The flora of Yıldız Mountains (Kırklareli) Biosphere Project area

Authors: EMİNE AKALIN URUŞAK, FATMA NERİMAN ÖZHATAY, NECMETTİN GÜLER, HÜSEYİN ERSOY, NESİBE BAŞAK, YETER YEŞİL, DİLEK ORAL, SERPİL DEMİRCİ

Abstract: A floristic study of the Yıldız Mountains Biosphere Project was undertaken between May and October 2009. The project area is located in the north-eastern part of European Turkey, within flora square A1-A2 (E) (Kırklareli), and covers about 1300 km^2. The list of vascular plants was prepared mainly based on specimens collected during the flora surveys of the Project and supplemented by earlier gathered specimens kept in the EDTU, ISTE, and ISTO herbaria. In the project area 1315 taxa, belonging to 505 genera and 113 families, were determined. Among these, 18 taxa are Pteridophytes, 4 Gymnospermae, 1035 Dicotyledones, and 258 Monocotyledones. The 3 largest families are Compositae (153 taxa; 11.5%), Leguminosae (119 taxa; 9.1%), and Graminae (102 taxa; 7.9%). The richest genus is Trifolium (62 taxa). Among the more significant finds of this floristic survey of the research area are 15 endemic taxa for Turkey and 29 taxa that are not recorded in the Asiatic part of Turkey, a new species for plant science (Allium rumelicum M.Koçyiğit & N.Özhatay), 3 new records for Turkey (Allium saxatile M.Bieb., Anthoxanthum aristatum Boiss., and Elatine triandra Schkuhr), and 8 new records for European Turkey.

Keywords: Yıldız mountains, European Turkey, flora, Biosphere Reserve

Full Text: PDF