Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo

Our study documents information on rarity, geographical distribution, taxonomy and conservation status of 11 geophyte species in serpentine soils of Kosovo, already included in the Red Book of Vascular Flora of Kosovo. Kosovo’s serpentine vegetation represents a diversity that yet has not been suffi...

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Main Authors: Naim Berisha, Fadil Millaku, Elez Krasniqi, Bekim Gashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Union of Scientists in Bulgaria 2014-12-01
Series:Ecologia Balkanica
Subjects:
Online Access:http://web.uni-plovdiv.bg/mollov/EB/2014_vol6_iss2/067-074__eb.14118.pdf
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spelling doaj-d866a46ef1e942c6b3e44b9a388f25fe2021-02-02T03:07:33ZengUnion of Scientists in BulgariaEcologia Balkanica1314-02131313-99402014-12-01626774Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of KosovoNaim Berisha0Fadil Millaku1Elez Krasniqi2Bekim Gashi3Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Pristina, KOSOVOFaculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Pristina, KOSOVOFaculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Pristina, KOSOVOFaculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Pristina, KOSOVOOur study documents information on rarity, geographical distribution, taxonomy and conservation status of 11 geophyte species in serpentine soils of Kosovo, already included in the Red Book of Vascular Flora of Kosovo. Kosovo’s serpentine vegetation represents a diversity that yet has not been sufficiently explored. Large serpentine complexes are found in the northern Kosovo but also southern part of the country is rich in serpentines, therefore in endemics. Serpentine rocks and soils are characterized by low level of principal plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca) and exceptionally high levels of Mg and Fe. Serpentines play particular importance for flora of the country due to their richness in endemic plant species. The following 11 plant species have been studied: Aristolochia merxmuelleri, Colchicum hungaricum, Crocus flavus, Crocus kosaninii, Epimedium alpinum, Gentiana punctata, Gladiolus illyricus, Lilium albanicum, Paeonia peregrina, Tulipa gesneriana and Tulipa kosovarica. Five out of eleven studied geophytes fall within Critically Endangered IUCN based threat category and five out of eleven are local endemics. Aristolochia merxmuelleri and Tulipa kosovarica are steno-endemic plant species that are found exclusively in serpentine soils. Information in our database should prove to be valuable to efforts in ecology, floristics, biosystematics, conservation and land management.http://web.uni-plovdiv.bg/mollov/EB/2014_vol6_iss2/067-074__eb.14118.pdfKosovorareserpentineIUCNgeophyte
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Naim Berisha
Fadil Millaku
Elez Krasniqi
Bekim Gashi
spellingShingle Naim Berisha
Fadil Millaku
Elez Krasniqi
Bekim Gashi
Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo
Ecologia Balkanica
Kosovo
rare
serpentine
IUCN
geophyte
author_facet Naim Berisha
Fadil Millaku
Elez Krasniqi
Bekim Gashi
author_sort Naim Berisha
title Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo
title_short Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo
title_full Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo
title_fullStr Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo
title_full_unstemmed Rare and Endangered Geophyte Plant Species in Serpentine of Kosovo
title_sort rare and endangered geophyte plant species in serpentine of kosovo
publisher Union of Scientists in Bulgaria
series Ecologia Balkanica
issn 1314-0213
1313-9940
publishDate 2014-12-01
description Our study documents information on rarity, geographical distribution, taxonomy and conservation status of 11 geophyte species in serpentine soils of Kosovo, already included in the Red Book of Vascular Flora of Kosovo. Kosovo’s serpentine vegetation represents a diversity that yet has not been sufficiently explored. Large serpentine complexes are found in the northern Kosovo but also southern part of the country is rich in serpentines, therefore in endemics. Serpentine rocks and soils are characterized by low level of principal plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca) and exceptionally high levels of Mg and Fe. Serpentines play particular importance for flora of the country due to their richness in endemic plant species. The following 11 plant species have been studied: Aristolochia merxmuelleri, Colchicum hungaricum, Crocus flavus, Crocus kosaninii, Epimedium alpinum, Gentiana punctata, Gladiolus illyricus, Lilium albanicum, Paeonia peregrina, Tulipa gesneriana and Tulipa kosovarica. Five out of eleven studied geophytes fall within Critically Endangered IUCN based threat category and five out of eleven are local endemics. Aristolochia merxmuelleri and Tulipa kosovarica are steno-endemic plant species that are found exclusively in serpentine soils. Information in our database should prove to be valuable to efforts in ecology, floristics, biosystematics, conservation and land management.
topic Kosovo
rare
serpentine
IUCN
geophyte
url http://web.uni-plovdiv.bg/mollov/EB/2014_vol6_iss2/067-074__eb.14118.pdf
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