Floristic composition and plant communities along an altitude gradient in Quercus brantii forests

This study aims to determine the floristic composition and investigate the distribution of communities along an altitude gradient in oak forests of Taf in Khoramabad. The study area was classified into 100m elevation classes, and in each class two 500m2 plots were chosen randomly for measuring trees and shrubs layer. Also in each 500 m2 plot three 4m2 plots were distributed for measuring herbaceous layer composition. Changes in vegetation along an altitudinal gradient were studied using slope, altitude and some edaphic data by CCA, DCA and TWINSPAN ordination and classification methods. Based on the results, 116 species from 35 genera were observed along the altitude gradient. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae families had the most species respectively. Therophytes, Hemicryptophytes and Cryptophytes were the most dominant life forms and Iran-Toranian and Iran-Torani-Mediterranean were the most chorotypes in this area.