Floristic and environmental factors controlling distribution of four characteristic species in Central Anatolian rangelands

For the healthy and sustainable use of rangelands and the highest economic return, the natural structure of the rangelands (flora, soil, bedrock, climate) should be well known. In our study; ıt is aimed to reveal the dominant species in the existing floristic structure of the rangelands of the Central Anatolia Region, to examine the relations of the species with each other and with their environment, to examine the effects of the physical and chemical properties of the soil on the floristic structure. Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin, Thymus sipyleus Boiss. Bromus tomentellus Boiss., Poa bulbosa L. which are dominant in the rangelands of 9 provinces in the Central Anatolia Region (Ankara, Çankırı, Çorum, Kırıkkale, Kırşehir; Nevşehir, Kayseri, Yozgat, Sivas) were determined as 4 dominant species. 24 variables consisting of biotic and abiotic factors were determined in the rangelands with dominant species and the relevant data were entered into the created data set. The dataset was analyzed with Pearson's Correlation, Spearmann Correlation, Independent T Test and Ordination tests in SPSS 22 and CANOCO 4.5 package programs. According to the analysis results, ıt has been understood that F. valesiaca shows good growth in areas with high north-facing areas in terms of altitude, annual precipitation, organic matter and phosphorus content. T. sipyleus and B. tomentellus were similar to each other and showed better growth in clayey, calcareous and high PH soils. P. bulbosa; it prefers relatively loamy, non-calcareous, phosphorous soils at lower altitudes. It can be said that the tolerance limits of P. bulbosa are wider than the other three species. F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus prefer different plant formations as habitat types. In general, organic matter and phosphorus deficiency were prominent in all areas. The results of the study revealed important findings in understanding the ecological characteristics of the steppes of the Central Anatolia Region.