The effects of mountainous areas on biodiversity: a case study from the northern Anatolian Mountains and the Taurus Mountains

The altitude, exposure factors and some landforms and parent materials create different environments and/or habitat for the growth of plants belonging to the several phytogeographic regions in the mountainous areas. The mountain ranges in Turkey bring about the formation of different habitat both in the growing of relic and endemic plant species and the plant communities belonging to adjoining phytogeographic areas. For example, the high part of the Northern Anatolian Mountains, the Mont Ararat, the Erciyes mountains and Nemrut volcanic caldera are the main shelter area of the plants of the Last Glacial period in the Anatolia. Indeed, the high parts, especially northern slopes of the above mentioned mountain areas produce a favourable condition for the growth of Euro-Siberian plants. In other words the plants which spread during the Last Glacial Period appear presently in the high part of mountains. The karstic depressions, on the other hand, which are found in the Taurus Mountains is rich in terms of endemic and relic plant species and communities such as Quercus vulcanica and humid plant species growing in the Euro-Siberian region. Because the thick soil cover which is found the inside of the small karstic depression forms suitable condition for the growth of hydrophytic plants. There is a considerable difference in the plant communities between on the slopes facing north and south of the Northern Anatolian Mountains. The deciduous forest is common on the lower part of the northern slopes of th