FACTORS AFFECTING THE DIVERSITY OF FLORA AND VEGETATION IN CENTRAL-EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS

Published data on the number of plant species and/or communities were gathered for 77 European cities and 85 villages. The relationships bet ween the floristic and vegetation diversity and some environmental var iables were analysed. Species number in cities showed log linear incre ase with city size (expressed as the population size or city area). A linear increase in the species number with size was found in the villa ge flora. The richness of both city and village flora was not signific antly related to any climatic variable. On the contrary, the number of communities in both villages and cities was correlated not only with settlement size but also with altitude and mean annual temperature. Th e diversity of village vegetation was closely related to the climax ty pe of the respective region. The features of human settlements that ma ke it possible to consider them as landscape islands are discussed.