An overview of the floristical, phytosociological and phytoecological structure of Turkish Eastern Beech (Fagus orientalis) forests

Fagus orientalis Lipsky (eastern / oriental beech) is the most common species of the genus Fagus L. in Turkey. F. orientalis formation is widespread especially in Black Sea and Marmara Regions. Furthermore, this species is locally seen in the Pos Forests (Adana), on the Amanos Mountains and Kahramanmaras-Andirin district (in East Mediterranean Region); on the Murat and Turkmen Mountains (Aegean Region). F. orientalis is represented by 17 associations in Turkey. These associations include 515 taxa (111 tree and shrub habit, 414 herbaceus) floristically. The life form spectrum of F. orientalis forests includes 298 hemicryptophytes, 83 phanerophytes, 79 therophytes, 31 geophytes, 27 chamaephytes, 5 vascular parasites. Phytogeographically a major part of the taxa in F. orientalis forests are Euro-Siberian elements (23%) followed by the Irano-Turanian (6%) and Mediterranean (6%). There are 32 endemic taxa in F. orientalis forest (6 shrub/tree habit-26 herbaceus) (6.21%). F. orientalis associations are found in different altitudes (between 10-1740 m.), on different bedrocks (limestone, andesite, schist, mica schist, flaser gneiss, granite) and in brown forest soils commonly in Turkey. The distribution of associations numerically evaluated on the F. orientalis vegetation distributed in Turkey is related to the climatic and geographic factors. Similar associations in the same climate zones show resemble ordination and cluster results.