Plant Species of Ponds and Springheads in Lorestan (Iran)

Vegetation around springs and ponds causes water to re-infiltrate into the ground and recharge underground reservoirs. In the study of ponds and springs in Lorestan province, 108 species were identified which belong to 35 families and 64 genera. Depending on the habitat and life form, these species constitute emergent 41%, marginal 31%, floating 23%, and submerged 5%. Nuphar lutea were present in the habitat of the springhead of Niloufar and Potamogeton alpinus in the Gahar Lake and the Amir spring. Both habitats have cold and clear water with no contaminants. Typha latifolia is mostly found in Pol-e-Dokhtar tropical wetlands. The genera Carex, Cyprus, Juncus, Phragmites, Mentha, and Veronica were present in almost all wetland habitats and springs. In the springhead of Niloufar, where the pollutants are spread, Sparganium erectum and Sorghum halepense are highly concentrated but Nuphar lutea is very scattered. In most Peatlands, in addition to the marginal species, there was a perennial wild species called Hordeum brevisubulatum, which usually has spreading rhizomes. They were found in saturated and muddy soils. More than 81% of wetland species are present in more than one chorotype. In mountain springs and spring wetlands, endemic species of Rorippa kurdica were present but limited, probably due to dispersal barriers or special habitat conditions. Failure to pay attention to wetlands as storage sponges and water infiltration will lead to species extinction and ecological damage.