Important legume and grass forage crop species commonly found in natural mountain grasslands in Yusufeli -Artvin

Study was conducted in natural grasslands of Artvin Province, Türkiye in 2003. The aim of the study was to determine the species of Leguminosae, Gramineae and other families and their percentage in the grassland vegetation. Modified wheel point method was employed to study the vegetation in 20 grassland zones. Grassland quality degrees and condition classes were identified through Resource and Enviromental Data Interpretation System (REDIS) package software. As a result of the study, 95 species were determined of which 17 legume, 20 graminae and 58 other families. Species of the other families constituted the 50,4% of the botanical composition while the shares of leguminosae and gramineae species were 23,4% and 26,2% in the total. Regarding the contribution to the botanical composition 9 leguminoseae forage species (Onobrychis hajastana, Trifolium hybridum, Medicago papillosa, Trifolium alpestre, Trifolium ambiguum, Vicia caracca, Medicago varia, Trifolium pratense and Lotus corniculatus) and 10 gramineae species (Bromus erectus, Dactylis glomerata, Bromus tomentellus, Festuca sp., Androgopogon sp., Koeleria cristata, Poa pratensis, Agropyron repens, Phleum montanum, Agropyron intermedium) were determined. The most frequent legume and gramineae species in the studied areas were Onobrychis hajastana and Agropyron intermedium with the rates of 2,63% and 2,55% respectively. This analysis revealed that half of the studied grassland zones was in medium quality while the rest was in good class.