In this study, copper, iron, manganese and nickel levels of branches and leaves of Pyracantha coccinea Roem. (firethorn) were measured for determining the heavy metal pollution in Mugla Province. Plant samples were collected from 34 different localities in four different areas of Mugla Province, during 2006 vegetation period. Unwashed and washed leaf samples and unwashed branch samples were subjected to analysis and copper, iron, manganese and nickel concentrations of samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The obtained data were analyzed with "statistical package for the social sciences" statistics program. As a result of measurements, the highest average and lowest values and their collected stations were as follows; the highest average (5.89 ± 0.04 µg/g dw) and the lowest (5.20 ± 0.03 µg/g dw) values of copper were measured near highways. The average highest iron value (9.53 ±1.68 µg/g dw) was in industrial area while the lowest was near highways (1.73 ± 0.54 µg/g dw). The highest value of magnesium accumulation (1.00 ± 0.16 µg/gdw) was measured near highways. The lowest value was determined in urban area (0.40 ± 0.14 µg/g dw). The average highest level of nickel was in industrial area while the lowest was determined in urban area. The values were 14.34 ± 1.59 µg/g and 4.05 ± 0.51 µg/g dw. As a result, it was proven that P. coccinea could be used as a biomonitor species for some of these heavy metals especially for copper and nickel.

In this study, plant (leaf, branch and bark) and soil samples of nettle tree were collected from 40 different localities in Istanbul, Turkey, to investigate the heavy metal pollution levels as well as to understand the employability of this plant species in pollution monitoring. Besides, the importance of pollution sources and their distance to the plant species were emphasized, and assessment of the air and soil related contamination was performed. The heavy metal concentrations in the samples were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The average highest values of Pb (14.90 § 2.96 mg/g), Cd (0.65 § 0.13 mg/g), Cu (19.94 § 1.17 mg/g) and Zn (42.53 § 3.08 mg/ g) were found in unwashed leaf samples taken from the roadside. However, the average lowest values of Cd (0.30 § 0.06 mg/g) and Cu (5.99 § 0.21 mg/g) were in washed leaf samples, whereas the lowest levels of Pb (1.19 § 0.12 mg/g) and Zn (14.34 § 0.71 mg/g) were in branches. In addition, there was also a direct correlation between heavy metal accumulation, traffic density and closeness to roadside. It was demonstrated that Celtis australis could be a useful plant species in the biomonitoring of environmental pollution with these four heavy metals. Moreover, the results also indicated that nettle tree barks might be employed in long-term measurements of heavy metal accumulation.

Physico-chemical parameters of Tunca, Merich, Arda and Ergene rivers, in the Edirne region of Turkey, were investigated. Studies were carried out during 1998–2004 and the data obtained were compared with EU threshold levels. The results showed that the total concentrations of P, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn and Co were higher than these threshold levels. There is an urgent need for Turkey to limit water pollution from a wide range of dangerous substances, particularly at a time when it is being considered as an EU candidate. Turkey will be required to achieve a satisfactory status in its waters by 2015, in particular in the waters of the rivers investigated in this paper that border Bulgaria and Greece. Levels of pollutants which pose a significant risk to the aquatic environment need to be monitored and strictly controlled.

Turkish red pine is an evergreen tree species widely distributed in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions in Turkey. In the present work, the heavy metal pollution level in Istanbul was investigated using Turkish red pine as a biomonitor. For determining heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni and Pb) in leaf (unwashed and washed) and bark samples of Turkish red pine and its co-located soil samples we used ICP-OES. Additionally, particulate matter profiles of the research areas were investigated. The samples were collected from 5 different localities: 4 from the Bosporus region (Yildiz Grove, Fethi Pasha Grove, Baltalimani Grove and Mihrabad Grove) and one from Prince Island, also known as Buyukada (as control). According to our measurements, the highest heavy metal accumulations (in mg kg -1 DW) in plant part samples were measured between 1.526±0.012 and 1.639±0.015 for Cd, 0.543±0.007 and 0.600±0.009 for Co, 5.110±0.064 and 5.648±0.072 for Cr, 9.347±0.105 and 10.331±0.111 for Mn, 7.483±0.091 and 8.271±0.096 for Ni, and 13.848±0.159 and 14.950±0.167 for Pb, while the highest heavy metal accumulations (in mg kg -1 DW) in soil samples were measured between 1.813±0.021 and 1.974±0.029 for Cd, 6.326±0.082 and 6.992±0.091 for Co, 22.017±0.284 and 23.685±0.301 for Cr, 268.333±3.153 and 297.361±3.529 for Mn, 15.194±0.176 and 16.792±0.193 for Ni, and 68.778±0.715 and 74.514±0.883 for Pb. The highest outdoor particulate matter levels (in µg/m 3 ) in research areas were also determined as 27.103 for fine (PM 2.5 ) and 67.792 for coarse (PM 10 ) aerosols. The findings revealed that Turkish red pine could accumulate noteworthy amounts of heavy metals.

The Turkish Mediterranean region covers an area of 198.165km2, including ten states and a coastline of about 4,389km. The area has served as a womb for several civilisations. However, its rich plant diversity has been victimized through anthropomorphic pressures. Southwestern shores of Turkey are the main centre of coastal endemism in the Mediterranean basin. The flora in the region on the whole includes more than 700 endemics, out of which about 600 are East‐Mediterranean elements. Out of the endemic taxa distributed in the region more than 40 are facing a threat of extirpation. The region embodies tertiary endemics as well, like Liquidamber orientalis, Eryngium thorifolium and Flueggea anatolica. High mountain zones abound in neoendemics. Although several protected areas have been created lately, demographic pressure, urbanisation, grazing, fires and erosion, are still posing a great threat to the plant diversity. This paper enlightens the impact of the aforementioned land degradation processes on the plant cover of this phytogeographical region in Turkey.