Factors Influencing Orchid Species Richness in the Central Balkans: The Importance of Belowground Organ Types.

ABSTRACT: The Balkan Peninsula is considered one of the most important centres of orchid diversity in Europe. However, the patterns of orchid species richness in the Central Balkans have not been sufficiently studied so far. The aim of this study was, therefore, to identify the centres of orchid diversity and the factors that influence the spatial variation in orchid species richness in the Central Balkans. For the analyses, the area of the Central Balkans was divided into 10 × 10 km grid cells. The environmental variables determined for each grid cell and used in the analyses were altitude, bioclimatic variables, geological substrates and habitat types. A random forest (RF) analysis was used to identify the environmental predictors most strongly associated with species richness. In addition to the

SUBMITTER: Djordjevic V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11819906 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature