JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY AND BIOSISTEMATICS
Year:2016 | Volume:8 | Issue:28 |Papers Count:7

The current study deals with leaf and petiole anatomical survey of 24 species of the genusAlchemilla from Iran. After collecting and identifying the specimens, leaf and petiole cross sections were prepared by hand and best sections were taken for staining and light microscope studies. In this survey, 43 anatomical traits were carefully examined. The result showed that glandular trichome, number and arrangement of adjacent epidermal cells and their wavy or smooth walls, presence and absence of the extraxylary fibers are the most outstanding anatomical evidences. In order to determine the species relationship, 39 quantitative characters were undertaken in principal component analysis (PCA). PCA analysis led to complete separation of some species including A. persica, A. caucasica, A. hessii, A. pseudocartalinica, A. rechingeri, A. melancholica, A. hyrcana, A. microscopica and A. erythropoda, formation of 3 main groups and two subgroups. Our findings revealed that leaf and petiole anatomical characters are limited taxonomic value. The numerical analysis of these traits has disability in revealing the species relationship.

This study intends to assess the application of Cocktail method in the classification of large vegetation databases. For this purpose, Buxus hyrcana dataset consisted of 442 releves with 89 species were used and by the modified TWINSPAN. For running the Cocktail method, first primarily classification was done by modified TWINSPAN, and by performing phi analysis in the groups resulted five species were selected which had the highest fidelity value. Then sociological species groups were formed by examining co-occurrence of these 5 species with other species in the database.21 plant communities belongs to 6 variant, 17 sub associations, 11 associations, 4 alliance, 1 order and 1 class were recognized by assigning 379 releves to the sociological species groups by using logical formulas. Also, 63 releves by the logical formula were not assigned to any sociological species groups, by FPFI index were assigned to the sociological species groups which had the most index value. According to 91% classification agreement with Brown-Blanquet classification and Cocktail classification, we suggest Cocktail method to vegetation scientists as an efficient alternative of Braun-Blanquet method to classify large vegetation databases.

To study genetic structure of Paraschistura kessleri, a freshwater endemic species of Iran, 84 samples were collected from Kardeh, Zavin and Radkan rivers in Razavi Khorasan province and investigated with six microsatellite loci. Results indicated that Kessler's loach have proper allelic diversity (average: 9.16) and heterozygosity (average: 0.65) in studied regions. Only 4 of 18 loci-population tests were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The values of Fst and Rst as genetic differentiation indices were obtained 0.034 and 0.061, respectively. In this regard, the relatively high rate of gene flow, Nm: 7.28 could be considered as an important factor involved in low genetic differentiation obtained among the samples of investigated rivers. Also, the observed gene flow could be related to some factors including pollution, floods and life history of Kessler's loach. Results from analysis of molecular variance showed the majority of observed diversity is within populations. The highest genetic identity and distance values were observed among the samples of Radkan with Kardeh and Zavin with Radkan, respectively. Also, UPGMA dendrogram based on genetic distance showed that there are probably two separate populations of Kessler's loach in the investigated regions as Zavin was in a branch separate from Kardeh and Radkan.

The aim of this research was plant identification, introduction to the flora, determination of life forms and geographical distribution in Khargushan Mountain. This Mountain, with 6000 hectares, situated on the east of Poldokhtar and south-west of Khorramabad. The maximum altitude of this mountain is thought 2329 m. Plant specimens were collected from different parts of the area during two growing seasons 2013-2014. The plant biological spectrum of the area was plotted by means of life forms results. The position of the area within Iran’s phytogeography classification was studied based on geographical distribution data and references. From 211 identified species in the studied area, 3 Pteridophytes, 1 Gymnosperm, 176 dicotyledons and 31 monocotyledons were presented.These species belong to 50 families and 150 genera. The important families are Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Lamiaceae with 12.79%, 10.42%, 8.05% and 7.58%, respectively. Life forms of the plant species include Therophytes 36.49%, Hemicryptophytes 31.28%, Cryptophytes 18.96%, Phanerophytes 8.06%, and Chamaephytes 5.21%.138 species (65.4%) were endemics of Irano-Turanian region; 32 species of them were endemics of Iran which among them, distribution of 4 species (Astragalus lurorum, Dionysia gaubae, Hedysarum gypsophilum and Phlomis lurestanica) limited to Lorestan province.

The fauna of Thysanoptera was studied in Qazvin Province, during 2013–2014. In this study, 38 species from 4 families and 20 genera were collected and identified; of which 27 species are recorded for fauna of Qazvin Province for the first time, that shown by asterisks (*). Amongst them, 5 species are predator and other species are phytophagous; and among phytophagous species, Thrips tabaci and Frankliniella intonsa are widely distributed. Their scientific names are as follow: I. Suborder TEREBRANTIA: Family AEOLOTHRIPIDAE: Aeolothrips albicinctus Haliday*, A. collaris Priesner*, A. fasciatus (L.) *, A. intermedius Bagnall; Family MELANTHRIPIDAE: Melanthrips fusus (Sulzer) *, M. knechteli Priesner*; Family THRIPIDAE: Dendrothrips phyllirea (Bagnall) *, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouche) *, Neohydatothrips gracilipes Hood*, Anaphothrips obscures (Muller), A. sudanensis Trybom*, Aptinothrips elegans Priesner*, A. rufus (Haliday) *, Chirothrips kurdistanus zur Strassen*, Ch. manicatus (Haliday) *, Ch. meridionalis Bagnall*, Drepanothrips reuteri Uzel*, Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom), F. occidentalis (Pergande), F. pallid (Uzel), F. tenuicornis (Uzel) *, Limothrips transcaucasicus Savenko*, Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford) *, Mycterothrips tschirkunae (Yakhontov) *, M. weii Mirab-balou, Shi & Chen*, Odontothrips confusus Priesner, Rubiothrips vitis (Priesner) *, Scolothrips longicornis Priesner*, Tenothrips discolor (Karny) *, T. frici (Uzel), Thrips atratus Haliday*, T. hawaiiensis (Morgan) *, T. meridionalis (Priesner) *, T. tabaci L., T. trehernei Priesner; II. Suborder TEREBRANTIA: Family PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE: Bagnalliella yuccae (Hinds) *, Haplothrips reuteri (Karny), and Haplothrips tritici (Kurdjumov).

In the present work, the flora and the plant vegetation of a part of Bahr-aseman protected area of southern highlands in Iran was investigated. The selected area occupies Zamin hosein to Hanza-kuh altitudes which is located in the north of Jiroft, south of Kerman province. The study aims to determine the plant species, life forms, geographical distribution and the vegetation form of the plants in this area. The results revealed that 309 species of vascular plants belonging to 198 genus and 60 families occure in the area, three belonging to cryptogams, four to gymnosperms, 45 species to monocotyledons and 257 species to dicotyledons. Based on species richness, the most abundant families in the studied area are: Astereaceae (48 species), Poaceae (27 species), Lamiaceae (26 species) and Fabaceae (20 species). Fifty three percent (i.e.166 species) of the flora of the studied area are exclusive to Irano-Turanian floristic region. Throphytes (28%), hemicryptophytes (27%), cryptophytes (18%), chamaephytes (15%) and phanerophytes (10%) and parasites (2%), are the most frequent life forms in this area respectively. Thirty species are trees and shrubs and 21 out of 317 species are endemic to southeastern Iran. Landscape, application and the threatening factors of the plant vegetation in this area is discussed.

Family of Onychiuridae belonges to class of Collembola and order of Podumorpha are including terrestrial arthropods which play important role in decomposition and natural biogeochemical cycles.Therefore, in the present study which carried out during the years 2013-2014, in order to identify more Collembola species in Tehran and some around regions., some specimens belong to Onychiuridae family including six different species from five genera were collected and identified. The species were extracted from soil and leaf litter by modified Berlese funnel and specimens belong to family of Onychiuridae were identified by available identification keys. The results indicated that the genusAllonychiurus (Yoshii, 1995) and the species Orthonychiurus stachianus (Bagnall, 1939), were reported first time for Iran fauna. The species O. folsomi (Schaffer, 1900), Heteraphorura japonica (Yosii, 1967), Porotaphorura fimata (Gisin, 1952) and Thalassaphorura encarpata (Denis, 1931) are new for Tehran fauna.