This study was undertaken to assess the floristic composition of the Esenli (Giresun) Forest Planning Unit. In the said planning unit, plant taxa were gathered from numerous stations at different vegetation periods between 2015 and 2019. The study area is located between 825 and 2250 m in the Colchic sector of the Euxine province within the Euro-Siberian floristic region. With this study, 486 vascular plant taxa belonging to 87 families and 395 genera were found in Pteridophyta and Magnoliophyta sections. The Pteridophyta section was represented by 16 taxa and the Magnoliophyta section (including gymnosperms and angiosperms) by 470 taxa. The largest family was Asteraceae (68 taxa; 13.9%), followed by Fabaceae (32; 6.6%), Lamiaceae (31; 6.4%), Rosaceae (30; 6.2%), and Brassicaceae (23; 4.7%). The predominance of plant taxa belonging to the Euro-Siberian phytogeographical region in the study area is noteworthy. Additionally, Irano-Turanian (25 taxa: 5.1%) and Mediterranean (13 taxa: 2.7%) plants were observed. According to the Raunkiær plant-life form system, hemicryptophytes with 274 plant taxa (56.4%), geophytes with 67 taxa, and therophytes with 66 taxa were the most common life forms. With this study, 109 vascular plant taxa were newly recorded in the Giresun Province. In the study area, 30 plant taxa are endemic to Turkey, and the ratio of endemism is 6.2%.
Cite this article as: Karaköse M. (2021) Vascular plant diversity of esenli (giresun) forest planning unit. Forestist, 72(2), 156-164.