An investigation on plant species diversity in Colchic Province (Turkey)

Abstract

The present study was carried out during 2005 to 2010 to determine the important plants of Colchic Province in Turkey, which includes Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize, Gumushane and Artvin cities. The research area is located in the Colchic part of the Euxin province of the Euro-Siberian floral region, within the Holarctic phytogeographical region. In this study, 327 genera, 540 species and subspecies belongs to 89 different families, were identified in the research area. The distribution of taxa according to phytogeographic regions is as follows: 40.56% Euro-Siberian, 7.78% Irano-Turanian, 2.96% Mediterranean and 48.70% unknown region or widely distributed. The families with the largest number of genera are Asteraceae (64; 11.85%), Fabaceae (54; 10.00%), Poaceae (47; 8.70%), Lamiaceae (33; 6.11%), Scrophulariaceae (23; 4.26%) and Rosaceae (22; 4.07%), respectively. The richest genera are Trifolium L. (13 taxa), Campanula L. (11 taxa) and Astragalus L. (8 taxa). The distribution of taxa according to life-form is as follows: 309 Hemicryptophyte (57.22%), 92 Therophyte (17.04%), 44 Chamaephyte (8.15%), 44 Phanerophyte (8.15%), 43 Geophyte (7.96%), and 8 Hydrophyte (1.48%). The study identified 540 taxa, of which 428 are perennial, 84 are annual, 19 are biennial, 6 are annual and biennial, and 6 are biennial and perennial. The endemism rate is 11.67% (63 taxa). The risk status of 39 taxa was evaluated according to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) risk criteria. Key words: Eastern black sea, flora, Colchic province, Turkey.