East Georgia, South Caucasus)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Accepted Manuscript Conspectus of trees and shrubs of Tbilisi environs (East Georgia, South Caucasus) N.J. Lachashvili, N.V. Eradze, L.D. Khetsuriani PII: S1512-1887(16)30061-6 DOI: 10.1016/j.aasci.2016.08.008 Reference: AASCI 43 To appear in: Annals of Agrarian Sciences Received Date: 22 May 2016 Accepted Date: 25 July 2016 Please cite this article as: N.J. Lachashvili, N.V. Eradze, L.D. Khetsuriani, Conspectus of trees and shrubs of Tbilisi environs (East Georgia, South Caucasus), Annals of Agrarian Sciences (2016), doi: 10.1016/j.aasci.2016.08.008. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Annals of Agrarian Science vol. 14, no. 3, 2016 Conspectus of trees and shrubs of Tbilisi environs (East Georgia, South Caucasus) N.J. Lachashvili *, N.V. Eradze**, L.D. K hhhetsuriani * *Ilia State University, Institute of Botany 1, Botanikuri Str., Tbilisi, 0114, Georgia ** Georgian National Botanical Garden 1. Botanikuri Str., Tbilisi, 0114, Tbilisi, Georgia Received 22 May 2016, Accepted 25 July 2016 Corresponding author: N.J. Lachashvili [email protected] Abstract Floristic composition of Tbilisi environs trees and shrubs are studied. On the one hand, variety of physical-geographical conditions and ecosystem of Tbilisi, and on the other hand, its location conditioned either floristic or bioecological diversity of the trees and the shrubs. 177 species of trees and shrubs, belonging to 89 genera and 44 families, were recorded. 35 species of them are endemics of Caucasus and included in “Red List of the Endemic Plants of the Caucasus”. Among them 2 species are endemics of Georgia, which of them 1 is local endemic of Tbilisi environs. 18 species are plants of Red List of Georgia. Floristic composition is enriched with naturalized plants (28 species). Habitats and area of species in Tbilisi environs are established. The full list of the trees and shrubs of Tbilisi MANUSCRIPTenvirons as a conspectus is given. The review of and vegetation of Tbilisi environs is attached to the article. Keywords : Trees, Shrubs, Tbilisi environs, Floristic composition, Endemic. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction The part of basin of the river Mtkvari, which is spread from the vil. Dzegvi to the section between Fonichala and Rustavi, is considered conditionally in the environs of Tbilisi. Endings of the thick geographic units of various origin and geographic age are gathered in the vicinities of Tbilisi that makes its relief considerably complicated. Privately, they are involved in the environs of Tbilisi: 1. extremee southern branching of Caucasian range – Saguramo-Ialno range; 2. eastern part of Kvernaki low range (Skhaltba low range); 3. Eastern endings of Trialeti range (the ranges ofACCEPTED Satskepela and Armazi, Mskhaldidi and Lisi, Mtatsminda, Narikhala, Tabori, Telet-sakharaulo); 4. western and extremee north-western part of Iori upland (Samgori, Vaziani, Tbilisi Sea and its adjacent territory, etc.) 5. Extremee north-western ending of Mtkvari-Araxi lowland (plains of Fonichala and Kumisi-Tsalaskuri). Hypsometrical amplitude of the Tbilisi vicinity is from 350 m to 1875 m above s.l.. Types of low and middle-height mountain-gorge and stepped plain relief are highlighted in the relief [1-5]. In the environs of Tbilisi,two types of climate with the appropriate two zone of the climate are apportioned [2, 3]: (1) The climate with insufficient humidity, dry and hot summer and mild but well expressed winter, (2) moderately humid climate with moderately warm summer and moderately cold snowy winter. The first zone of the climate contains the whole left side of the 1 Mtkvari, plains of FonichalaACCEPTED and Kumisi-Tsalaskuri MANUSCRIPT and the river floodplain as well. The secondary climate zone contains the mountainous part of the right side and the main part of Saguramo-Ialno range. Mainly, grey cinnamonic soil is developed on the western ending of the Iori upland and on the slopes of middle-height low range, which is of skeleton in most cases. Just of the same types, but light saline soil is on the plains of Fonichala and Kumisi-Tsalaskuri, where the solonets and solonchak is speckled. Mainly, different modifications of cinnamonic soil (cinnamonic leached, cinnamonic calcareous, cinnamonic light) is spread on the slopes of eastern endings of Trialeti range, on the slopes of southern exposure of Saguramo-Ialno ringe and partly on the Skhaltba low range. And, brown forest soil of various modifications is met in the upper parts of these ringes. Alluvial soils remained on the terraces of the rivers. Thin primitive skeleton soil and scree-stony is widely spread in the grey cinnamonic soil areal. Rocky bareness of groundless soil covering is also met. The section of clay and clay-sand badlands is met on the southern slope of Skhaltba low range [2, 4-8]. Variety of relief-edaphic conditions, geographical location and muster of several geographic units those are different from each other, existence of different climate zones, geological past, modern geophysical and geochemical processes and etc. conditions significant biodiversity of Tbilisi environs. By the words of M. Sakhokia [9], vicinity of Tbilisi represents distinctive “botanical junction”, where the areas of various important floristic centre are intersected. You can face either floristic or ecosystem diversity as well. Approximately 1600 species of vascular plants are distributed in the Tbilisi environs according to A. Makashvili [10, 11]. From the point of landscapes creation and taken space, forests, shrubberies and steppes are the most important, which are represented by diverse modifications [12]. Accordingly, the role of trees and shrubs in making landscapes of Tbilisi surroundings is very big. They play an important role in the regulation of erosion processes, in creation of micro-climate of Tbilisi environs and, in general, in keeping of ecological balance. Objectives and Methods MANUSCRIPT The aim of our research was to study floristical composition of trees and shrubs in Tbilisi environs and to establish area and habitatefor each specieson the base of own research and literary data. Data were obtaited by route method. Apportionment of Caucasian endemics was based on the data of J. Solomon, T. Shulkina and G. E. Schatz [13]. Results and Analysis On the base of own research and literary data 177 species of trees and shrubs, belonging to 89 genera and 44 families, were recorded in the Tbilisi environs. Ecobiological features. Most of species are deciduous plants (160 species) and conifers and other evergreen plants are represented only by 17 species. The conifers are: Juniperus foetidissima , J. hemisphaerica , J. oblonga , J. oxycedrus , J. polycarpos , Picea orientalis , Pinus eldarica, P. kochianaACCEPTED, P. nigra , Platycladus orientalis , Taxus baccata . Composition of evergreen trees and shrubs are very scanty. Besides conifers 6 species of evergreen trees and shrubs were recorded: Buxus colchica , Hedera helix , H. pastuchowii , Ilex colchica , Quercus ilex , Ruscus aculeatus subsp. ponticus . Diversity of physical-geographic conditions determined the distribution of trees and shrubs of various ecology. On the one hand mesophilous and on the other hand xerophilous and hemixerophilous trees and shrubs are represented here. Many plants are transient between them, too (xeromesophilous and mesoxerophilous plants). Trees and shrubs typical for moist ecotopes are spread too. Though, it should be mentioned that such kind of separation has conditional 2 character. In addition, an importantACCEPTED part of MANUSCRIPT species is characterised by high ecological amplitude and is distributed in various environment. Mesophilous trees and shrubs in many cases are concentriced in the forests. They are: Fagus orientalis , Carpinus caucasica , Quercus iberica , Picea orientalis , Taxus baccata , Acer laetum , Acer platanoides , Ilex colchica , Hedera pastuchowii , Euonymus latifolia , Cornus mas , Corylus avellana , Rhododendron luteum , Vaccinium arctostaphylos , Quercus macranthera , Frangula alnus , Laurocerasus officinalis , Populus tremula , Staphylea pinnata , Tilia begoniifolia , Ulmus elliptica , Vaccinium arctostaphylos etc. Hemixerophilous species are characteristic for shibliac and tragacanthic formations and arid forests [14-16]. Most of them are shrubs ( Atraphaxis caucasica , Paliurus spina-christi , Caragana grandiflora , Ephedra procera , Cerasus incana , Jasminum fruticans , Juniperus oxycedrus , Rhamnus pallasii , Rh. spathulifolia , Astragalus caucasicus , A. microcephalus , A. tanae, Cotoneaster morulus , C. saxatilis , C. racemiflorus , C. suavis , C. meyeri , Colutea orientalis , Lonicera iberica , Cotinus coggygria , Spiraea hypericifolia etc.) but the small part is tree (Juniperus foetidissima , J. polycarpos , Pyrus fedorovii , P. ketzchovelii , P. salicifolia , Pistacia mutica , etc.). Xeromesophilous and mesoxerophilous trees and shrubs in many cases are distributed in the derivatives of forests, forest edges and the secondary mesoxerophilous shrubberies.