Plant diversity along coastal dunes of the Black Sea (North of Turkey)

Abstract

Coastal dunes are particular ecosystems because they include different vegetation types and have high environmental heterogeneity. Plant biodiversity in coastal dunes vary along the seashore to inland environmental gradient. In the present study, plant biodiversity along the coastal dune zonation of Central Black Sea Region of Turkey (upper beach or drift line, embryonic or primary dune, main dune, transitional and fixed dune zone) is evaluated using different diversity indexes (Evenness, Functional diversity, Plant biodiversity and Rarity). Plant biodiversity increases from seashore to the inland. In particular evenness and rarity indexes tend to increase from the drift line to fixed dunes as functional diversity is high in the upper beach and drift line.