The Role of Plant Diversity in Sustainable Exploitation in Highland Rangelands (Alborz Mountain - Iran)

摘要

The rangeland managers, by understanding the importance and role of diversity in sustainable exploitation of rangelands, paid much attention to evaluation of plant relative frequency. This has been worked out in this research. As there is the probability that social and economic factors dominate the ecologic importance of this procedure (biodiversity conservation) and plant diversity is endangered by the kind of use, which in this research, was carried out in part of Alborz rangelands of Iran, the plants of the region were investigated as follows based on regional conditions: Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Low Risk (LR), (IUCN: International Union Conservation of Nature, classification system was used). In this research the following botanical structure of 375 plant species were recognized: Poaceae: 12%, Papilionaceae: 26%, Rosaceae: 12%, Lamiaceae: 24%, Asteraceae: 17% and other species: 9%. Based on comparison of Critical areas with Reference areas, the highest plant species decrease, in the first place is from family Poaceae for excessive animal grazing and then from Papilionaceae as forage and industrial plants and Finally from Lamiaceae as medicinal, industrial and fragrant plants. It seems that endangered condition and change in plant structure can be controlled by rangeland management, but change in rangeland use for development along with ecosystem degradation are the main threat and danger for plant diversity destruction in the region.