Population Structure, Biomass and Pattern in a Semi-Desert Shrub, Zygophyllum eurypterum, in the Turan Biosphere Reserve of North-Eastern Iran

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Abstract
The dispersion, biomass and population structure of the semi-desert shrub Z. eurypterum were measured in a 1 ha sample of the Turan Biosphere Reserve of northeastern Iran. The density was 530 plants ha-1 and bushes covered 13% of the surface area. Biomass was estimated to be approximately 2600 kg ha-1. Few small individuals were found in the area. This might be due to intraspecific competition or to grazing by domestic and wild herbivores. The regularity of dispersion of bushes supports the hypothesis of intra-specific competition as the primary limitation to the Zygophyllum population.