Flora of Oflak Mountain (Kaynarca) and its surroundings

In this research, it is attempted to determine floristic properties of the Oflak Mountain, which is in the borders of Sakarya's Kaynarca district and its surroundings. Oflak Mountain, which is the study area, is a prominent area in the Marmara Region of our country. It's located in the north of the Adapazarı plain and within the borders of Adapazarı, Kaynarca and Ferizli districts. It extends from east to west with a significant elevation compared to its surroundings. It is notable in terms of plant diversity. The highest point of the mountain is 353 meters. According to Davis' Grid System, the study area is located in the square A3. Field work was carried out 23 times. During this period, 759 plant samples were collected and 1022 photographs of the plants were taken during the study phase. Plants were collected and photographed as much as possible while they had flowers or fruits, and then they were pressed and dried according to existing rules. After the samples were dried, they were kept in the refrigerator and protected from harmful creatures such as insects and turned into herbarium material. Examination area consists of mountainous areas, low and high plateaus, steep slopes and plains. Although Oflak Mountain has a significant spread and elevation compared to the Adapazarı Plain, some parts of which approach sea level, and the high and low plateau areas around the mountain, it is the westward extension of the Çamdağ mass in Hendek. At the same time, high and low plateau surfaces, which are extensions of the Kocaeli Plateau in the west, are located around the study area. The surfaces of this plateau have been significantly eroded by streams and valleys have formed. Steep slopes are also seen along these valleys. The rock units in the study area are evaluated within the Western Pontide Zone and within the Istanbul-Akçakoca Tectonic Zone to the north of the North Anatolian Fault Line. It includes Middle Devonian - Lower Carboniferous aged Yılanlı Formation, Lower Devonian aged Ferizli Formation, Upper Cretaceous aged Yemişliçay Formation, Upper Campanian - Lower Eocene aged Akveren Formation, Lower - Middle Eocene aged Yığılca Formation and the same age Çaycuma Formation with the Kaynarca member within it is shown. The cover units in the study area are represented by Quaternary alluvial material and Pliocene aged Örencik Formation. The geology of this area has been investigated in detail due to the iron mineralization in the study area and its surroundings. In the study area, there are brown forest soils, non-calcareous brown forest soils, colluvial and alluvial soils. In the study area, agricultural activities are widely carried out on alluvial soils. Thin alluvial soils with inadequate drainage are seen in the plain area where Çark Stream passes in the study area. Colluvial soils are seen in a very narrow section in the area where alluvial soils are distributed in the study area. A large part of the brown forest soil on the northeast side is used for agriculture and also as a partial settlement area. In the study area, lime-free brown forest soils have the largest area and are generally seen in areas dominated by forest and maquis formations, creating a suitable environment for vegetation. Data from Sakarya, Kaynarca and Ferizli stations were used to determine the climate characteristics of the area. In this regard, the climate diagram of the area and the type of precipitation regime were determined with average temperature, average low and average high temperature, relative humidity, average rainfall and wind measurements. Accordingly, the rainy and warm Mediterranean climate in Sakarya; Kaynarca and Ferizli have a rainy and cool Mediterranean climate. However, in the Sakarya climate diagram, it is seen that the dry period begins towards the end of June and continues until mid-August. In the Kaynarca climate diagram, it can be seen that there is a rainy season in every period when there is no dry season. In the Ferizli climate diagram, it is seen that there is a rainy period in every period, as in the Kaynarca climate diagram, and there is no dry period. In the study area where moist forest vegetation is located, there are Fagus orientalis Lipsky, Quercus hartwissiana Steven, Carpinus orientalis Miller subsp. orientalis, Carpinus betulus L., Acer campestre L. subsp. campestre, Crataegus pentagyna Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd., Salix alba L., Daphne pontica L. subsp. pontica beside the roads among the mountains. However, there is also vegetation consisting of underforest plants such as Vicia cracca L. subsp. cracca, Equisetum arvense L., Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. Rubus hirtus Waldst & Kit., Rubus canescens DC. var. canescens, Rubus sanctus Schreber, Sambucus ebulus L., Cistus creticus L., Cistus salviifolius L., Rosa canina L., Crataegus microphylla C. Koch subsp. microphylla, Cornus mas L. are widely available as shrub vegetation throughout the mountain. At the edges of streams where the altitude decreases and near wetlands, Equisetum telmateia Ehrh., Equisetum arvense L., Galega officinalis L., Juncus inflexus L., Poa trivialis L., Epilobium hirsutum L., Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roemer & Schultes subsp. palustris, Alisma plantago-aquatica L. subsp. plantago-aquatica are common. As a result of the field studies carried out in the research area between 2016 and 2023, 262 genera belonging to 81 families and 448 species and subspecific taxa belonging to these genera were identified in and around Oflak Mountain. Of the taxa detected in the area, 3 belong to the Pteridophyta division, 445 belong to the Spermatophyta division, 4 of them belong to the Gymnospermae subdivision, and 441 of them belong to the Angiospermae subdivision. While 71 of the taxa belonging to the Angiospermae subdivision belong to the Monocotylodonae class, the remaining 370 taxa belong to the Dicotilodonae class. The richest families in the research area in terms of the number of genera are Asteraceae with 28 genera (10.68%), Poaceae with 25 genera (9.54%), Fabaceae with 19 genera (7.25%), Lamiaceae with 13 genera (4.96%) and Rosaceae (4.58%) with 12 genera. The richest families in terms of species and subspecific taxa detected in the research area are Fabaceae with 54 taxa (12.05%), Asteraceae with 41 taxa (9.15%), Poaceae with 34 taxa (7.58%), and 27 taxa Lamiaceae (6.02%) and Rosaceae (5.35%) with 24 taxa. The richest genera in terms of taxa in the area are Trifolium with 18 taxa (4.01%), Ranunculus with 8 taxa (1.78%), Lathyrus with 7 taxa (1.56%), Vicia with 7 taxa (1.56%), Euphorbia with 6 taxa (1.33%), Galium with 6 taxa (1.33%), Quercus with 5 taxa (1.11%), Ornithogalum with 5 taxa (1.11%), Plantago with 4 taxa (0.89%) and Medicago (0.89%) with 4 taxa. The distribution of species and subspecies taxa in the area to phytogeographic regions is as follows: Europe - Siberia (22.76%) with 102 taxa, Mediterranean (15.4%) with 69 taxa, Iran - Turan (1.11%) phytogeographic region with 5 taxa and 272 taxa (60.71%) which are from unknown regions or multi-regional. The classification of life forms of the taxa in the area is Phanerophyte with 61 taxa (13.61%), Camephyte with 31 taxa (6.91%), Hemicryptophyte with 143 taxa (31.91%), Cryptophyte with 77 taxa (17.18%), Therophyte (29.91%) with 134 taxa and Vascular parasite (0.44%) with 2 taxa. 6 endemic taxa were identified in the research area. The endemism rate of the area is 1.33%. The endemism rate in our study area is much lower than the endemism rate in our country. It is thought that the reasons for the low endemism rate in our study area are due to the area being located within the European – Siberian phytogeographic region, the partial degradation of natural life as a result of human activities and agricultural activities, and the destruction of forest areas for settlement purposes. However, damaging trees to create agricultural land, overgrazing activities and building irrigation ponds have caused destruction in nature, damaging both the ecosystem and biodiversity. In addition, during the research in the study area, vertebrates such as foxes, coyotes, snakes, pigs, turtles, cats, dogs and various bird species and various invertebrates such as insects were observed in natural life.