A checklist of the flora of Shanjan protected area, East Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran.

The flora of protected Shanjan rangeland in Shabestar district, Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran was studied using a 1 m × 1 m quadrate in spring and summer 2011. The climate of this area is cold and dry. In this area 94 plant species belonging to 25 families were identified as constituting the major part of the vegetation. The families in the area are Amaryllidaceae, Boraginaceae, Campanulaceae, Caryophllaceae, Cistaceae, Compositea, Cruciferae, Cyperaceae, Dipesaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Geraniaceae, Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Melvaceae, Orobachaceae, Papaveraceae, Paronychiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polygolaceae, Ranunculaceae, Resedaceae, Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae and Valerianacea. Floristic composition is Irano-Turanian elements. Detailed analysis showed that Biennial plants were 3.19%, Annual 41.49% and Perennial 55.32%.

Effect of Prunus avium roots on river bank strong.

A pulling effect by side roots is one way in which roots help to side in-plane strong of a little depth soil mass. In contrast to the effect of vertically-enlarge roots, whereby soil is strengthened by an increase in its shear strength, the pulling effect strengthens the soil by increasing the tensile strength of the rooted soil zone. To verify whether or not a pulling effect exists in the root system of Prunus avium in the Roudsar, North Iran and to study the importance and size of this effect, a direct in situ test was led at a site in the Chaboksar Forests. The results from the site showed that, in the surface soil (0-30 cm), Side roots can provide a pull force of up to 490-712 N (Newtons) over a vertical cross-section area of 20-50 cm2, or an enhance in the pulling stability of the rooted soil by about 48.1%. The test results suggest that, together with the Prunus avium vertical roots, which keep the little depth rooted soil zone to the deep and more stable soil mass, the side roots of the Prunus avium, with their pulling effect, are able to make less against little depth instability in the forest slopes, such as little depth slide, to a certain degree.