Introduction of the Plant Ecology and Phytosociology group:
Plant ecology and phytosociology focus on understanding the structure, function, and relationships between plant species in a plant association or associations. These studies also consider environmental factors affecting their establishment. From a practical standpoint, research on plant associations (and related animal communities) is directly related to issues like land use, biodiversity conservation, and managing renewable natural resources due to population growth. Unfortunately, from centuries ago until now, exploitation of lands without foresight has led to soil erosion, desertification, and the spread of pathogenic agents and disturbed the ecological balance of plant associations. In summary, plant ecology and phytosociology explore the intricate connections between plants, their environment, and human impact.
The importance of promptly detecting changes in stressed plant associations before they escalate into catastrophic events necessitates efficient monitoring. Assessing species diversity and related components, such as species composition, dominance, uniformity, and species richness, plays a crucial role in evaluating the status of ecological systems. Species diversity, which encompasses species richness (the number of different species) and species evenness (the relative abundance of each species), is widely used for environmental management and assessment. Higher species diversity contributes to more resilient ecosystems, enhancing their overall functioning and quality.
Phytosociology, also known as plant sociology, focuses on studying groups of plant species that are typically found together. It aims to describe the vegetative environment within a specific area empirically. Phytosociological studies provide valuable insights into plant associations, species composition, and ecological relationships, and they are closely related to biodiversity studies.
The plant ecology and phytosociology group, active since 1990 in the Botanical research department, pursues these goals.
1- Floristic studies in protected and untouched areas of Iran
2- Identification of plant associations in different regions of Iran and their classification
3- Preparing a map of plant associations and vegetation
4- Determining the relationship between ecological factors and plant associations
5- Biodiversity study in the protected and untouched areas of Iran
6- The study of intraspecies and interspecies diversity in different regions of Iran
7- Studying particular ecosystems, including wetlands, salt marshes, deserts, and mountains
Group members
Younes Asri (head of the group)
Adel Jalili
Rohangiz Abbas-Azimi
