Determination of Used Design Plants in Manisa, Soma District Green Areas and Potential Use of Natural Vegetation

Considering the fact that the effective use of rich natural vegetation of Turkey on urban designs will provide contributions to urban ecology, urban green spaces and natural vegetation of Soma District in Manisa were examined in this study. Rapid development of industry in Soma district led to an unplanned urbanization. Rapid conversion of green spaces which form a balanced ecological environment by establishing the city-nature relationship into buildings and the pollutants caused by the industry have turned Soma district into an unhealthy city. Urban green spaces were examined by taking this problem into consideration and increasing the use of the species in the natural vegetation for plant designs was seen to be important. Material of the study is the design plant of Manisa Soma district and Soma natural vegetation. Method of the study is con-ducted on site investigations and field studies. In this study 100 plant species belonging to 42 families were determined and classified as design plants in Soma district. Moreover, 88 plant species belonging to 38 families which are suitable to use as design plants were determined in the district flora and the opportunities and qualifications to use them as design plants were tabulated. The plants used in urban areas are compared with natural vegetation. In this study are determined 28 trees shrubs and bushes, with 25 of annual and peren-nial plant species that suitable for use as design plant in urban greenareas were not given.