A contribution to flora, life form and chorology of plants in HameKasi mining area, Hamadan province, Iran

Identification of flora of every region not only plays an important role in conserving of genetic resources of the region, but also provides useful data for other scientific researches. The goal of this study was to identify and introduce the flora of the mining area of Hamekasi in Hamadan province, located 2164 meter above sea levels.

Plant specimens were collected in 2017 during active growth form by field–walk procedure and identified using relevant flora sources. Then, determination of life forms, geographical distribution as well as the conservation status and percentage of native plants were carried out in the mining area of HameKasi. Life forms were determined using Raunkiaer method and the chorology is based on the vegetation regions classified by Zohary.

Based on the present results, a total of 68 genera and 79 species were recorded in the study area belonging to 26 families. Eudicots include 16 families while monocots consist of five families. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Lamiaceae were the most abundant families in the area, respectively. The predominant life forms included hemicryptophytes (52%) and therophytes (25%), respectively. The elements of Irano-Turanian region with 37 species (48%) have the highest geographical distribution of vegetation followed by European-Siberian/Irano-Turanian elements with 14 species (18%). According to the current assessment, 11 native, 9 medicinal and 10 low-risk species were identified. Due to human activities in the region, conservation policies should be seriously considered to preserve species richness and reduce the effects of destruction.