physiological responses of three populations of artemisia sieberi besser to drought stress during early growth stage

The iranian plateau, characterized by arid and semi-arid climates, faces significant challenges in preserving and restoring vegetation cover in rangelands and desert areas. this study aimed to investigate the effects of drought stress on germination and seedling growth of artemisia sieberi, a native species with high potential for rangeland rehabilitation in these regions.results indicated that increasing drought stress significantly reduced germination percentage and rate, with the most severe impact observed at -4 mpa. seedling growth was also negatively affected, with complete inhibition at high stress levels. the gosheh population exhibited lower resilience to drought stress compared to the garmsar and aradan populations.these findings align with previous studies highlighting the detrimental effects of drought on artemisia species. understanding these impacts is crucial for developing effective strategies to conserve and restore vegetation in arid and semi-arid environments.