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FLORISTIC DIVERSITY IN BAŞHEMŞİN VALLEY OF KAÇKAR 

MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK OF RİZE, TURKEY

HÜSEYIN BAYKAL1* AND VAGIF ATAMOV2

1Department of Plant and Animal Breeding, Pazar Vocational School, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, 53300 Pazar, Rize-Turkey

2Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, 53100, Rize-Turkey

*Corresponding autor’s e-mail: huseyin.baykal@erdogan.edu.tr

Abstract

The floristical structure of Başhemşin and its environs as a protected and isolated area within Kaçkar Mountains National Park, situated in Rize, a province in the Blacksea region of Turkey, is studied. 1830 plant specimens were collected and 503 taxa were identified in 234 genera and 75 families. Sixteen Pteridophytes and 487 Spermatophytes were determined. Two of Spermatophytes are Gymnospermae while 485 of them are Angiospermae (98 Monocotyledones and 389 Dicotyledones). The richest families in taxa are Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, and Fabaceae (55 Asteraceae, 49 Poaceae, 28 Brassicaceae, and 27 Fabaceae). Phytogeographic elements are listed in order as: Euro-Siberian 247 (49.1%), Irano-Turanian 17 (3.4%), Mediterranean 6 (1.2%), multiregional-unknown phytogeographic root 233 (46.3%). Hemicryptophytes are the richest with 224 (44.5%) taxa and it is followed by cryptophytes 144 (28.6%), therophytes 53 (10.5%), chamaephytes 59 (11.7%), phanerophytes 19 (3.8%), vasicular parasites 2 (0.4%), nanophanerophytes/chamaephytes 1 (0.2%) and hydrophytes 1 (0.2%). 34 endemic taxa were determined (6.7%). 13 threatened taxa were detected in the research area and we determined that Sorbus caucasica Zinserl. var. yaltırıkii Gökşin population has fallen into CR endangered category with only 2 individuals in the study area.

Key words: Başhemşin, Çamlıhemşin, Flora, Rize, Turkey.