Study of Flora and Vegetation of International Gomishan Lagoon

Gomishan lagoon is one of the international wetlands which covers 17700 hectars with 1. 5 m in depth. It is located in north eastern of Bandar Turkaman in Golestan Province. It is limited to Atrak river in north، Gorgan river in south and separates from Caspian sea by chain of sandy hills in west. In this study، we had a plan to make flora list of Gomishan. The investigation showed there were 116 species. Halocnemum strobilaceum had grown in east and southeast but Calamogrostis pseudophragmites and Aster tripolium were observed in end of southeast of it. Plant colonies of two last species were proportionate reversely with depth of water. Halophytes plants such as Halocnemun strobilaceum، Salicornia europaea، Salsola rigida، Halostachys caspica، Tamarix ramosissimum and T. galica observed in east mostly. The most important halophytes species in east were Halocnemun strobilaceum، Salicornia herbacea Aquatic plants Potamogeton pectinatus، Zannichelia palusteris، Ruppia maritima، Ceratophylum demerosum were in north and northwest، they have grown in shallow deep or have brought near the edge of lagoon by water. Small populations of Phragmites australis، Juncus spp. have been seen in northwest. These results showed that Gomishan lagoon is rich in vegetation and flora of aquatic plants but halophytes plants were remarkable in east and northeast because of salinity.