Latif Kurt

Pollen and Seed Morphology of the Genus Marrubium (Lamiaceae) in Turkey

Morphological features of pollen and seeds of 19 Turkish species of the complex genus Marrubium were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. On the basis of exine sculpturing and seed shape, three main types are recognized in Marrubium. The study revealed that palynological and seed morphological characters are of taxonomic significance in the genus.

New halophytic syntaxa from Central Anatolia (Turkey)

The research was carried out on the salt marsh vegetation covering the halophytic formations in Salt Lake and Seyfe Lake, in the middle part of Central Anatolia. The vegetation, which is under the influence of an arid and a semiarid, cold, and very cold Mediterranean climate, was analyzed according to the Braun-Blanquet approach. According to ecological and floristic characteristics, two new alliances, Lepidio caespitosi-Limonion iconici and Inulo aucheranae-Elymion salsi, and six new plant associations were described in the area.

SYNTAXONOMIC RESEARCH ON THE GYPSICOLE VEGETATIONIN CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

The research was carried out on the steppe vegetation covering the gypsiferous formations in Cappadocia, the eastern part of Central Anatolia. The vegetation, which is under the influences of a semiarid, very cold Mediterranean climate, was analyzed according to the Braun-Blanquet approach. A new suballiance,Helichryso-Thymenion cappadosici of the alliance Astragalo karamasici-Gypsophilion eriocalycis and five new plant associations were described in the area.

Unravelling the mechanisms for plant survival on gypsum soils: an analysis of the chemical composition of gypsum plants from Turkey.

Depending on their specificity to gypsum, plants can be classified as gypsophiles (gypsum exclusive) and gypsovags (non-exclusive). The former may further be segregated into wide and narrow gypsophiles, depending on the breadth of their distribution area. Narrow gypsum endemics have a putative similar chemical composition to plants non-exclusive to gypsum (i.e. gypsovags), which may indicate their similar ecological strategy as stress-tolerant plant refugees on gypsum. However, this hypothesis awaits testing in different regions of the world. We compared the chemical composition of four narrow gypsum endemics, one widely distributed gypsophile and six gypsovags from Turkey. Further, we explored the plasticity in chemical composition of Turkish gypsovags growing on high- and low-gypsum content soils. Differences were explored with multivariate analyses (RDA) and mixed models (REML). Narrow gypsum endemics segregated from gypsovags in their chemical composition according to RDAs (mainly due to higher K and ash content in the former). Nevertheless, differences were small and disappeared when different nutrients were analysed individually. All the gypsovags studied accumulated more S and ash when growing on high-gypsum than on low-gypsum soils. Similar to narrow gypsum endemics from other regions of the world, most local gypsum endemics from Turkey show a similar chemical composition to gypsovags. This may indicate a shared ecological strategy as stress-tolerant plants not specifically adapted to gypsum. Nevertheless, the narrow gypsum endemic Gypsophila parva showed a chemical composition typical of gypsum specialists, indicating that various strategies are feasible within narrowly distributed gypsophiles.

Phytosociological studies on salty steppe communities of Central Anatolia, Turkey

The salty steppe vegetation of the Central Anatolian subregion of the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region was examined synecologically and syntaxonomically. In the vegetation surrounding the salt lakes of this region, a new alliance Achilleo wilhelmsii-Artemision santonici and two new associations belonging to it were described. These syntaxa were attached to order Onobrychido armenae-Thymetalia leucostomi Akman, Ketenoglu, Quezel 1985, which characterizes the Central Anatolian steppes, and the classic Astragalo microcephali-Brometea tomentelli Quezel 1973, which includes a vast part of the Turkeys steppe vegetation.

Habitat classification and evaluation of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Protected Area (Muğla/Turkey)

AbstractThe aim of this study is the classification and evaluation of the habitats in Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Protected Area (SPA) in accordance with the international criteria, determination of the unique, rare and threatened habitats and making proposals for the sustainability of the habitats and its balanced use. Köyceğiz-Dalyan SPA hosts different habitats such as forests, maquis, garrigue, phrygana, lakes, stream, sand hills, reeds, fresh water and oceanographic regions and the diversity of the species living there, the complex web of relations among these species and the diversity biological processes constitutes a relevant model for Thermo and Eu-Mediterranean zones for East Mediterranean Basin. Nowadays the rate of loss in biological diversity stemmed from the anthropogenic sources is a thousand times higher than the geological extinction. That is why the determination and description of the habitats with unique properties is of extreme importance. This study involves the classification of Köyceğiz-Dalyan SPA habitat types in accordance with the European Union Nature Information System (EUNIS) habitat classification. The habitats were evaluated with regard to the criteria such as size of area, biodiversity, naturalness, rarity, typicalness, the reparation and/or restoration potential. The evaluations are based upon the indices of class area (CA), number of patches (NP), percentage of landscape [Perceland (Pİ)], the largest patch index (LPI), modified Shannon–Simpson diversity index (MSHDI-MSIDI). As a result of this study EUNIS habitat types of Köyceğiz-Dalyan SPA located at the southwest of Turkey have been determined and there were 11 new habitats found which are not included in AB habitat list. These habitat types were evaluated by the use of evaluation indices in addition to biological and ecological processes. There were proposals made for the protection of rare and endangered habitats.

A first inventory of gypsum flora in the Palearctic and Australia

Gypseous substrates are well-recognised as supporting distinctive and unique flora assemblages, including numerous gypsum endemic (gypsophile) species. Along with these, others are also frequent although their presence is not restricted to gypsum; they show a clear preference for them (gypsocline). While this phenomenon (gypsophily) has been studied regionally, and various hypotheses put forward to explain it, there has been little global synthesis. We present a preliminary check-list on the gypsophile and gypsocline flora of the Palaearctic and Australian areas as a part of a project to develop a global checklist of the World’s gypsophytes, which can broaden our ecological and biogeographical understanding of these unique environments. The database contains 935 taxa spanning 54 countries. The Irano-Turanian region —and to a lesser extent the Mediterranean region— emerged as the richest territories in terms of gypsophile species; this richness was much reduced in the Saharo-Arabian and, especially in the Eurosiberian regions. The factors that can modulate the richness of gypsophytes in a region are discussed and have been distributed into four groups: a) geological and edaphic factors; b) factors linked to the insular nature of outcrops; c) climatic variables and their interaction with the soil; d) biogeographical factors. The importance of those factors linked to insularity and, especially, to water availability is emphasized. Because the soil structure of many gypsum outcrops reduces water ability to plants, such outcrops can be regarded as “dry-islands” surrounded by less xeric substrates. The fact that gypsophytes can be grouped within a few major flowering plant clades across continents, confirms their pre-adaptations to these harsh and unique environments. Our work provides a preliminary database for exploring ecological and biogeographic issues relating to gypsophily, and we hope it will stimulate global interest in these valuable ecosystems.

Highland Vegetation of Inner and Eastern Anatolia and the Effects of Global Warming

Turkey located in the temperate zone has a peculiar importance due to its topographical, bioclimatical, biomorphological, and pedological heterogeneity.