Vegetation ecology of lower Gediz basin

ABSTRACTVEGETATION ECOLOGY OF LOWER GED Z BASIN (MAN SA-ZM R)DURMUŞKAHYA, CenkPhD Thesis, Biology DepartmentSupervisor : Prof.Dr. Yusuf GEM CSeptember 2005This study consist of flora and vegetation of Lower Gediz Basin where located in zmirand Manisa Province.At the end of the flora studies, 1065 taxa belonging 99 families have been identified inthis region. 44 of them are endemic and the ratio of the total flora is % 4,2.In this study, 8 plant associations have been found and 3 of them have been described inthe first time. These associations and the syntaxanomic catagories they belong are as follow:Ceratophyllum demersi (Hild 1947)•Pragmitetum communis (Schumale 1939)•Paliuro-Quercetum cocciferae (Çetin 2003)•Asphodelo- Sarcopoterietum spinosi ass.nova•Arthrocnemo- Halocnemetum strobilacei (Oberd 1957)•Tamaricetum symrnensi (Seçmen&Leblebici 1994)•Lino- Pinetum brutiae ass.nova•Phlomo- Quercetum macrolepi ass.nova•As a result, Lower Gediz Basin was heavily destroyed by antropojenic effets, which is inthe Mediterrenian vegetation step. Today, natural vegetation is keeping on the lands which nonconvenient for farming in the Gediz Delta and slopes of the mountains which are boarded thebasin. A big part of the natural vegetaion is formed by valonia oak, red pine and friganaassociationsKey Word: Flora, Vegetation Ecology, Lower Gediz Basin, Turkey