An introduction to flora, life form, and distribution of plants in two protected lowland forests, Semeskandeh and Dasht-e Naz, Mazandaran N. Iran

Semeskandeh and Dasht-e Naz are protected as wildlife refuges with the aim of conservation and revival of the remaining plant and animal populations of the Caspian lowland forests in Mazandaran (Sari). Based on a floristic study, 223 plant species from 175 genera belonging to 69 families were identified. The richest families were Poaceae with 36 species (16%), Asteraceae with 23 species (10.3%), Lamiaceae with 14 species (6.3%) and Rosaceae with 13 species (5.8%), respectively. Carex with 7 species, Euphorbia with 6 species and Geranium with 5 species constituted the largest genera. Considering life form spectrum, the highest proportion of life forms belonged to therophytes (34%), hemicryptophytes (24%), geophytes (22%) and phanerophytes (15%), respectively. Likewise, the highest proportion of chorotypes belonged to pluriregional elements (32%), followed by Euro-Siberian elements (19%), Euro-Siberian, Irano-Turanian, Mediterranean elements (13%). Moreover, four percent of these plants were endemic of Iran. Since the studied forests in the current investigation are considered as remnants of lowland Caspian forests which had been dominated by Quercus castaneifolia and Buxus hyrcana, conservation policies are quite necessary to protect these very important vulnerable and sensitive ecosystems and to eliminate all dangers and pollutions threatening them.