Journal of Environmental Biology

The relationships between beta plant diversity and climatic variables: A case study from Kuyucak mountain district

M.G. Negiz¹* and K. ?zkan²

¹Forestry Department, S?t??ler Vocational School, Suleyman Demirel University,? S?t??ler, Isparta, 32260, Turkey

²Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Suleyman Demirel University, Division of Soil Science and Ecology, Isparta, 32100, Turkey

*Corresponding Author E-mail: mehmetnegiz@sdu.edu.tr

Key words

Beta plant diversity,

Biodiversity components,

Mediterranean region,

Environmental factors,

Kuyucak mountain 

Publication Data

Paper received : 30.07.2017

Revised received : 11.06.2017

Accepted : 26.06.2017

Abstract

Aim: There are three types of biodiversity, i.e., alpha diversity (diversty within an individual habitat orecosystem), beta diversity (between habitat or ecosystem) diversity between areas) and gamma diversity (total diversity). Alpha diversity indices have been frequently used to examine the relationships between biodiversity and environmental factors. However, studies concerning the relationships between beta diversity and environmental factors are few despite the fact that beta diversity gives more information about ecosystem stability against internal and external threatening factors. The present study was carried out to examine beta plant diversity and climatic factors in Kuyucak Mountain District of the Mediterranean region.

Methodology: Bioclimatic data was obtained from www.wordclimdata.org for the district. Bioclimatic variables having cell size 752x752 m were storied in the GIS. Four sample plots were taken in each selected cell by controlling from GIS. Coverage values of plant species were recorded in the sample plots. After field survey, beta plant diversities of the cells were calculated by using Whittaker Beta Index (βw). Next, regression analysis was applied to show the relationship between beta diversity and bioclim variables.

Results: Beta diversity showed positive linear relationship with BIO1, BIO2, BIO3, BIO5, BIO8, BIO9, BIO10 and BIO15, while it had negatively linear relationships with BIO4, BIO11, BIO12, BIO14, BIO17 and BIO18.

Interpretation: Further studies can be conducted about the other climatic variable in the region, as well as the other environmental variables in order to associate with beta diversity. Thus, potential distribution areas of the plant species and biodiversity components can be identified and mapped with the help of base maps for the area's habitat variables. 

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