Plant Species Groups in Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Sites, Hyrcanian Forests of Iran

The aim of this study was to identify floristic composition, introduce main plants species, classify vegetation and determine species groups (types) in the chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) sites in Guilan province, north of Iran. Sampling was done in selective method and 68 sampling plots were taken to access the information of vegetation cover in Shafarood (10 Plots) and Emamzadeh-Ebrahim (58 plots). Results indicated that there were 45 and 55 plant species in Shafarood and Emamzadeh- Ebrahim, respectively. Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) revealed 6 plant species groups in woody and herbaceous layer separately. Also, the main plant specie were Ilex spinigera, Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Diospyros lotus, Gleditsia caspica and Prunus divaricata in woody species layer and Poa sp., Pteridium aquilinum, Oplismenus undulatifolius, Mentha aquatica, Pteris cretica, Oxalis corniculata and Hypericum androsaemum in herbaceous layer according to species important value index (SIV).