural and unnatural destruction, and then, if possible, control these factors. Acknowledgment We express our gratitude to the officials of the Hamadan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, as well as to the colleagues from the Hamedan Center's Natural Resources Research Department, for their sincere assistance and cooperation in conducting this study.

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