Flora and vegetation of Turkey

In 2000, on the territory of modern Turkey about 9300 species of wild vascular plants known. For the whole of Europe about 11,500 species are given, but on an approximately three times larger area. Turkey is thus distinguished - compared with Europe - by a remarkably high floristic diversity from. The reason for this is probably the most amazing high endemism in conjunction with the extremely high ecological diversity of Anatolia.

Endemism

Almost a third of Turkish plant species (30.6%) is included limited the nearby Aegean islands in their overall distribution on the territory of modern Turkey, that is endemic there. In contrast, Austria has only 1.56% of endemic species, and even for larger countries such as Germany or the United Kingdom, the values are similarly low. The main reason for the high Endemitenanteil the mountainous land surface Anatolia is usually viewed. The local mountains are often separated by plateaus, similar islands. For Anatolia, this assumption is supported by concentrations of Lokalendemiten particularly strongly insulated and relatively ancient massifs such as Uludağ or Ilgaz Dagi. In contrast, young volcanic cones as Erciyes Dagi or Hasan Dagi are comparatively endemitenarm.

A second key difference is the completely different fate of the Alps and the Anatolian mountains during the ice ages. In Anatolia during the highs of the Pleistocene glaciations were the ice caps always limited to the highest elevations. Therefore, endemic species could develop in many parts of Anatolia over long periods of time and also survive to the present day.

Flora

The richest by far vascular plant genus of Anatolia is Astragalus ( Astragalus ). She seems to be here to be inside in the process of speciation, which is often very difficult to distinguish the many closely related taxa for the non-specialist. Supporting Ante are typical for treeless, dry habitats. Such were probably in prehistoric times not rare in Central Anatolia. However, an almost explosive growth they experienced by man in historical times, which has probably also strongly stimulated the speciation. Depending on the particular environmental conditions, an astonishing diversity of life forms in the genus Astragalus has developed, from tiny annuals to small shrubs and the characteristic of the dry mountains of Central and Südanatoliens thorn cushion. However, these both against grazing as well as against summer drought protecting life form was not invented exclusively of Astragalus. Examples of rectified ( convergent ) evolution are the impressive thorn cushion of Onobrychis cornuta ( Fabaceae ) or Acantholimon sp. ( Plumbaginaceae ). Even some Asteraceae ( eg in Turkey Centaurea urvillei, Centaurea iberica ) and Caryophyllaceae (eg Minuartia juniperina ) developed in this direction.

The second most important Anatolian genus are the mullein ( Verbascum sp. / Family Scrophulariaceae ), followed by the category of knapweed (Centaurea sp. / Family Asteraceae). Regarding the mullein, so Anatolia is undoubtedly its distribution center. 232 of about 360 species worldwide growing in the country, of whom 79.4 % turn, only here, so are endemic. Most Verbascum species protect against water loss and hungry cattle through a dense pubescence of highly branched tree-like hair. Knapweed species are rare hairy so close, but have it developed for its defense against the ubiquitous goats and sheep thorny bracts or stängellos the bottom is pressed shapes.

Vegetation

In the extreme north of Anatolia, the Pontus Mountains forms a continuous barrier against the advancing flowing from the Black Sea humid air. This leads to high precipitation on the Northern Slope of Pontus throughout the year. Therefore, the climatic conditions on the Black Sea coast are similar to those in Central Europe and, accordingly, " Central European" therefore appears the vegetation. Mediterranean vegetation influence is evident here only on a very narrow coastal strip. In the northeast, it is entirely absent. At lower altitudes, north dominated the Pontic main ridge often the hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ), mostly mixed with the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). Higher up are the Oriental beech ( Fagus orientalis) and / or the Nordmann Fir ( Abies nordmanniana ) dense forests. In the north-eastern Black Sea region ( Lazistan ), the Pontic Mountains in nearly 4000 m high Kaçkar Dagi reached its greatest heights. Accordingly, plenty of fall and the annual rainfall from here. In addition a permanently high humidity that - especially at altitudes up to 2000 meters - cause frequent fog. East of Trabzon, therefore the vegetation is almost subtropical, with many evergreen shrubs in the forests and tea plantations everywhere on the deeper slopes.

With the passing of the Pontic watershed, the climate is dry immediately. Toward Inner Anatolia thereby but first comes the Nordmann fir, the pine dominance. In western Anatolia, it is often the black pine (Pinus nigra), to the east almost exclusively the less sensitive against continental climate Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris). The further one progresses into the center of Anatolia, the drier and winterkälter the conditions. The degree to which the occurring here steppe vegetation of natural origin or only created by forest devastation, is not finally resolved. The lowest rainfall is south of Ankara in the region of the Great Salt Lake ( Lake Tuz ) and especially in the Aras Valley on the Armenian border. Between Kağızman and Tuzluca the Aras Valley is so dry that always sparkle pure salt deposits like white snow fields of the slopes.

The southern boundary of the Anatolian plateau forms the Taurus Mountains. Above all, its southern slope lies fully within the control of the Mediterranean climate, which means a lot of rain in winter, but hot, dry summers. Calculated over the whole year has Antalya considerably more precipitation than London ( 1071 mm to 759 mm). But its seasonal distribution is a totally different and mean annual temperature is much higher ( 18.3 ° C to 9.7 ° C). High elevation forests are made of black pine, Cilician fir ( Abies cilicica ) and Lebanon cedar ( Cedrus libani ). Unfortunately much depletion of these forests was operated, most of the once rich cedar trees. In the natural vegetation of the summer very dry lowlands of the Mediterranean coast in the natural vegetation is dominated by evergreen trees such as Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera ) and Calabrian pine ( Pinus brutia ). However, the hills of the coastal areas are mostly covered with maquis or karstified because of massive forest destruction today. Where fertile alluvial soils predominate, for example, in the Cilician plain around Adana, modern intensive agriculture.

The Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the character of the tree of dry and cold areas of East Anatolia -. Southern slope of Kücükhacet Dagi ( Ilgaz Dagi ), ca.1950 m sm

Anatolian steppe rest with Crambe tatarica, in the background cornfields -. Ahiboz, about 35 km south of Ankara, about 1000 m sm

Semi-desert vegetation in the Aras Valley. The sparse vegetation consists mainly of drought here - and salt- resistant Gänsefußgewächsen ( Chenopodiaceae ) -. 35km west of Tuzluca, 1110 m sm

Extensive fields hazelnut (Corylus maxima) cover large areas of the more mountainous parts of the Turkish Black Sea coast. East of Trabzon, they are detached from the tea -. Terebolu at ( Giresun Province ), 20 m sm

Turkish women in the hazelnut drying -. Sacmalipinar ( province of Düzce ).

In 2007 Turkey was the seventh-largest cotton producer. The cotton plants thrive best in hot, sunny areas where they are but mostly rely on irrigation -. At Belek ( Antalya Province ).

Documents

G. Pils: .. Flowers of Turkey - a photo guide - 448 pp - self-publishing Gerhard Pils (2006).

Flora and vegetation of Turkey

Endemism

Flora

Vegetation

Documents

Further Reading