THE VEGETATION OF HONAZ MOUNTAIN AND ITS ENVIROMENT

Generally, the dry forests are dominant in Honaz mountain and its vicinity.They are represented by Pinus brutia in lower altitudes and by Pinus nigra in higher altitudes.The northern slopes of the mountain are under the influence of the Mediterranien climate. Against this, continental effects are prevailed in the southern slopes and inner parts. There for the plant communities of the different slopes of Honaz mountain are not the same.The maquis formation is composed with various species and dense in humid nouthern slopes, whereas it is poor in dry southern slopes and is represented by very few species.Beside this, valley interiors of the humid northern slopes, are sheltered many humid species, such as Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica, Acer hyrcanum subsp. keckianum, Castanea sativa, Populus tremula, Corylus avellana, Cornus mas, C.sanguinea, Mespilus germanica, Sorbus torminalis, Fraxinus angustifolia, those most of them belong to Black Sea region. Among the plant communities of Honaz mountain (dry forest, maquis formation, Alpin plants), the most attractive one is, this humid species those are occured in the interiors of northern slopes.All these must be the remainder(relict) from the humid period of Pleistocene glacial age.