Ecological study of Artemisia aucheri communities in three rangelands of Isfahan province

The purpose of this study is not only to classify ecological groups of Artemisia aucheri Boiss. habitats in three rangelands in Isfahan province but also to study their properties and compare these habitats. For this purpose, three habitats of Artemisia aucheri in Yahya Abad (Natanz), Khorus Galu Ghat (Semirom) and Ashan (Najaf Abad) were selected, and sampling carried out in a random-systematic method. The sampling quadrates size was 16 m2 (determined by the minimum area method) and the number of quadrates in each habitat was 21 (determined by statistical methods). Vegetation classification carried out by TWINSPAN and CCA Analysis. Three main groups in each region were determined, and the relationship between environmental factors and quadrates were investigated. Results showed that 36 species were common and Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae families were the largest families in terms of number of species. Artemisia aucheri- Astragalus verus group was common in three regions. Among studied environmental factors such as height, amount of pebble, pH, electrical conductivity, salinity and percentage of moisture content, height was the most effective factor in the distribution of vegetation. Association among Artemisia aucheri species and two species of Bromus were determined. The study of the soils of rangelands showed that the pH in three regions was more than 8, and soil electrical conductivity was measured between 70 to 100 µS. So, identifying plant communities and environmental factors on these rangelands is essential for proper management.