Vegetation of the southern slopes of Mt. Damavand, Iran: a comprehensive phytosociological classification

Prepared by Amir Talebi, Denys Vynokurov, Farideh Attar, Jürgen Dengler, and Alireza Naqinezhad

The Alborz Mountains, home to Damavand Peak—the highest point in the Middle East—are a biodiversity hotspot in southwest Asia. This rugged range, with elevations spanning over 5,000 meters a.s.l., hosts rich plant diversity, including more than 700 vascular plant species on the southern slopes of Mt. Damavand. Varied habitats and wide elevational range make Mt. Damavand an ideal location for studying vegetation patterns, yet many gaps remain in understanding its ecological and phytosociological structure.

Our study presents a comprehensive dataset of 330 vegetation plots sampled from 1,500 to 4,800 m a.s.l. We identified four main vegetation groups—rocky habitats, scree habitats, snow-bed communities, and grasslands. Diverse grassland types dominate the landscape, including xeric Stipa-Artemisia grasslands and subalpine thorn-cushion communities. For the first time in Iran, we studied semi-natural tall forb grasslands formed by long-term mowing and grazing, which we assigned to a new alliance, Cousinion petrocauli.

In total, we recorded 416 plant species across the plots, with species richness ranging from four (alpine scree) to 61 (subalpine grasslands) species per 25 m². We distinguished six orders, nine alliances, and 18 association-level communities, several of which are new to science. Among these, we describe two new alliances (Artemision aucheri and Cousinion petrocauli) and seven new associations. Elevation emerged as the primary factor shaping species composition and vegetation patterns.

This study is notable for covering a full 3,000-meter elevational gradient, including previously underexplored lower elevations. It also highlights the need for further sampling to refine classifications, particularly for montane-subalpine grasslands. Our findings not only improve our understanding of vegetation in the Alborz Mountains but also set the stage for future ecological studies across Iran’s mountainous landscapes.

This post refers to the article by Talebi et al. (2024) published in Vegetation Classification and Survey (https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS.136825) as a part of the Special Collection “Grasslands of Asia”