Search

Aims: We present the first survey of plant communities of Istanbul, their classification and syntaxonomy with main environmental drivers that shape them. Study area: Anatolian (Asian) part of Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: We collected 442 vegetation relevés according to Braun-Blanquet method. Cluster analysis and ordination of the dataset were performed to assess particular vegetation patterns. Diagnostic species of each cluster were determined using the fidelity measure (phi-coefficient). Site conditions were presented by ecological indicator values. Results: The analysed dataset shows clear division into six classes. They represent typical weed plant community (Digitario sanguinalis-Eragrostietea minoris), annual (Sisymbrietea, Chenopodietea) and perennial ruderal vegetation (Artemisietea vulgaris, Epilobietea angustifolii), and higher successional stadia (Charabdido-Asphodeletea). Conclusions: Our survey of urban vegetation of Istanbul is the first attempt of urban vegetation classification in Turkey. We showed high diversity of vegetation due to various human impacts and Istanbul’s location on the crossroads of different phytogeographical regions. Taxonomic reference: Euro+Med (2006-). Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016). Abbreviations: NMDS = Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling Ordination.

A stratified dataset of 2426 relevés of weed vegetation of arable fields of the Balkan Peninsula was analysed by cluster analysis. The major division in species composition was associated with the type of crop. This accords with the syntaxonomical and ecological pattern already detected for southeast Europe and is in conflict with the Central European classification that has appeared in recent years. Clusters resulting from numerical classification reproduced the majority of traditionally recognized phytosociological alliances (Oxalidion, Panico-Setarion and Eragrostion are associated with root crops, while Scleranthion, Caucalidion and Galeopsion with cereals). Galeopsion was grouped with some Caucalidion relevés, which is not surprising since both consist of weed communities from cereals. Vernal communities form a separate cluster and indicate a special community type, which has been treated in some classification systems as a phenological aspect.