مریم مفیدنژاد

Native and endemic plants are considered valuable genetic reserves of each region and are of special importance due to having favorable morphological traits, resistance to pests and diseases, and adaptability to ecological conditions. This research was carried out with the aim of providing a floristic list and identifying the biological and soil characteristics of medicinal plants in Langerud city. Soil samples were also taken from the surface horizon of habitats and their characteristics including soil texture, soil reaction, electrical conductivity and organic carbon percentage were measured. 78 species of medicinal plants belonging to 42 families and 72 plant genera were identified. Of these, Asteraceae is the largest family with 10 species. Also, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Apiaceae and Poaceae families are the next large families with eight, five, five, four and three species, respectively. Aspleniaceae, Brassicaceae, Malvaceae, Hypericaceae, Lythraceae, Onagraceae and Urticaceae consist of two species.  Other identified families include one species. The highest percentage of life form and chorological type of the identified medicinal plant species in the region are Hemicryptophyte (He) and Polyregional (PL) elements, respectively. Also, assessment of the characteristics of the habitats of these plants in the height range of -15 to 325 m.a.s.l. showed the uniformity of the soil texture in the medium to light class, electrical conductivity less than 1 dS/m, soil reaction acidic and good organic matter content. The habitat of many of these species is in the hilly and mountainous areas, in addition to lowlands and plains and around paddy fields.

Identification of plant species in each region is a reflection of its various ecological factors. Malat Storage pool of Langarud city is a stable water ecosystem in the north of the country, which plays an important role in supplying water to paddy fields. In this study, floristic composition, life form, geographical distribution of plants and soil characteristics of Malat Storage pool area of Langarud city were investigated. First, plant samples were collected from this Storage pool, surrounding lowlands and plains and forest areas overlooking it. Then, soil samples were taken from the surface horizon of habitats and some of their physical and chemical properties were determined. Based on the results, a total of 250 plant samples were collected, which belonged to 60 families, 127 genera and 146 species. The plant families Poaceae with 22 genera and Asteraceae with 11 genera formed the most populous plant family in terms of genera. Also, Poaceae and Fabaceae had the highest species richness with 24 and 15 species. The highest percentage of plant species in the region had the predominant life form of therophyte (29.7%) and hemicryptophyte (26.2%) and the highest frequency of chorological type was Pluriregional vegetative elements (31.5%). Examining the properties of the soil showed the uniformity of the soil texture (medium to light class) and the absence of salinity with electrical conductivity less than 1 (dS/m). The range of soil pH ranged from neutral (6.78) to strongly acidic (4.03), the range of organic carbon was in the medium to optimal class, and the amount of N-P-K was in the medium to rich class. The present floristic study can provide the basis for more comprehensive studies and management practices in this touristic area.