Revue internationale d'écologie méditerranéenne International ...
Revue internationale d'écologie méditerranéenne International ...
Revue internationale d'écologie méditerranéenne International ...
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Results<br />
A syntaxonomical and synecological research on the steppe vegetation of the Karacadağ Mountain (Şanlıurfa-Diyarbakır / Turkey)<br />
Brief description of the area<br />
Geography<br />
Karacadağ is an extinct volcanic body lying<br />
between northwest of Şanlıurfa and southwest<br />
of Diyarbakır with the direction of northsouth.<br />
Geographic position of Karacadağ is in<br />
between 37 o 30’ 25’’-37 o 59’ 05’’ north latitudes<br />
and 39 o 20’ 27’’-40 o 0’ 0’’ east longitudes. e<br />
top point of Karacadağ Mountain is Mirgimir<br />
Hill (1981 m). e other important altitudes<br />
of Karacadağ are Mandal Hill (1895 m),<br />
Besrek Hill (1350 m), Keluşak Hill, Hazel Hill<br />
(1839 m), Bakşo Hill (1883 m) and Kollubaba<br />
Hill (1957 m). Most of these hills are chapped<br />
by small streams which dry in summers.<br />
Geology<br />
Volcanic Karacadağ body separates Southeastern<br />
Anatolia into two drainage basins; one<br />
of them is Tigris river in the east and the other<br />
is Euphrates river in the west. is body can<br />
be described as a big lava shield composed of<br />
basaltic lavas. Karacadağ volcanic body is<br />
formed through overlapping of basaltic lava<br />
domes. ere is no volcanic structure on<br />
Karacadağ that is eroded excessively. e<br />
slope of volcanic (~2 o ) body from top to the<br />
periphery parts is very low (Sözer 1984). As<br />
Karacadağ is not very high it also does not<br />
seem grandiosely. e lava plateau which also<br />
includes Karacadağ has such low slope that it<br />
seems flat. A little increase in this slope is seen<br />
in the piedmonts of Karacadağ. e Karacadağ<br />
body is chapped by the valleys which lie<br />
from the center to the periphery in a beam<br />
like manner (Tolun 1954). e Karacadağ<br />
block has taken today’s shape as a result of the<br />
tectonic events occurred at the end of<br />
Pleocene era and at the beginning of Pleistocene<br />
era (Sayar 1932).<br />
Soils<br />
A large part of Karacadağ is covered by<br />
basaltic soils. However, lithosol soils which are<br />
among the azonal soil groups and of which<br />
bedrock is basaltic are seen in the low slope<br />
locations. ese lithosol soils cover smaller<br />
area than the coverage of brown forest soils,<br />
bare rock which is an unused area, detrituses<br />
and colluvial soils (Anonymous 1994; 1995)<br />
(Figure 2).<br />
ecologia mediterranea – Vol. 36 (1) – 2010<br />
According to the results of analysis, soils are<br />
clayish-loamy and loamy textured. ese soils<br />
are among the soils which have the most<br />
appropriate physical property for the plants.<br />
Saturation ratios differ by depending on soil<br />
texture and these ratios are highly suitable for<br />
the growth of plant roots. pH of the soil has a<br />
slightly acidic character (average pH is 6.2).<br />
ese pH values are ideal for the plant growth<br />
and they are suitable for taking up many<br />
micro elements and phosphorus. Lime ratio<br />
changes from 1.4% to 1.5% and it is low. Phosphorus<br />
and potassium which are important<br />
for the plant growth are in a sufficient level in<br />
the soils of the region. With respect to results<br />
Figure 2 – The great soil groups of Karacadağ.<br />
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