Article

The Cyprus endemic species Quercus alnifolia grows at an altitudinal range of 600–1525 m, mainly as a shrub. It is one of the most ecologically important endemic species of Cyprus. This species forms communities that extend throughout the entire Troodos Mountain range, and it appears either in pure stands, or in mixture with other taxa or even, as an understorey in pine stands. The priority habitat type of Annex I of the Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora "Scrub and low forest vegetation with Quercus alnifolia - 9390", is characterized by arborescent Q. alnifolia-dominated formations (pure stands). This habitat type occurs in the central Troodos range, where it has a relatively wide distribution. In the present study, a detailed inventorying of the plant communities with Q. alnifolia has been realised in three different Natura 2000 sites of Cyprus: National Forest Park of Troodos, "Koilada Kedron - Kampos", and Machairas Forest. Surveys to sample the plant composition and communities at field scale and at elevations ranging from 1070 m to 1380 m, were performed during 2020 and 2021. An average number of 19 different plant taxa have been registered on each one of the 36 sampling plots. 107 plant taxa have been recorded on the sampling plots and an analysis of the floristic composition has been conducted. Low intensity pressures have been recorded on Q. alnifolia communities, across the sampling areas. The conservation status of the communities with Q. alnifolia is favourable and significant regeneration of the species has been recorded. Τhe need to monitor these forests and their intrinsic floristic diversity, is underlined since there seems to be a gap in the Mediterranean vegetation survey recent scenario.