Journal of Environmental Biology

An ecological and syntaxonomical overview of Castanea sativa

and a new association in Turkey

 

O. Ketenoglu*, G.N. Tug and L. Kurt

Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Ankara University, Ankara - 06100, Turkey

(Received: April 25, 2009; Revised received: June 10, 2009; Accepted: September 05, 2009)

 

Abstract: Castanea sativa Mill. is thought to be originated from Turkey. It is an important deciduous angiosperm with edible fruits and valuable wood. It has a wide distribution from east Black sea to Marmara and Aegean Regions. Because of its wide distribution, C. sativa grows on different ecological, geological, climatic and edaphic condition and these results in different associations with different companion species evaluated in different upper units. In this paper, the status of Turkish C. sativa forests, their ecological and syntaxonomical characteristics were overviewed. The C. sativa associations described so far and a new one from Black Sea region were grouped in various alliances of two distinct classes, Querco-Fagetea and Quercetea pubescentis.

Key words: Castanea sativa, Ecology, Synecology

Copyright ? 2010Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).