During the glacial episodes of the Quaternary, European forests were restricted to small favourable spots, namely refugia, acting as biodiversity reservoirs. the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas have been considered as the main glacial refugia of trees in Europe. In this study, we estimate the composition of the last glacial forest in a coastal cave of the Cilento area (SW Italy) in seven time frames, spanning from the last Pleniglacial to the Late Glacial. Charcoal analyses were performed in seven archaeological layers. Furthermore, a paleoclimate modelling (Maxent) approach was used to complement the taxonomic identification of charcoal fragments to estimate the past potential distribution of tree species in Europe. Our results showed that the mesothermophilous forest survived in this region in the core of the Mediterranean basin during the Last Glacial Period (LGP, since ~36 ka cal BP), indicating that this area played an important role as a reservoir of woodland biodiversity. Here, Quercus pubescens was the most abundant component, followed by a wide variety of deciduous trees and Pinus nigra. Charcoal data also pointed at the crucial role of this coastal area, acting as a reservoir for warm temperate trees of genera Tilia, Carpinus and Sambucus, in LGP, in the Mediterranean region. Our modelling results showed that P. nigra might be the main candidate as a “Pinus sylvestris type” in the study site in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, we found that P. nigra might coexist with Q. pubescens in several European territories both currently and in the LGM. All models showed high levels of predictive performances. Our results highlight the advantage of combining different approaches such as charcoal analysis and ecological niche models to explore biogeographic questions about past and current forest distribution, with important implications to inform today’s forest management and conservation.

Coastal Pine-Oak Glacial Refugia in the Mediterranean Basin: A Biogeographic Approach Based on Charcoal Analysis and Spatial Modelling

This investigation was carried out between 1997 and 2002 in order to research the forest vegetation of Karagol-Sahara National Park (Artvin). This vegetation was studied according to the traditional Braun-Blanquet approach. A total of 114 quadrats were examined. In the area under review, forest vegetation is represented by Querco petraea-Piceetum orientalis ass. nov., Fraxinetosum angustifoliae subass. nov., Crataegetosum microphyllae subass. nov., Junipero oxycedri-Pinetum sylvestris ass. nov., Fago orientalis-Abietum nordmannianae ass. nov., Pino sylvestris-Piceetum orientalis ass. nov., Abieti nordmannianae-Piceetum orientalis ass. nov., Abieti nordmannianae-Pinetum sylvestris ass. nov., and Junipero communi-Pinetum sylvestris ass. nov. Seven associations and 2 subassociations are new syntaxa to science. The distribution of the associations in the investigation area and their brief ecologies are provided. Some soil samples taken from various plots representing different plant associations were analysed.

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Forest Vegetation of Karagöl-Sahara National Park Artvin-Turkey

The research area, Kunduz Forests, is located on Kunduz Mountain, which is about 35 km south-west of Vezirkopru (Samsun). This area is in the A5 square in the grid scheme of Davis and is in the Euxine sector of the Euro-Siberian floristic region phytogeographically. The distribution of 306 specific and infraspecific taxa forming the flora of the research area according to floristic regions is as follows: Euro-Siberian 28.43%, Mediterranean 11.44% and Irano-Turanian 4.90%. The percentage of taxa found in more than one floristic region is 55.23%. Twenty-five of the 306 taxa found in the study area are given as new floristic records for the A5 square in the Flora of Turkey. Besides the dominant forest vegetation type, there is also degraded forest vegetation in the research area. These vegetation types are represented by Carpino-Quercetum cerridis Kutbay & Kilinc 1995, Daphno-Pinetum sylvestris Kutbay & Kilinc 1995, Junipero-Pinetum nigrae Ozen & Kilinc ass. nov. and Galio-Fagetum orientalis Ozen & Kilinc ass. nov. associations. The last two out of the four associations mentioned here are determined to be new associations.

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The Flora and Vegetation of Kunduz Forests (Vezirköprü / Samsun)

The vegetation of Egerli Mountain (Amasya, Turkey) was investigated between 1996 and 1998. The study area is a transitional area between the boundaries of Central Anatolia and the Middle Black Sea region. From the phytogeographical point of view, it is situated between the Euro-Siberian and Irano-Turanian floristic regions. The vegetation of the study area was analyzed according to the Braun-Blanquet method, and the plant associations were classified by considering characteristic species. We describe 8 plant associations and 2 subassociations belonging to three different vegetation types in the study area.

Phytosociological research on Egerli Mountain (Amasya, Turkey)

In this study, the steppe vegetation of Dinek Mountain (Kirikkale) was analysed by Braun-Blanquet’s method. All the associations described in the area, were included in the alliance of Arenario ledebouriana – Astragalion plumosi Akman 1990 regarding to their ecological and floristic peculiarities. This alliance includes the order of Onobrychido armenae – Thymetalia leucostomi Akman, Ketenoglu & Quezel 1985, and the class of Astragalo microcephali – Brometea tomentelli Quezel 1973.

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Yıldırım Akman

Papers

The Vegetation of Beynam Forest