نشریه تاکسونومی و بیوسیستماتیک
سال هفتم شماره 2 (پیاپی 23، تابستان 1394)

The Hypogastruridae family belonging to the class Collembola (Springtails) are among the most important and abundant soil arthropods. These animals play important roles in decomposition processes and nutrient cycling. However, their fauna have remained too much unknown in Iran. In order to study of Collembola fauna in the Mazandaran province, some sampling from soil, leaf litters and mosses were made from different regions of the province during 2012-2013 years. Then, the springtails of samples were separated using Berlese funnel and preserved in 75-85 % ethyl alcohol. During the investigation, some samples belonging to Hypogastruridae were collected and identified. The genus Schoettella and the three species S. unungiuculata, Hypogastrura purpurescens and Ceratophysella engadinensis are new records for fauna of Iran and the two species Xenylla maritima and C. stercoraria are recorded for the first time from Mazandaran province. In addition, an identification key for local genera and species of the family Hypogastruridae in Mazandaran is presented here.

We applied geometric morphometric techniques to explore the morphological variation of forewings between 10 Asian Calopteryx splendens populations including Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan countries. We focused on the study of the phenetic relationships among the populations in central Asia. The results showed that the northern and western populations of Iran had the largest and smallest centroid size of the wings, respectively. In addition, differences among wing shape of the 10 studied populations of C. splendens were significant. Our results indicated that Tajikistan population has quite distinct divergence and also Turkmenistan and northern part of Iran populations both were very close each other and located in a separate clade. The Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, west Iran, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan populations were revealed to be more interrelated to each other, although Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan populations seems to be more closer than the other.

Comparative morphological study carried out for four shad species of the genus Alosa including A. braschnikowi, A. caspia, A. kessleri and A. saposchnikowii in the southern coast of Caspian Sea. Totally 239 specimens were collected from autumn 2013 to spring 2014 in three beaches in fisheries stations (Anzali Port, Noor-Mahmoudabad, Gorgan Bay) along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Nine meristic and twenty five morphometric characteristics were used for morphological comparison. The Results of One-Way ANOVA, Principle component Analaysis (PCA) and Descriminant Function Analysis implies efficeny of selected morphological characteristics for the separation of these species. Although no diagnostic characteristics were identified but morphometric characters showed higher variation within four species. In addition to previous known key characters which were associated with the size and number of gill rackers and filaments on first branchial arc, here some other key characteristics incuding Dorsal and Anal fin’s hight, Head’s height, width and length, Snout’s length, Caudal peduncle’s height, Post Orbital’s lenght, Ventral and Pectoral fin’s length in morphometrics and Number of Caudal fin rays, Number of hard and soft dorsal fin rays in meristics were significantly different (p<0.05) in comaprison within four shad species. Although overlaps were appeared in comparison of all measured morphometrics and counted meristic chatracteristics range but mentioned characteristics could be useful in better and more accurate identification of these four Alosa shad species along the southern coast of Caspian Sea.

This study intends to present floristic-physiognomic investigation of Box trees (Buxus hyrcana) of the Farim area of Sari. All of species in the area were recorded by two methods field-walk and 60 releves with an area of 400 m2 in a systematic-selective design in two elevation classes, more and less than 1200 m above sea level implemented. Our results showed that the flora of this region includes 47 families, 67 genera, and 77 species. Phanerophytes (37.7%), Cryptophytes (32.5%) and Hemicryptophytes (24.7%) were the most important structure groups of the local biological spectrum according to Raunkiaer method, and also with increasing elevation, portions of Hemicryptophytes and Cryptophytes increased and decreased, respectively. Chorological studies showed that chorotype form Euro-Sibria was the most important phytochorion in two habitats. The correlation of environment variables with two first axes of DCA showed that elevation of sea level and dominance average (canopy percentage) of Box trees had decisive role on the vegetation composition and mean richness of species (Hill N0 index). Also, Jackknife estimation results confirmed that species richness in habitats with elevation more than 1200 m (75.8 species) had a higher level compared to habitats with elevation less than 1200 m (58.6 species) because of decreasing box trees dominance. Totally, the results of the present study not only confirmed the ecological capacity of Box trees in developing up to 1700 m in mountain forests of north Iran, but also the association of box trees with some plants of high regions with steep slope of north Hyrcanian forests such as: Acer mazandaranicum, Carpinus schuschaensis and Taxus baccata, can be introduced as two new syntaxa including Taxus baccata- Buxus hyrcana and Carpinus schuschaensis- Buxus hyrcana in Hyrcanian forests.

The Festuca-Lolium complex refers to a group of closely relatad taxa within festucoids clade, including outbreeding species of the genus Lolium and the species of the genus Festuca subgenus Schedonorus. In this study, relationships among 6 species of Festuca-Lolium complex were assessed using trnH-psbA sequences. Based on the results of this study Lolium is monophyletic. Also, a cluster including Lolium and Festuca subgen. Schedonorus and F. gigantea can be monophyletic. The results support transferring Festuca subgen. Schedonorus into the genus Lolium as a new combination that was proposed by Darbyshire. The trnH-psbA sequences support transfering Festuca gigantea from Festuca subgen. Drymenthele into Festuca subgen. Schedonorus sect. Plantynia.

This research with the aim of study the species composition, characteristics and diversity under the effect of different grazing intensity with distance from three villages of Alvares, Lateran and Vargesaran was conducted. Plant speciments were collected, and then species identified based on the checklists and literature of Sabalan. Overall, 78 identified plant species were belonging to 22 families and 62 genera. The Asteraceae family with 13 genus and 16 species, the Poaceae family with 7 genus and 11 species and the Fabaceae family with 5 genus and 10 species have the most plant species. Moreover, according to the Rankaier's system the identified species, which are grown in the study area, are belong, 69% hemicryptophytes, 18% therophytes, 12% chamaephytes and 1% geophytes, respectively. In point of view of geographic distribution, 54% belong to Iran-Toranian, 19% are belonging to Iran-Toranian and Euro-Siberian, 3% belong to Euro-Siberian, and 24% are belonging to the other regions. Results of the numerical diversity (Simpson and Shannon-Wiener) and evenness (Camargo and Smith-Wilson) indices in each crisis center according to the increase of distance showed that in each sites (9 transects) with the increase of distance from crisis center, there is no significant relationships in species diversity and evenness. Thus, these indices are not suitable for the study of grazing intensity on vegetation in the base of village crisis center on the Sabalan rangelands.

This research is based on the floristic study of Raskuh area of Baft Township in Kerman province that the wild vascular plants were collected and identified. This area with about 5500 hectares is located in 20 km of northeast of Baft town and 170 km southwest of the center of the Kerman province. Its minimum altitude is 2400 m and maximum 2700 m above the sea level. The annual average rainfall is 280 mm and the vacillation average of temperature is between -5 and 38 oC. This area is mountainous and a part of the Irano-Turanian region. The physiognomy of vegetation is chiefly as steppe (Astragalus spp. and Artemisia sieberi) but some parts are scrublands or woodlands (Acer monspessulanum, Amygdalus spp., Pistacia atlantica, …). Based on our study, 247 plant species of 51 families and 176 genera were identified which of them one family of Gymnospermes with one species, 43 families with 147 genera and 211 species of dicots Angiospermes, 7 families with 28 genera and 35 species of monocots Angiospermes were recognized. The family Asteraceae with 36 species and the genus Astragalus with 16 species as largest family and genus were identified in the region. Most of the species had Irano-Turanian nature from viewpoint of the phytogeographical aspects. Life forms were including 38.9% therophytes, 26.3% hemicryptophytes, 16.6% Chamaephytes, 9.7% geophytes, 7.3% phanerophytes and 1.2% hydrophytes.