10.57647/jrs.2026.1603.24

Impact of Plant Species Diversity on Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Sequestration in the Peri-Urban Rangelands of North western Tehran, Iran

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  • Tara Mousivand1,
  • Zahra Azizi*2,
  • Mohammad Mehdi Dehshiri3,
  • Lobat Taghavi1,
  • Mahdi Ramezani1,
  1. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
  2. Department of Geoinformation and Geomatics Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
  3. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Bo.C., Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran

Received: 2025-02-14

Revised: 2025-12-12

Accepted: 2025-12-19

Published in Issue 2026-09-30

Copyright (c) 2026 Tara Mousivand, Zahra Azizi, Mohammad Mehdi Dehshiri, Lobat Taghavi, Mahdi Ramezani (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Mousivand, T., Azizi, Z., Dehshiri, M. M., Taghavi, L., & Ramezani, M. (2026). Impact of Plant Species Diversity on Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Sequestration in the Peri-Urban Rangelands of North western Tehran, Iran. Journal of Rangeland Science, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.57647/jrs.2026.1603.24
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Abstract

Urban expansion is reshaping peri-urban ecosystems, including the rangelands of northwestern Tehran. This study aimed to examine whether plant species diversity enhances above-ground biomass (AGB) and, by extension, carbon storage within three rangeland sites that define the analytical area of interest (AOI). In 2022, field sampling recorded 1,558 specimens representing 38 plant species. The dominant taxa included Bromus tectorum and Astragalus belgheisicus, whereas Henrardia persica and Melica persica were rare. AGB was quantified via direct harvest and standard laboratory procedures, and organic carbon was inferred from organic matter. Diversity indices (e.g., Shannon–Wiener, Simpson, Margalef, Menhinick, Pielou) were computed. Most of the indices were positively related to AGB. Shannon (r ≈ 0.63; p <0.05) and Simpson (r ≈ 0.42; p<0.05) exhibited significant positive relations with AGB; other richness/evenness metrics showed consistent but weaker trends, whereas Hill’s number showed no clear effect. Sentinel-2 (2018, 2022) imagery supported land cover mapping using supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC). Accuracy assessment was performed within the AOI, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) aided vegetation characterization. Vegetation cover had decreased significantly (34%) between 2018 and 2022. Findings indicated that, within the studied rangeland AOI, higher plant diversity is related to greater AGB and carbon potential.

Keywords

  • Plant biodiversity,
  • Above-ground biomass,
  • Carbon sequestration,
  • Sentinel 2,
  • NDVI
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