Changing of the Site Index and Soil Characteristics in Conjunction with the Environmental Factors in the Pure Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis) Forests

Abstract

The study was conducted in forested areas of pure Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis) that were grown naturally, have the same age, and not treated in the normal canopy. The 40 sample areas (162 soil samples total) in Ormanustu, Macka, Trabzon were selected within the scope of this research and the sample areas were selected from the same aspect (northern aspect group), at two altitude levels (1550-1850 m and 18502050 m), and two different parent materials (andesite and granite). The soil samples obtained from the field were analyzed in the laboratory. The relationship between the stand age and maximum height were used for the determination of the site index for the sample areas. The pure Oriental Spruce stands, in connection with, the altitude climate zones and parent materials, were evaluated. According to the results, it can be stated that the values belonging to the site index, sand (%), clay (%), fine particle, loss on ignition, Ca++, and CEC (cation-exchange capacity) do show differences in regards to the parent materials (p<0.001). The Site index values of the Oriental Spruce indexes also differ in relation to the altitude climate levels (p<0.001). The results of the variance analysis indicated that the altitude of the climate levels affected the values belonging to the sand, clay, available water capacity, loss on ignition, Ca++, CEC, and available P2O5 among the soil characteristics (p<0.001 and p<0.05). Moreover, the correlation between altitude and site index was found to be meaningful and significant (p<0.01).