Diversity of Chilean-Patagonian and Brazilian Floristic Regions in Batumi Botanical Garden

Abstract

Floristic zoning involves dividing the Earth's surface into floristic districts of various ranks. Within each district, the flora is relatively uniform and distinct from the flora of other districts. The kingdom is the largest unit of floristic zoning, followed by the district and the province. South America is home to approximately 82,000 species, with 90% of them being endemic. The continent experiences abundant moisture, frequent tropical rains, dry summers in the western subtropical zone, and rainy winters. Precipitation levels increase towards the east, with some areas experiencing drought. The soil cover is primarily reddish-yellow. The Batumi Botanical Garden houses diverse flora, organized into phytogeographical divisions based on the plants' origin. Currently, it includes 9 phytogeographical divisions. The South American phytogeographic section is situated on a terraced, wind-protected slope facing the sea. The average air temperature in the garden is 14-15˚C, and the predominant soil type is red soil. Due to the diversity of plants, the continent includes 2 kingdoms - Neotropical and Holantarctic. According to A. Takhtajian in "Floristic Regions of the Earth" (1986). The Neotropical Kingdom is further divided into 5 regions: Caribbean, Guyana Highlands, Amazon, Brazil and Andes. The Holantarctic Kingdom is divided into 2 regions - Fernandez and Chile-Patagonia. Therefore, the study aims to determine the natural distribution of the collection in the phytogeographical section of South America, which includes 15 families, 19 genera, and 23 taxa, categorize them into the corresponding floristic district, analyze and separate the plots, name the district, and plant the species according to the floristic district during the annual planting.