Abstract:

This study was conducted to determine the plant-covered area and botanical composition of three different direction of a natural rangeland within the Cukurova University campus located in Saricam District of Adana province in 2014. The vegetation survey was carried out using the loop method and plant-covered area, botanical composition ratios according to the plant-covered area, species, genus and families of the plants, life spans, response group to grazing (decrease, increase, invasive) and frequency values of the species were determined. While the average ratio of the plant-covered area was 50%, it was determined that the ratio of grasses varied between 45.1%-75.3%, legumes between 0.0%-12.9%, and other family species between 22.1%-42.1% in the plant-covered area. In the vegetation survey, 44 species belonging to 44 genus from 23 families were found. The most common species in the west direction of the rangeland was kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra Forssk.), the most common species in the east direction was thatching grass (Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf), and the most common species in the flat area was bulbous barley (Hordeum bulbosum L.). According to the results of the research, it was concluded that new researches should be carried out in order to improve the rangeland studied where invasive species are dense and to determine the appropriate improving method.

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