Plant diversity and conservation of the North-east Phrygia region under the impact of land degradation and desertification (Central Anatolia, Turkey)

Abstract

Plant diversity and ecological structure of an area which is in critical level in terms of land degradation and erosion are quite important. North-east part of the Phrygia Region has densely been under natural and anthropogenic effects since 3000 B.C. In the area, primary vegetation was destroyed in low and high parts around steppe plains and replaced by a secondary vegetation with antropogenic characteristics. These antropogenic effects have still continued in the region. In the course of the present study, vascular plant specimens were collected from the area and 589 species belonging to 314 genera classified within 67 families were identified. Seventy seven (13.1%) taxa are endemic to Turkey. When the risk situations of the plant taxa determined in the research area are checked according to IUCN, it can be seen that 56 taxa are in Least Concern, 9 in Near Threatened, 4 in Vulnerable risk categories. The largest family is Asteraceae (72) and the richest genus is Centaurea L. (13) in the area. Distributions of the plant taxa in terms of phytogeographical regions are as follows: Irano-Turanian elements: 123 (20.9%), Euro-Siberian elements: 36 (6.1%), Mediterranean elements: 33 (5.6%). Dominant biological types in the area are Hemicryptophytes (37%) and Therophytes (29.9%). A long term unsystematical use of mountain pastures leads a serious degradation. Therefore, determining the variation in the floristic composition of plant communities gives monitoring opportunity of land degradation in the region.