A morphological study of Chlorophyta in Soran district, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Chlorophyta (green algae) represent one of the most diverse and ecologically significant groups of freshwater algae worldwide; however, their diversity and distribution remain poorly documented in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Recent global studies have significantly advanced our understanding of Chlorophyta taxonomy through integrated morphological and molecular approaches. Yet, comprehensive floristic surveys in Iraq are scarce, particularly in spring-fed freshwater ecosystems. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the non-diatom algal species composition in fifteen spring-fed sites within the Soran administrative region (extending from Haje-omaran to Soran), Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. We collected monthly samples between March 2024 and February 2025. Through morphological analysis, twenty-four taxa of Chlorophyta were documented as new records for the Iraqi algal flora. These included species from the genera Scenedesmus sensu lato, Scenedesmus calyptratus, Scenedesmus similagineus, Desmodesmus granulatus, Desmodesmus serratus, Desmodesmus dispar, Oedogonium americanum, Oedogonium capitellatum, Oedogonium cymatosporum, Oedogonium borisianum, Oedogonium macrandrium, Oedogonium minus, Monoraphidium arcuatum, Monoraphidium tortile, Mougeotia depressa, Spirogyra distenta, Spirogyra chuniae, Spirogyra insignis, Zygnema carinthiacum, Closterium sublaterale, Cosmarium blytii, Cosmarium boeckii, Cosmarium pseudoretusum, and Cosmarium sublaterale. All newly recorded taxa were morphologically documented with detailed descriptions and measurements of both vegetative and reproductive structures. These findings significantly expand the known algal diversity of Iraq and provide a foundational baseline for future phycological studies in the region.