Effects of altitude and some soil properties on distribution of Artemisia fragrans (Case study: Halichal, Amol)

The distribution of Artemisia fragrans was studied in 10000 ha of Halichal Amol rangelands. Six key areas within three different altitudes (534-1240, 1240-2160, 2160<) were selected. In each selected area, three transects were established and canopy cover of all species were estimated in 180 plots along the transects. Soil was also sampled in the cores adjacent to the roots of species in two different depths: 0-10 and 10-30 cm. Soil texture, pH, EC, Ca, K and C/N of all soil samples were measured in the laboratory. TWINSPAN was used to separate the ecological groups, then, CANOCO and PC-ORD programs were used to perform Canonical Correspondence Analysis and Detrended Correspondence Analysis. Finally, ANOVA and post-hoc tests were used to compare A. fragrans cover and edaphic factors in the studied sites. The results showed that the most important factors affecting pattern and distribution of plant communities were altitude, pH and K in upper layer of soil. The cover percentage of A. fragrans was variable along the altitudinal gradient and its variability was related to EC and pH of upper soil layer.