Revue internationale d'écologie méditerranéenne International ...

Discussion
A syntaxonomical and synecological research on the steppe vegetation of the Karacadağ Mountain (Şanlıurfa-Diyarbakır / Turkey)
According to Zohary (1973), Mesopotamia
sector of Irano-Turanian phytogeographic
region which includes the study area is characterized
by chamaeophytes and hemicryptophytes.
It was observed that the result taken
when the life forms of taxa in the plant associations
were analyzed supported this view. In
addition, high Irano-Turanian elements ratio
also proves the consequence that the study
area is included Irano-Turanian phytogeograpic
region (Figures 4, 5).
While Karacadağ was covered by the forest
vegetation 40-50 years ago (Zohary 1973),
today, these forest vegetations are replaced by
the trees in small groups because of excessive
destruction. Human activities increasing day
by day (land clearing or extending agricultural
areas, excessive and ill grazing in the natural
areas like forage and steppe, for different aims
especially for fuel, uprooting of Astragalus
gummifer) is the most important factor that
threatens the plant diversity in the Karacadağ.
It manifests the severity of the situation that
there is not any vegetation found under the
traganthic vegetation in many areas.
Especially, Karabahçe ridgeway, Kollubaba
Hill, Besrek Hill, the areas around Ovabağ and
around Alatosun, Koh Plateau, Leblebitaş,
Bedro Plateau and upper parts of Gümüştaş
village are seen as the areas which should be
taken under protection.
Astragalo microcephali-Brometea tomentelli
Quézel 1973 is composed of High mountain
grasslands (including basiphytic snow-patch
meadows), xerophytic dwarf-shrub and
thorn-cushion communities of Anatolia, the
Levant and NW Iran. is class is represented
in Turkey by six orders. 1-Astragalo microcephali-Brometalia
tomentelli Quézel 1973:
Oreal to subalpine xerophytic grasslands,
dwarf-shrub and the thorn-cushion communities
of Anatolia, the Levant and north-western
Iran, 2-Drabo-Androsacetalia Quézel
1973: Alpine to subnival mat-forming communities,
3-Hyperico linarioidis-ymetalia
skorpilii Akman, Quézel, Yurdakulol,
Ketenoğlu and Demirörs 1987: Xerophytic
grasslands, dwarf-shrub and thorn-cushion
communities of the West and Middle Black
Sea (Karadeniz in Turkish) Mountains, 4-
Onobrychido armenae-ymetalia leucostomi
Akman, Ketenoğlu, Quézel and Demirörs
1984: Xerophytic grasslands, dwarf-shrub and
the thorn-cushion communities of Central
ecologia mediterranea – Vol. 36 (1) – 2010
Figure 4 – Life form spectrum of the associations.
Figure 5 – Chorology spectrum of taxa.
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