Kırklareli) Biosphere Project Area
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Turkish Journal of Botany Turk J Bot (2013) 37: 225-269 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/ © TÜBİTAK Research Article doi:10.3906/bot-1111-5 The flora of Yıldız Mountains (Kırklareli) Biosphere Project area 1, 1 2 2 Emine AKALIN URUŞAK *, Fatma Neriman ÖZHATAY , Necmettin GÜLER , Hüseyin ERSOY , 2 1 3 1 Nesibe BAŞAK , Yeter YEŞİL , Dilek ORAL , Serpil DEMİRCİ 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, İstanbul University, 34116, İstanbul, Turkey 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Literature, Trakya University, 22030, Edirne, Turkey 3 Department of Forest Botany, Faculty of Forestry, İstanbul University, 34473, İstanbul, Turkey Received: 03.11.2011 Accepted: 08.10.2012 Published Online: 15.03.2013 Printed: 15.04.2013 Abstract: A floristic study of the Yıldız Mountains Biosphere Project was undertaken between May and October 2009. The project area is located in the north-eastern part of European Turkey, within flora square A1–A2 (E) (Kırklareli), and covers about 1300 km2. The list of vascular plants was prepared mainly based on specimens collected during the flora surveys of the Project and supplemented by earlier gathered specimens kept in the EDTU, ISTE, and ISTO herbaria. In the project area 1315 taxa, belonging to 505 genera and 113 families, were determined. Among these, 18 taxa are Pteridophytes, 4 Gymnospermae, 1035 Dicotyledones, and 258 Monocotyledones. The 3 largest families are Compositae (153 taxa; 11.5%), Leguminosae (119 taxa; 9.1%), and Graminae (102 taxa; 7.9%). The richest genus is Trifolium (62 taxa). Among the more significant finds of this floristic survey of the research area are 15 endemic taxa for Turkey and 29 taxa that are not recorded in the Asiatic part of Turkey, a new species for plant science (Allium rumelicum M.Koçyiğit & N.Özhatay), 3 new records for Turkey (Allium saxatile M.Bieb., Anthoxanthum aristatum Boiss., and Elatine triandra Schkuhr), and 8 new records for European Turkey. Key words: Yıldız mountains, European Turkey, flora, Biosphere Reserve 1. Introduction with humid northern slopes supporting Fagus orientalis Turkey-in-Europe (Thrace, European Turkey) occupies the Lipsky. forest and Rhododendron ponticum L. scrub. The south-eastern extension of the Balkan Peninsula, towards forests of Yıldız Mountain (Strandzha) belong to the Asia, and is separated from it by 2 straits—the Bosphorus south Euxine floristic subregion of the Central European and the Dardanelles—and the Sea of Marmara. It covers an floristic region (Horvat et al., 1974). The floristic study of area of 23,500 km2 and is surrounded by the sea in the north- the Istranca (Yıldız) mountains was carried out by Yarcı in east, east, and south. In comparison with Turkey’s general 1996 and 1997, and the results were published (Yarcı, 1997, topography, it typically has only low elevations; however, 1999). The studied area is a part of the Yıldız Mountains the landscape and habitat diversity is greater (mountains, Biosphere Project area. Yarcı’s collection is kept in the forests, wet and dry plains, lakes, rivers, marshes, and sea EDTU and is cited in the list given in the appendix. shores). This contributes to the formation of a rich flora that The Yıldız Mountains Biosphere Reserve Project is comprises about 2350 species (2550 taxa, taking account of located in the north-west corner of Turkey, in European subspecies and varieties) according to the list of Webb (1966) Turkey. The overall aim of the project is “sustainable and Flora of Turkey (Davis 1965–1985; Davis et al., 1988; cross-border cooperation, developed and strengthened Güner et al., 2000), as well as recently published papers and for conservation and sustainable development of natural the specimens kept in the ISTE and EDTU. resources and biodiversity of the Yıldız mountains”. Its In the north-east of the region, the Yıldız mountain purpose is to deliver landscape-scale protection of the range (Istranca mountains) extends from south-east biodiversity of the Yıldız mountains in the long term. Bulgaria into European Turkey, where its highest elevation As part of the inventory and management planning of reaches 1035 m (Mahya Dağı). This range borders the the biosphere reserve, plant diversity was investigated Black Sea and represents a low westerly continuation using the available data and field work. The majority of of Anatolia’s northern Black Sea mountains. It is largely the Bulgarian region of the mountains (1161 km2) was composed of schists and covered with forest vegetation established as the Strandzha Natural Park in 1995. * Correspondence: [email protected] 225 AKALIN URUŞAK et al. / Turk J Bot 2. Materials and methods 2.2. Database In order to prepare a list of the vascular plants within the 2.2.1. Survey of related literature and available herbarium Yıldız Mountains Biosphere Project area, plant specimens records and computerisation were collected from the study area, which covers 1300 Earlier herbarium records of specimens collected from 2 km (Figure 1). Additionally, all relevant records from key the Project area and kept in the ISTE and EDTU herbaria herbaria and related literature have been computerised. were computerised, and a database was created. 2.1. Field work 2.2.2. Previously published papers The field work focused on hot spots determined (Figure 1) Several projects, theses, and papers were published on the during the project development phase, due to the limited flora of the Project area and neighbouring areas (Stefanoff, time and resources available. The sites were identified 1921, 1924; Turrill, 1924; Stojanov, 1928; Tutin et al., by botanical experts as confirmed or potential plant hot 1964–1980; Davis 1965–1985; Davis et al., 1988; Webb, spots based on one or more of the following criteria: 1- the 1966; Dönmez, 1968; Demiriz et al., 1969; Baytop, 1973a, presence of populations of rare, threatened, or endemic 1973b, 1981, 1986; Özhatay, 1975; Kurter, 1983; Seçmen species; 2- the presence of an exceptionally high diversity & Leblebici, 1991; Başak, 1993; Alpınar, 1994; Baytop & of species; and 3- the presence of threatened habitat(s). Byfield, 1997; Yarcı, 1997, 1999; Güner et al., 2000; Grauter Hot spots 1–4 were investigated from a floristic point & Raus, 2002; Özhatay et al., 2003; Başak & Kıyıcı, 2004; of view during other recently completed projects (GEF Tzonev et al., 2005; Özhatay & Kültür, 2006; Kavgacı, 2007; II and UNESCO). Plant specimens were collected from Kavgacı et al., 2007; Yılmaz & Dane, 2007; Özhatay et al., hot spots 5–12 during May–October 2009 by the project 2009; Yıldız, 2009; Doğan et al., 2010; Güler et al., 2010; teams. In total, 2547 plant specimens were collected from Özhatay et al., 2011; Akçiçek et al., 2012). 266 localities during 52 days of field work. Two projects were carried out in the research area. Specimens collected at different times from the Project One of them is GEF II Project, coordinated by Prof. Dr. area by Project teams and various researchers following H. Duman in 2005: Flora and Vegetation of Republic of herbaria EDTU, ISTE, ISTF, ISTO, and MUFE. All Turkey, Ministry of Nature and Forestry, Biodiversity and locations are summarised in Appendix I. Natural Resource Management Project. The other Project 1. İğnead a 2. Dupnsa Cave 3. Taxus baccata forest 4. Balaban Rver and vcnty 5. Mutlu (Rezve) Rıver 6. Demrköy Foundry 7. Mahya Mountan 8. Kasatura Bay 9. Panayır Rver 10. Tekkaya 11. Dereköy 12. Kıyıköy Coasts Figure 1. Hot spots determined during project proposal in the research area. 226 AKALIN URUŞAK et al. / Turk J Bot is UNESCO Project, The List of the Project Conservation macedonica (Balkan), Lychnis viscaria (Pontic species), and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Stranca (Yildiz)/ Peucedanum obtusifolium, (Balkan), Pyrus bulgarica Strandza Mountain – Challenges and Opportunities for (Balkan), Rorippa thracica (Balkan), Salvia nutans, Satureja Promotion and Implementation of the Transboundary coerulea (Balkan), Senecio papposus subsp. papposus Biosphere Reserve Concept by Dr Metin Karadağ and (Balkan), Sideritis scardica subsp. scardica (Balkan), Mehtap Öztekin MSc in 2009. Taraxacum gracilens (Balkan), Verbascum banaticum, Verbascum haussknechtii (=V. degenii) (Balkan), Veronica 3. Results and discussion crinita [=V. austriaca L. subsp. teucrium (L.) D.A.Webb], A total of 1364 vascular plant taxa, 796 of those determined and Veronica turrilliana (Balkan). by the current project, are listed from the Project area The following habitat types were observed in the (Appendix II). This inventory was prepared mainly based Project area: coastal dunes, wetlands, grasslands, shrubs on the 2547 specimens collected during the flora surveys (heathland), cliffs, forests [beech forest, oak-hornbeam and supplemented with taxa records cited in Flora of forests, Euxino-Thracian mixed forests, Pinus nigra forests, Turkey (Davis, 1965–1985; Davis et al., 1988; Güner et floodplain forests (longose)], and coastal lagoons. al., 2000), The Flora of European Turkey (Webb, 1966), Significant findings include a new species (Allium related papers, Project reports, theses, and the collected rumelicum M. Koçyiğit & N. Özhatay) for plant science specimens kept in the ANKO, EDTU, GAZI, ISTE, ISTF, (Özhatay et al., 2010), 3 new records for the Turkish flora, ISTO, and MUFE herbaria. and 8 new records for the flora of European Turkey. In the Project area 1315 taxa, 1227 species, 286 I. New records for the flora of Turkey subspecies, and 111 varieties belonging to 505 genera 1. Allium saxatile M.Bieb., Tabl. Prov. Casp. 114 (1798). and 113 families were determined. There were 18 taxa Specimens examined: A1(E) Kırklareli: Demirköy, belonging to Pteridophyta; the remaining 1297 taxa Mahya Mount., Sarpdere village, 358 m, 03.10.2009, are Spermatophyta, including 4 Gymnospermae taxa, E.Akalın & Y.Yeşil (ISTE 92497!); Dupnisa cave, 458 m, 1035 Dicotyledonae taxa, and 258 Monocotyledonae 26.10.2009, E.Akalın, Y.Yeşil, M.Koçyiğit (ISTE 93421!); taxa. The largest families in terms of number of genera ibid., 20.07.2010, N.