Botanical & Orchid Excursion to 20th May - 02th June 2018

Information

Leaders:

Dr. Jalil Noroozi (languages: English & German) Address: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Researches, University of Vienna, Rennweg, 14, Vienna Email: [email protected], mobile phone: 004369919267996 Homepage: http://plantbiogeography.univie.ac.at/about-us/current-members/jalil-noroozi/

Dr. Abdolbaset Ghorbani (languages: English & German & Swedish) Address: Department of Systematic Biology, Institute for Organismal Biology, Uppsala University Email: [email protected], mobile phone: +46 728645989 Homepage: http://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N13-369

Botanical guides: Jalil Noroozi, Abdolbaset Ghorbani , Amir Talebi

Focus: It will be mainly flora and vegetation of the area, with also focus on orchids and partly culture. This trip is planned mainly to see montane and subalpine flora and vegetation types of Iran and some orchid populations.

Walking: No more than three or four km on any one day, often less, and always at a slow pace, well suited to botanizing and photographing.

Group Size: The minimum is 5 and the maximum is 20.

Accommodation: All accommodations will be at middle class hotels.

Flights: It is possible to book flights to and back from Tabriz, from different cities of Europe with ca. 300$ or less.

Dates: 14 days, from 20 May to 02 June 2018. Included in the price: All transports in Iran, 13 nights accommodations and three times meal during 14 days, services of leader and local guides, Protected Areas and Sights entrance fees. Please note: flight, 60 Euro visa fee and travel insurance, and tips are not included.

Climate: The temperature is between 15 to 35°C depending to the region. In the high elevations the temperature can be less than 15°C too. The weather is usually sunny and the rain possibility is low but still possible. Wet alpine meadows and swamps will be also visited for orchids.

How to Book: Send an email to [email protected] to check if there is availability for the number of places you require. Please contact latest 15th January 2018.

Price for 10 participants: 1890 € Single room: +360 €

Itinerary of the excursion:

Date Day Plan and species to see Overnight Distance 2018.05.019 1 Flight to Tehran Tehran

2018.05.20 2 Visiting National botanical garden of Iran, Karaj, sightseeing Tehran 100 km in Tehran 2018.05.21 3 Tuchal mountain in the north of Tehran. Using cable car to Larijan 130 km reach 3000 m. Hicking for 2 hours from 3000 m up to 3300 and then back down to 2400 m (It is possible to go down by cable car). Biebersteinia multifida, Tulipa Montana ,Tulipa humilis, barnumae, Gagea confusa, Iris pseudocaucasica, Prangos uloptera, Geranium tuberosum 2018.05.22 4 Visiting montane and subalpine zone (2500-3000 m) of Larijan 120 km Damavand Mt. (5671 m a.s.l.) in Central Alborz Dactylorhiza umbrosa, D. lancibracteata, Papaver bracteatum, Iris barnumae, Eremurus spectabilis, Ferula gummosa, etc. 2018.05.23 5 Visiting subalpine and alpine zone of Central Alborz passing Noshahr 210 km from 3000 m to the Caspian lowlands Fritillaria kotschyana, Adonis wolgensis, Solenanthus stamineus and etc. 2018.05.24 6 Botanizing in the Hyrcanian forests Anzali 230 km Parotia persica, Fagus orientalis, Quercus castaneifolia, Orchis mascula, Ophrys, Cephalanthera and etc. 2018.05.25 7 Botanizing in Talysh mountains, from 0 to 2500 m a.s.l. Khalkhal 115 km Limodorum abortivum, Neottia nidus-avis, Cephalantera rubra, C. longifolia, Orchis pinetorum Papaver orientalis, Jurinella moschus, Paeonia wendelboi, etc. 2018.05.26 8 Botanizing in Talysh mountains and visiting Namin forests Sarein 150 km and Neur Lake (2500 m a.s.l.) Dactylorhiza populations, Platanthera chlorantha, Steveniella satyrioides, Aethionema grandifolia, Ranunculus kotschy, Eremostachy azerbaijanica and etc. (using the hotwater of Sarein) 2018.05.27 9 Botanizing in the montane and subalpine zone (up to 3200 m) Sarein 50 km of Sabalan Mt. (4810 m). Ophrys, Dactylorhiza, Anacamptis and Epipactis spp., Puschkina schilloides, , Draba brunifolia, Artemisia splendens, Anacamptis palustris and etc. (using the hotwater of Sarein) 2018.05.28 10 Botanizing in the mountains between Ardabil and Kaleybar 200 km Kaleibar. 2018.05.29 11 Botanizing in Arasbaran forests and seeing different orchid Kaleybar 50 km species and populations. 2017.05.30 12 Visiting Aynalo protected area with high orchid diversity, Kaleybar 50 km Makidi forest and Babak fortress. 2017.05.31 13 Gypsophillus hills between Ahar and Tabriz, Tabriz 250 km gypsophillus vegetation types.

2017.06.01 14 Mishodagh Mts. and Gypsophillus hills between Tabriz Tabriz 100 km and Sufiyan. Anacamptis palustris, Cousinia boissieri, Iris acutiloba, Hypericum scabrum, Onobrychis cornuta and etc. Afternoon sightseeing in Tabriz 2017.06.02 15 Visiting Sahand Mt. (3710 m) up to 3300 m Tabriz 100 km Onobrychis cornuta, Gentiana aquatica, Gentiana verna Fritillaria crassyfolia, Salvia sahendi, Astragalus sahendi , Dactylorhiza, Anacamptis palustris, Eremostachys azerbaijanica and etc. Evening fly back to Europe from Tabriz (Turkish airline has regular flights from Tabriz to Istanbul that can be used for connection flights)

Youtube link to see some Iranian vegetation types: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML0Nm-7cIbk

Map: The blue line shows the route of the trip. In this trip we will see Alborz Mts, Hyrcanian forests, Talysh Mts. Sahand and Sabalan Mts. in NW Iran and Gypsophillous hills in NW Iran.