Subalpine vegetation in Giresun Mountains (Turkey)

Abstract

In this study, the subalpine vegetation in the Giresun Mountains of northern Turkey was investigated. The study area included north- and south-facing slopes at altitudes ranging between c. 2000 and 2500 meters. For vegetation classification and for describing the relationships between vegetation and environment, traditional Braun-Blanquet methods and multivariate analysis techniques were used. The vegetation mainly consisted of subalpine grasslands and coniferous cushion scrubs. Caricetea curvulae and Astragalo microcephali-Brometea tomentelli were found to be dominant syntaxa in the vegetation of the study area. Land topography, soil physical and chemical factors and species richness have important impacts on the development of subalpine vegetation according to the results of multivariate analysis. Three associations and two subassociations were newly determined and classified. Hemicryptophytes, chamaephytes and geophytes participated in the floristic composition of these syntaxa. EUNIS habitat code and names for described syntaxa were also proposed.