@Article{taiwania2026714607,
AUTHOR = {Somar Mariam, Zuheir Shater, Talal Amin},
TITLE = {Influence of forest cover type on understory plant biodiversity in the forests of Latakia Governorate, Syria},
JOURNAL = {Taiwania},
VOLUME = {71},
YEAR = {2026},
ISSUE = {4},
PAGES = {607-617},
URL = {https://taiwania.ntu.edu.tw/abstract/2209},
ABSTRACT = {This study aimed to assess the effect of forest cover type on understory plant biodiversity using compositional and trait-based indicators across different forest habitat types in Latakia Governorate, Syria, during 2022–2023. Vegetation surveys were conducted in 67 plots (400 m² each) across five habitat types: Natural oak forests, Maquis, Natural coniferous forests, Planted coniferous forests, and Burned forests. Compositional diversity was evaluated using species richness, Simpson index, Shannon index, and evenness. Categorical trait composition was assessed through sexual system, pollination mode, life form, and dispersal mode. A total of 350 species from 73 families were recorded, representing approximately 10.4% of Syria's total flora. Burned forests showed the highest species richness (194 species) and diversity indices, while Natural oak forests showed the lowest. Trait distributions differed significantly among habitats: dioecious, phanerophyte, and geophyte species dominated natural oak forests and Maquis, whereas hermaphroditic, hemicryptophyte, and therophyte species dominated disturbed habitats. Wind pollination and wind dispersal were more prevalent in coniferous forests, while insect pollination and animal dispersal characterized Maquis. The integration of compositional and trait-based approaches is valuable for monitoring biodiversity in Mediterranean forest habitats.},
DOI = {10.6165/tai.2026.71.607}
}