نشریه تاکسونومی و بیوسیستماتیک
سال سیزدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 46، بهار 1400)

The genealogy of songbirds has long been considered. In the present study, the cytb mitochondrial marker was used in one of the southernmost regions of its distribution in Iran to identify the lesser whitethroat subspecies (Sylvia curruca). Comparing the sequences obtained from the Qeshm Island specimens with the Gene Bank, it was found that this array in southern Iran is considered as halimodendri, which ultimately reflects the cladistic status of the lesser whitethroats of Qeshm Island in southern Hormozgan as a study area not established in Iran. Also, with a systematic molecular approach and using genealogical analysis, it was found that this subspecies had two distinct groups and haplotypes with the highest value relative to the index taxa of this species (i.e. curruca). The Qeshm Island specimens were divided into two clades due to genetic distance and phylogenic trees. The results of the study also indicated that these two clades formed in Qeshm Island had major differences, which could be linked to the separation of migration routes and breeding areas in the northern habitats.

The fig fruit (Ficus carica L.), as an important agricultural product, is consumed fresh or dried worldwide. Fars and the Estahban county, with more than 95% of fig orchards, are the most important edible fig-producing areas in Iran. The interaction between figs and their mutualisms especially wasps is affected by ants. Considering the rich fauna of ants in Estahban fig orchards, as well as some reports indicating the direct and indirect damages by ants, the fauna of ants in fig gardens in the Estahban area was studied during 2018-2019. Eleven species in 8 genera and 3 subfamilies were recognised. Among the collected species, Cataglyphis livida, C. livida, Lepisiota dolabellae, M. caducus, M. ebeninus, P. koshewnikovi, Tapinoma karavaievi, and T. destructor have been reported for the first time from Fars province. Furthermore, this study revealed that Tapinoma karavaievi acts as a predator of the fig wasp causing possible damages to fig orchards. This is the first record of possible damage of this species to the fig in the world.

The study of flora characteristics and their relationship with ecological factors in habitats has a particular importance, especially in protected areas. This study aims to analyze chorological and endemism of the Central Alborz protected area flora. The study area is the slopes of Welwesht, Dahla, and Azadkouh heights in the protected area of Central Alborz, Mazandaran province. The total number of collected and identified taxa is 331, which belong to 197 genera and 46 families. During the floristic studies of the region, Nepeta azadkouhensis Saberamoli from Lamiaceae family was identified and introduced as a new species. About 49.25% of taxa are hemicryptophytes, 57.40% of all species belong to Irano-Turanian chorotype. Forty-six taxa, equal to 13.9% of all taxa, are endemic to Iran. Of these, 37 species, equal to 82.22% of endemic species, belong to the vegetation zone of Irano-Turanian. The habitat of mountain steppes, mainly with grasses and cushion-shaped plants with 24.47% of the total taxa, has the highest species richness. The results of the species richness study in the altitude classes of the endemic taxa showed that, in total, more than 70% of the taxa are located in medium to semi-high habitats. The study of the presence of endemic species in vegetation elements confirms the dominance of the Irano-Turanian vegetation zone in the region, with the significant presence and influence of European-Siberian elements.

Although Hyrcanian forests have a predominant vegetation pattern, due to habitat fragmentation, floristic changes are clearly observed. Therefore, it is necessary to study all parts of this genetic reserve and provide complete information on optimal forest management. Tuli-Nesa sub-mountain forest, which has been selected as the re-introduction and protection area of Maral is located in the Talesh Mountain highlands. In this floristic study, 151 species of vascular plants belonging to 120 genera and 54 families were identified, of which 15 species were regarded as rare and endemic. The largest families were Rosaceae and Poaceae and the most diverse genera were included Trifolium and Carex. The chorological analysis showed that the most extended chorotype with 33% was related to the Euro-Siberian elements. In assessing the life form spectrum, the dominant life forms were Hemicryptophytes (48%). In this study, vegetation types were determined by physiognomic-ecological and floristic methods. In this forest form, two types of tree layers and four types of herb layers were identified. Dominant species with the associate species were provided, and the plant types were represented in the distribution map.

In the present study, the morphological variations of 162 specimens of Chondrostoma regium (Heckel, 1843) collected from the Beheshtabad, Shalmzar, Karoun, Gandman, Sheikh Ali Khan (Chaharmahal-e Bakhtiari Province), Tof Sefid and Seimareh (Isfahan Province), Khersan, Beshar (Kohgoluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province), Dinevarab, Alvand (Kermanshah Province), Homeil (Ilam Province), Doab, Kafraj (Lorestan Province) and Zab (Kurdistan Province) were analyzed. A total of 27 morphometric and 11 meristic characteristics were assessed. To investigate the morphological variations between the studied populations, morphometric and meristic characteristics were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), and Canonical Variates Analysis (CVA). The results of the study showed that 20 morphometric and 10 meristic characteristics had significant differences (p < 0.05). Among the morphometric characteristics, the first two components showed 55.2% of the variation between the individuals. CVA analysis of morphometric characteristics showed that the populations had a great overlap and only the Zab population was separated from the others, whereas in the meristic characteristics, most of the populations were separated from each other. Based on the results, the studied populations of Brond-snout fish showed significant morphological differences and in this species. Meristic characteristics had a higher discriminability than morphometric characteristics.

Evaluating the role of climate changes on species distributions has attracted considerable research interest. The Kurdistan newt (Neurergus derjugini) is one of the critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List, which is distributed in the Avroman Mountains in Iran, on the Iraqi-Turkish border. Nowadays, the population of this species is declining and under serious threat due to several factors, including climate change. In the present study, by using the maximum entropy approach (MaxEnt), based on bioclimatic (precipitation and temperature) and topographical (altitude and slope) variables, the suitable habitats and the potential distribution areas in the contemporary and the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6 scenario and RCP 8.5 scenarios of the future (2030) distribution were modeled for the Kurdistan newt, N. derjugini. Precipitation of the coldest quarter (38.8%), slope (26.8%) and temperature annual range of the year 13.6%) were the most important factors shaping the distribution of N. derjugini in the contemporary period. For the future, in RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5, respectively, scenarios precipitation of the coldest quarter (43.8% and 42.7%), precipitation seasonality (28% and 30.6%) and temperature seasonality (20.08% and 24.2%) were the most important factors forming the distribution species. As it seems, climatic change has been responsible for fragmentation and destruction of habitats N. derjugini in the present and the future, although human activity in the destruction and change of habitats cannot be ignored.