An overview of plant diversity, land use and degradation in the Mediterranean region of Turkey

The Turkish Mediterranean region covers an area of 198.165km², including ten states and a coastline of about 4,389km. The area has served as a womb for several civilisations. However, its rich plant diversity has been victimized through anthropomorphic pressures. Southwestern shores of Turkey are the main centre of coastal endemism in the Mediterranean basin. The flora in the region on the whole includes more than 700 endemics, out of which about 600 are East‐Mediterranean elements. Out of the endemic taxa distributed in the region more than 40 are facing a threat of extirpation. The region embodies tertiary endemics as well, like Liquidamber orientalis, Eryngium thorifolium and Flueggea anatolica. High mountain zones abound in neoendemics. Although several protected areas have been created lately, demographic pressure, urbanisation, grazing, fires and erosion, are still posing a great threat to the plant diversity. This paper enlightens the impact of the aforementioned land degradation processes on the plant cover of this phytogeographical region in Turkey.