University of Isfahan Taxonomy and Biosystematics 3115-9001 13 46 2021 05 22 A Chorological and Endemism Analysis of the Central Alborz Protected Area Flora: The Slopes of Welwesht, Dahla, and Azadkouh تحلیل گیتاشناختی و بومزادی فلور منطقۀ حفاظت‌‌شدۀ البرز مرکزی (دامنه‌‌های ولوشت، داهلا و آزادکوه) 27 56 25783 10.22108/tbj.2021.127640.1155 EN Siroos Saberamoli Ph. D., Trainer of Natural Resources Research Department, Chamestan Forest and Rangeland Research Station, Mazandaran Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Younes Asri Associate Professor, Department of Botany, Forest and Rangeland Research Institute, Agricultural Education and Extension Research Organization, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-4566-1756 Valiollah Mozaffarian Emeritus Professor, Department of Botany, Forest and Rangeland Research Institute, Agricultural Education and Extension Research Organization, Tehran, Iran Gholamreza Balali Emeritus Associate Professor, Department of Plant and Animal Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Saeed Afsharzadeh Associate Professor, Department of Plant and Animal Biology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Rohollah Esmaili Head of the Department of Natural Environment, Mazandaran General Department of Environment, Sari, Iran Journal Article 2021 03 06 The study of flora characteristics and their relationship with ecological factors in habitats has a particular importance in protected areas. This study aimed to examine the chorological and endemism of the Central Alborz protected area flora. The study area included the slopes of Welwesht, Dahla, and Azadkouh heights in the protected area of Central Alborz, Mazandaran province, Iran. The total number of collected and identified taxa was 331, which belonged to 197 genera and 46 families. During the floristic studies of the region, <em>Nepeta azadkouhensis</em> Saberamoli from Lamiaceae family was identified and introduced as a new species. About 49.25% of taxa were hemicryptophytes, 57.40% of all species belonged to Irano-Turanian chorotype. Forty-six taxa, equal to 13.9% of all taxa, were endemic to Iran. Moreover, 37 species, equal to 82.22% of endemic species, belonged to the vegetation zone of Irano-Turanian. The habitat of mountain steppes, which included mainly grasses and cushion-shaped plants with 24.47% of the total taxa, had the highest species richness. The results of the species richness study in the altitude classes of the endemic taxa showed that more than 70% of the taxa were located in medium to semi-high habitats. The study of the presence of endemic species in vegetation elements confirms the dominance of the Irano-Turanian vegetation zone in the region, reflecting the significant presence and influence of European-Siberian elements. https://tbj.ui.ac.ir/article_25783_44cbddf7c24c19c0b1ffd3a4b3c60995.pdf