Some new plant communities in steppe of Central Anatolia: Phytosociology, ecology, and diversity

The Central Anatolian steppe and forest-steppe vegetation have diverse site conditions and small-scale plant diversity. For this reason, identification of plant communities is important for understanding their ecology and nature conservation. This study aims to contribute the syntaxonomical classification of the Central Anatolian steppe and forest-steppe vegetation. The study area is situated among Guzelyurt, Narkoy, and Bozkoy (Nigde) in the east of Aksaray province of Central Anatolia in Turkey. The vegetation data were collected using the phytosociological method of Braun-Blanquet and classified using TWINSPAN. The ecological characteristics of the units were investigated with Detrended Correspondence Analysis. The steppe association was included under Onobrychido armenae-Thymetalia leucostomi and Astragalo microcephali-Brometea tomentelli. The forest-steppe association was classified under Quercion anatolicae and Quercetea pubescentis. The riparian association is the first poplar-dominated one described in Turkey, was also classified in Alno glutinosae-Populetea albae and in the alliance Populion albae.