o:7685 Vascular plant nano-hotspots in the central Balkan Peninsula – A novel GIS-based approach for identifying centres of species richness en Abstract: Although the Balkan Peninsula is one of the most biodiverse regions in Europe, there is still a lack of knowledge about its plant diversity. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by studying the spatial patterns of plant diversity on three massifs that had previously been identified as hotspots for endemics, Arctic-alpine and Boreal relics. To achieve this objective, we employed data gap and GIS analysis techniques to identify species-rich areas and to assess the relationship between taxa richness and the components of environmental heterogeneity. Targeted field surveys were carried out over two seasons, and a total of 97 environmental factors were selected as elements of environmental heterogeneity. A considerable number of hotspots of plant richness were identified, comprising 18 actual and 57 potential nano-hotspots. Most of the identified potential nanohotspots are situated in areas characterized by a pronounced canyon or ravine formation, while the lowest number was observed at the highest elevations of the mountains, especially in regions where silicate substrates predominate. Our findings confirm the importance of factors previously identified as pivotal, including terrain ruggedness, topoclimate, elevation, geological substrate, and vegetation types, and for the first time suggest that hydrographic factors exert a strong influence on patterns of species richness. Given the considerable taxa richness observed in the ravine habitats of the study area, which makes them of high conservation value, it is essential to implement robust protective mechanisms to mitigate the impending effects of global warming and carefully plan the construction of hydropower plants. Balkan Peninsula, GIS, Vascular plant richness, Environmental drivers, Nano-hotspot 1552099 10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03630 2025-05-23T09:45:33.981Z 44 no 46 Jovan Kovačević 46 Nevena Kuzmanović 46 Vladan Djordjević 46 Snežana Vukojičić 46 Ivana Stevanoski 46 Gordana Tomović 46 Marjan Niketić 46 Eva Kabaš 46 Predrag Lazarević 46 Sanja Đurović 46 Jelica Novaković 46 Uroš Buzurović Institute of Soil Science 0009-0000-7702-659X 46 Miloš Zbiljić 46 Dmitar Lakušić application/pdf 13364512 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:7685 no yes 1 70 92000001 71A05 Global Ecology and Conservation 60 e03630 2025