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Distribution Patterns, Diversity Centers, and Priorities for Conservation of Aquatic Plants in Iran

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Southern Iraq's Marshes

Part of the book series: Coastal Research Library ((COASTALRL,volume 36))

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Abstract

A climatic heterogeneity and geomorphologic complexities that have been shaped during a sophisticated paleo-biogeographical history has led Iran to become a prominent zone of endemism, an endemic center of the Irano-Turanian region, and a global center of diversity for vascular plant taxa in the world. According to the present study, Iranian macrophyte flora includes 68 species of 35 genera of vascular plants belonging to 22 plant families. The Potamogetonaceae family, with 16 species, is the largest family of true aquatic plants in the country. The aquatic plants were distributed between −29 m (Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel.) and 3200 m (Triglochin palustris L.). The greatest number of species (48 species) occurs at an altitude of 0–500 m. Hydrocharitaceae and Potamogetonaceae comprise the largest number of endangered and critically endangered species of Iranian aquatic plants. The main hotspot of species richness of true aquatic plants occurred in the Hyrcanian phytogeographical region, followed by an area in the Atropatanean region. The highest value of AZEs exists in Gilan Province. Despite the high importance of these habitats from a conservation perspective, numerous direct and indirect man-made threats such as pollution, invasive plants, and climate change have exposed these habitats.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Ahmadreza Mehrabian & Farzaneh Khajoi Nasab

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  1. Ahmadreza Mehrabian
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  2. Farzaneh Khajoi Nasab
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Correspondence to Ahmadreza Mehrabian .

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  1. School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Mt Albert, Auckland, New Zealand

    Laith A. Jawad

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Mehrabian, A., Nasab, F.K. (2021). Distribution Patterns, Diversity Centers, and Priorities for Conservation of Aquatic Plants in Iran. In: Jawad, L.A. (eds) Southern Iraq's Marshes. Coastal Research Library, vol 36. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66238-7_13

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