Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi) 2024, 30 (1) : 90 – 98 DOI: 10.15832/ankutbd.1200867 Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi) J Agr Sci-Tarim Bili e-ISSN: 2148-9297 jas.ankara.edu.tr Environmental Factors and Semiarid Plants Species on Eroded Marly Soils in Southwest Anatolia (Eskişehir/Türkiye) Münevver ARSLAN a , Neslihan BALPINAR b , Mesrur Ümit BİNGÖL c* , Nejat ÇELİK a a Research Institute for Forest, Soils & Ecology, 26160 Eskişehir, TÜRKİYE b Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 15030 Burdur, TÜRKİYE c Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 06100 Ankara, TÜRKİYE ARTICLE INFO Research Article Corresponding Author: Mesrur Ümit BİNGÖL, E-mail: mumit1111@hotmail.com Received: 08 November 2022 / Revised: 31 July 2023 / Accepted: 02 August 2023 / Online: 09 January 2024 Cite this article Arslan M, Balpinar N, Bingöl M Ü, Çelik N (2024). Environmental Factors and Semiarid Plants Species on Eroded Marly Soils in Southwest Anatolia (Eskişehir/Türkiye). Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi), 30(1):90-98. DOI: 10.15832/ankutbd.1200867 ABSTRACT The natural regeneration of vegetation in areas of marly soils is restricted due to drought and soil erosion. For the ecological restoration of eroded areas, the selection of suitable plant species is critical. The aim of this study is to assess specific plant species and their ecological characteristics for their ability to thrive under drought in eroded areas with marly soil. The study was conducted on 36 sampling locations in the marly areas of Eskisehir-Bozan, Türkiye, during the most drought- prone months, August and September, in 2011 and 2012. Vegetation sampling was conducted according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Fifteen plant taxa with the highest coverage and frequency were identified. Relationships between plant species and environmental factors were determined using Spearman’s correlation analysis. According to the results of numerical analysis, there were correlations between ecological parameters including nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, lime, slope, altitude and plant taxa. The resistance rate of fifteen plant taxa in marly areas is quite high even in the driest months. These plant taxa, possessing properties essential for soil protection, may be used for revegetation practices of marly areas exposed to soil erosion. This study’s findings will provide useful guidance for vegetation programs. Keywords: Eroded area, Growth form, Vegetation, Spearman’s correlation 1. Introduction Marl rocks are widespread in many countries and marl derived soil is a mixture of clay and calcium carbonate and is very susceptible to erosion (Bouma & Imeson 2000; Sokouti & Razaki 2015). It has been determined that the source of sediment yield in arid areas is marly soils with high erodibility (Thoms et al. 2004). Steep slopes and low vegetation lead to further erosion. Soil erosion affects all natural and cultivated areas around the world and causes significant soil loss (Burylo et al. 2011) and is known to be significant threat to sustainability in the context of ecosystem services. In particular, it is primarily responsible for land degradation in the cultivated areas located in fragile ecosystems (FAO & ITPS 2015). There is a consensus that ecosystem restoration should be scientifically reliable and reflect an accurate understanding of ecological principles (Stokes et al. 2014). Data regarding vegetation dynamics and some ecological characteristics of an area can help us assess the vulnerability of degraded soils due to soil erosion and the effectiveness of restoration activities (Burylo et al. 2011). In Türkiye, water erosion is a major problem and the predicted average soil loss rate is higher than 5 t ha-1 y-1 in the 26.4% of agricultural lands (Erpul et al. 2020). In particular in the wheat production areas, which constitute 67% of the agricultural areas in which field crops are cultivated, it leads to a significant reduction in production potentials at the national scale. But, wheat demand tends to increase due to rising population density (Anonymous 2019). Therefore, accurate estimation of land productivity under the accelerated soil erosion dynamics has great importance in terms of conservation natural resources (Saygın 2021). The Central Anatolian Region of Türkiye is a mountainous Mediterranean climate, and semiarid climatic conditions prevail in this region (Akman 1999). The main anthropogenic pressures affecting the forest resources in this region are overexploitation and overgrazing (Kahveci 2017). Relict forests are essential for ecological restoration in such degraded semiarid regions (Kahveci 1998). The Anatolian black pine woodlands in the marl areas of Eskişehir on the eastern foot slopes of the Sündiken Mountains are one of the relict forests. In addition, plants in these areas can be evaluated as seed source reserves for plant species used in revegetation efforts. The plants in these areas can adapt to changing environmental conditions (Loreau et al. 2001).