The annotated checklist of plant species that occur in the wetland habitats of Georgia (the Caucasus)

Study Extent

Georgia, South Caucasus

Sampling

Vegetation was sampled as follows: once a wetland was recognized and inspected, the team chose visually the most representative area(s) for sampling. A central point of circular plots was placed at random in a selected area, and radii for plots were delineated: a 9 meter-radius circular plot around a sampling point was used to sample trees; a 6 meter-radius plot was used for sampling shrubs, and a 3 meter-radius circle was used for sampling herbaceous plants. Within these plots, we identified and recorded all detectable species and assessed their abundance by the modified scale of Braun-Blanquet (r, +, 1, 2m, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5). Plant species were identified using the Key to Plants of Georgia and the Excursion Flora of Germany (Exkursionsflora von Deutschland). The plant species that were not easily identifiable in the field were collected and later accurately identified by comparing them to the specimens in the National Herbarium (TBI) of the Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Georgia.

Method steps

1. The sampling locations were selected prior to our fieldwork using topographic maps of the Soviet period (1950-60s), which depicted mires, swamps, and other wetlands in a rather detailed manner.
2. Before sampling, we determined the location and morphology of wetland bodies with 5m accuracy using RapidEye satellite multispectral imagery.
3. Sampling points on the pre-selected sites were located using navigation instruments − GPS and satellite images.

1. Plantae
   common name: Plants rank: kingdom

Sampling regions are located at different hypsometric heights and in different climatic zones. In total, we inventoried 218 wetland plots in seven regions across Georgia: Kolkheti Lowland (121 plots), Javakheti Plateau (53 plots), mountainous Adjara – the highlands of Adjara (8 plots), Kazbegi region (7 plots), Iori River Gorge – the northwestern part of Kakheti province (9 plots), Upper Imereti (6 plots), Shida Kartli Lowland (6 plots), and Alazani Valley (8 plots).