Pinus Brutia Research Articles

Dolomit ve Olivin ile Kızılçam Odun Yonga Karışımından Üretilen Deneme Levhalarının Özellikleri. Bölüm 1. Fiziksel Özellikler

The effects of two mineral adducts (dolomite and olivine) as proportion in Calabrian pine wood chip based-experimental panels which bonded with synthetic adhesive (UF) were evaluated. It appears both minerals (P: calabrian pine wood chip-, X: Dolomite- Y: Olivine in composite proportions) improve the water repellent efficiency (WRE) properties at certain extent. In all experimental procedure, WRE increased with dolomite and olivine proportions higher than >10% in board formulations. The highest WRE of -34.2% and -35.4% were found with PX5 and PY5 samples that made with 1:1 (w/w) dolomite/wood and olivine/wood formulations, respectively. Like water sorption, similar trend was also found for thickness swelling (TS) properties. The lower TS values were found to be in range of -11.2 to -56.4% for dolomite-, and -55.5 to -69.5% for olivine based panels, respectively. Only samples of PX1, which produced 1:9 dolomite/wood chips (w,w, %) proportions, show higher IB value than control (PX0: 0.87 MPa vs PX1: 0.99 MPa) while rest of dolomite- pine wood panels show lower IB values. In contrast to dolomite, olivine appear to be improving effects on IB properties at certain conditions. The highest IB value of 1.21 MPa was found with sample PY4, which produced 4:6 olivine/wood chips (w,w, %) proportions, indicate approximately 39.1% higher IB value than control. It is notable that olivine seems to more effective than dolomite at similar board properation formulations in terms of lowering TS, WA and creating higher internal bond strength properties than dolomite based panels at similar experimental conditions. However, only sample of PY1, made with 1:9 (w, w,%) olivine/wood and proportions, show higher bending strength (13.27 MPa) and elasticity (2468.2 MPa than control (PY0:12.75 MPa vs 2245.2 MPa).

Antifungal Properties of Pinus eldarica and Pinus longifolia Fruit Extracts against Candida Species Isolated from Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Patients

Introduction:Candidiasis is a disease with serious problems in women. With the increasing drug resistance and risks of the drugs, we investigated the effect of different cone extracts of Pinus eldarica and Pinus longifolia against Candida species isolated from vulvovaginal candidiasis patients.Materials and Methods::Candida species isolated from 50 patients were identified by routine mycological methods, including morphology of corn mil agar, chromium agar, germination, and biochemical methods. The anti-candida properties of the extracts and essential oils of Pinus eldarica and Pinus longifolia were investigated using agar diffusion and microdilution test. The essential oil was then analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).Results:The major constituents of Pinus longifolia essential oil included 23.16% alpha-pinene, 2.59% beta-caryophyllene, 23.61% delta-3-carene, 0.24% carcin-4-hydroxy, 13.56% m-cymene, 0.45% alpha-humulene, and 2.12% junipene. The major constituents of Pinus eldarica essential oil included 29.13% alpha-pinene, 14.22% beta-caryophyllene, 11.70% delta-3-carene, -14.22% carcin-4-hydroxy, 4.29% beta-pinene, 3.59%, alpha humulene, and 8.86% junipene. The results of antifungal tests showed that aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts had a weak anti-candida effect. By changing the solvent and using petroleum ether solvent, it was found that petroleum ether extract and cone essential oil of Pinus longifolia and Pinus eldarica exhibited a relatively strong anti-candida effect.Discussion and Conclusion:Comparison of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) of four extracts of Pinus longifolia and Pinus eldarica against different Candida showed that the lowest MIC and MFC were related to essential oil, petroleum ether extract, methanolic extract, ethanolic extract, and aqueous extract, respectively.

Sodyum borhidrürün Pinus brutia Ten ve buğday sapı hamurlarının peroksit ağartması üzerindeki etkileri

The addition of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to peroxide bleaching has been investigated for its effects on the bleaching yield, mechanical and optical properties of Pinus brutia and wheat straw pulps. The pulps were subjected to four different bleaching conditions by adding charges of NaBH4 at 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, while keeping a constant hydrogen peroxide charge of 7%. The use of NaBH4 in the peroxide bleaching processes of the two pulps increased the bleaching yields. The results show that the addition of NaBH4 significantly improved the mechanical properties of the pulps, including tensile and burst indices. The optical properties of the pulps were also improved with the addition of NaBH4. The increase in mechanical and optical properties can be attributed to the reduction of residual hydrogen peroxide and the removal of metal ions, while the decrease in yellowness is due to the removal of metal ions that can cause oxidative degradation of the pulp. The findings of this study suggest that the addition of NaBH4 as an additive in peroxide bleaching is a promising approach to improve the mechanical and optical properties of P. brutia and wheat straw pulps, which can be further explored in future research.

Pinus halepensis and P. brutia provenances present similar resilience to drought despite contrasting survival, growth, cold tolerance and stem quality: Insights from a 45 year-old common garden experiment

To improve forest management strategies in the context of ongoing climate change, a better understanding of the inter- and intra-specific variability of tree performance is needed. Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia, two major Mediterranean species providing crucial ecosystem services to human populations, have attracted increasing attention as potential candidates for assisted migration in the last decades for their growth performance and adaptation to drought. In this study, we compared 12 provenances of P. halepensis and 13 provenances of P. brutia originating from all around the Mediterranean basin in a common garden experiment established in 1976 in southeast France to identify the best species and provenances. Tree survival, circumference and height, as well as stem straightness and the presence of defects were measured and estimated based on forest inventories conducted in 1983, 1988, 1996 and 2021–22. In 2021, 427 trees were also cored and the resulting tree-ring width series were used to assess radial growth resistance, recovery and resilience to drought. Inter-individual variations in competition intensity were taken into account using a distance-dependent competition index, and did not show any significant relationship with tree resilience to drought, while it was negatively related with tree growth and positively with stem quality. We found only marginal differences among species and provenances in terms of growth response to drought. In contrast, there were strong inter- and intra-specific differences in terms of survival, cold tolerance, growth, and stem quality with P. brutia performing better than P. halepensis on average. Interestingly, provenances performances were not related to the climatic conditions at their origins suggesting that the observed inter- and intra-specific variability was not shaped by climatic gradients. This study is the first to compare P. halepensis and P. brutia resilience to drought and provides insights for the assisted migration of those species.

First Report of Neofusicoccum mediterraneum and Neofusicoccum parvum Causing Pine Ghost Canker on Pinus spp. in Southern California.

Pinus eldarica, P. halepensis and P. radiata are important conifer species native to Mediterranean regions that are cultivated in the southwestern United States for landscaping (Phillips and Gladfelter, 1991; Chambel et al., 2013). Among them, Monterey pine (P. radiata) is native to restricted areas of California and Mexico, but it is extensively grown for timber production in other countries, especially in the Southern Hemisphere (Rogers, 2004). From 2018 to 2022, severe dieback and cankers have been detected on more than 30 mature pines of the three species within a 40-ha urban forest in Orange County, Southern California. Symptoms initiate on the lower portion of the canopy and advance into the crown, leading to quick dieback and, in some cases, to tree death. Cross sections of affected branches revealed wedged cankers with irregular, indistinct margins, and cryptic discoloration (i.e., "ghost cankers"). Pycnidia were observed on the surface of each bark scale of branches with advanced infections. Two morphotypes of Botryosphaeriaceae colonies (n = 34 isolates) were recovered consistently from more than 90% of the symptomatic pines. Two isolates per morphotype were grown on pistachio leaf agar (Chen et al., 2014) for 14 days to induce pycnidia formation. Conidia (n = 50) were hyaline, thin-walled and fusoid to ellipsoidal in shape, ranging from 16.1 to 27.9 (22.6) × 5.4 to 8.2 (6.8) µm for the first morphotype and 11.5 to 20.4 (16.3) × 4.8 to 8.6 (6.3) µm for the second morphotype. The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (tub2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) partial gene regions were amplified and sequenced using the primers ITS5/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson, 1995), and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn, 1999), respectively. A multi-locus phylogenetic analysis revealed that isolates UCD9433 and UCD10439 clustered with the ex-type strain of Neofusicoccum mediterraneum (CBS:113083), and isolates UCD9161 and UCD9434 grouped with N. parvum (CMW:9081). Sequences were submitted to GenBank (nos. OP535391 to OP535394 for ITS, OP561946 to OP561949 for tef1-α, and OP561950 to OP561953 for tub2). Pathogenicity tests were performed with above-mentioned isolates on 20-mm-diameter healthy branches of mature Monterey pines (n = 10, 14 years old) located in a research field at UC Davis. Isolates were grown for 7 days on potato dextrose agar and inoculated in the internode area by removing a 5-mm-diameter disk of the bark with a sterile cork borer and placing a 5-mm-diameter mycelial plug. Controls were mock-inoculated with sterile agar plugs, and the experiment was performed twice. After three months, inoculations resulted in vascular lesions that ranged from 20.6 to 49.7 (32.7) mm with N. mediterraneum and from 13.5 to 71.0 (33.6) mm with N. parvum, and the same pathogens were reisolated (70 to 100% recovery). Controls remained symptomless and no botryosphaeriaceous colonies were recovered. Both N. mediterraneum and N. parvum are polyphagous pathogens associated with multiple woody plant hosts (Phillips et al., 2013). Previously, only N. parvum has been associated with pine cankers in Iran, however, the pine species was not indicated (Abdollahzadeh et al., 2013). The detection of these pathogens in urban forests raises concerns of potential spillover events to other forest and agricultural hosts in Southern California. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. mediterraneum and N. parvum causing Pine Ghost Canker on P. eldarica, P. halepensis and P. radiata.

Chloroplast microsatellite diversity of Pinus brutia Ten. and Pinus halepensis Mill. populations across the Mediterranean basin: Inferences of their distributions

Aim of study: To characterize and compare the genetic resources and gain some insights into the evolutionary history of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) and Brutia pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) species which are both distributed across more than 8 million hectares of area in the Mediterranean Basin.
 Study area: Fifty-six populations from eight Mediterranean basin countries where P. halepensis and P. brutia species are located.
 Materials and methods: We analyzed 1344 seeds belonging to 56 populations using five cpSSR primers (Pt15169, Pt30204, Pt41093, Pt87268, and Pt110048).
 Main results: The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that the genetic diversity among the Brutia pine populations was slightly higher than that of Aleppo pine (27.06% and 24.27%, respectively). The Aleppo pine populations separately displayed a clear east-west differentiation across the Mediterranean Basin, confirming previous results using other markers. Although the Brutia pine populations showed no spatial genetic pattern, geographically close populations and/or populations from their continual distribution range were genetically closer than the fragmented and/or ecologically marginal populations.
 Research highlights: The seven Aleppo pine populations from the eastern range (Türkiye, Greece, and Italy) were more than two-fold diverse than the 13 populations from the western range (Spain and Morocco). The eastern range of Aleppo pine and Brutia pine populations had similar levels of genetic diversity parameters. These results suggested that the Eastern Mediterranean Basin is a possible genetic diversity center for the two pine species.

THE EFFECT OF CALCINATION TEMPERATURES ON THE PROPERTIES OF ZNO NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIZED BY USING LEAVES EXTRACTS OF PINUS BRUTIA TREE

Pinus Brutia (PB) tree leaf extracts were used to produce zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The study of the PB tree extracts at several calcination temperatures from (200 to 500) oC on the formation of ZnO NPs' characteristics has been investigated using various characterization techniques. The chosen plant PB had its findings at both examinations of FTIR and UV-Visible spectroscopies shown and offered to be a superior option for the GS ZnO NPs at various pH levels. PB tree leaf extracts' UV-visible spectra revealed one distinguishable absorption peak at 275.3 nm. The study of the FESEM results showed that the Green Synthesized (GS) ZnO NPs' orientation, shape, and dimensions are significantly impacted by the calcination temperatures. The ZnO NPs are also shown by the XRD data to have hexagonal wurtzite crystal structures that have particle sizes at (002) peak falling within the range between (10 to 24) nm. The UV-Visible study of the ZnO NPs showed a strong peak absorbance for ZnO NPs that were calcined at various temperatures, with high UV absorption below 400 nm. The obtained energy band gap (Eg) is located in the region between (2.65 and 2.747) eV, narrowing as the calcination temperature rises. The ZnO NPs that were calcined at a temperature of 500 oC also had superior quality and outperformed those produced at other calcination temperatures, according to all of the analyzed results and properties of the ZnO NPs.

Возобновление сосны пицундской (Pinus brutia var. pityusa (Steven) Silba) на заповедных территориях Горного Крыма

It has been established that undergrowth of Pinus brutia var. pityusa (Steven) Silba is unevenly distributed on the territory of the burnt areas, its density varies within 2,9…8,2 thousand units/ha, the maximum reaches 15 thousand units/ha. The landscape-coenotic zones of the dynamics of the processes of renewal of native P. pityusa forest stands have been identified. An increase in the number of undergrowth near groups and single plants, which were not eliminated during sanitary felling on burnt areas, was revealed. The possibility of growth and development of undergrowth in these areas was determined by the influence of the phytogenic field of surviving trees, which protect young plants of P. pityusa from negative environmental factors. It was determined that a relatively uniform decrease in the density of undergrowth is observed when moving from the wall of the parent stand at a distance that is a multiple of 2–3 values of its average height. The effect of a time gap in the chronology of the passage of forest fires on the age and spatial structure of P. pityusa undergrowth is presented. A general assessment of the specifics of the age structure made it possible to establish that the activation of natural regeneration and the formation of coenopopulations of P. pityusa undergrowth occur within 2–3 years after the fire. It has been established that anthropogenic interference in the natural processes of renewal of indigenous communities reduces the possibility of implementing biocenotic processes of maintaining the integrity and restoration of the forest community by species capable of sustainable existence under the prevailing conditions. A reduction in the biocenotic space of P. pityusa dominance, which determines the formation of stands of coppice origin, with a predominance of Quercus pubescens Willd. n-generation, which significantly reduces the productivity, sustainability and biological diversity of forest communities of the Cape Aya landscape reserve.

The Invasion of Alien Populations of Solanum elaeagnifolium in Two Mediterranean Habitats Modifies the Soil Communities in Different Ways.

We aimed to explore how the invasion of the alien plant Solanum elaeagnifolium affects soil microbial and nematode communities in Mediterranean pines (Pinus brutia) and maquis (Quercus coccifera). In each habitat, we studied soil communities from the undisturbed core of both formations and from their disturbed peripheral areas that were either invaded or not by S. elaeagnifolium. Most studied variables were affected by habitat type, while the effect of S. elaeagnifolium was different in each habitat. Compared to maquis, the soil in pines had higher silt content and lower sand content and higher water content and organic content, supporting a much larger microbial biomass (PLFA) and an abundance of microbivorous nematodes. The invasion of S. elaeagnifolium in pines had a negative effect on organic content and microbial biomass, which was reflected in most bacterivorous and fungivorous nematode genera. Herbivores were not affected. In contrast, in maquis, organic content and microbial biomass responded positively to invasion, raising the few genera of enrichment opportunists and the Enrichment Index. Most microbivores were not affected, while herbivores, mostly Paratylenchus, increased. The plants colonizing the peripheral areas in maquis probably offered a qualitative food source to microbes and root herbivores, which in pines was not sufficient to affect the much larger microbial biomass.

Techno‐enviro‐economic design of small‐scale membrane‐based seawater desalination systems integrated with hybrid autonomous renewable power systems

AbstractThis article aims to search the technical, environmental, and economic model of an off‐grid hybrid power generation system that supplies electricity to a seawater reverse osmosis (RO) system. Net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) values were used to determine the optimal system sizing powering a reverse osmosis desalination system for different sites where is located south and west coast of Türkiye. In the proposed power systems, PV panels, wind turbines, diesel generators, lead‐acid batteries, and converters were used. In the instance where the lowest LCOE of 0.301$/kWh is calculated, the optimal system comprises of a 25.7 kW PV array, one wind turbine (rated at 10 kW), 152 kWh LA batteries, and a 6.76 kW converter. The levelized cost of water (LCOW) value for this case was calculated as 1.168 $/m3. The LCOE value was calculated as 0.529 $/kWh for the power system, which is considered as a base case and consists of only a diesel generator, where no renewable energy source is used. For the base case, the carbon footprint of electricity generation is 35,127 kg/year. According to CO2 sequestration analysis result, the number of trees (Pinus Brutia) to be planted was calculated as approximately 164 tree/year over the lifetime of the power system for base case.

Assessing fire severity in Turkey’s forest ecosystems using spectral indices from satellite images

Fire severity classifications determine fire damage and regeneration potential in post-fire areas for effective implementation of restoration applications. Since fire damage varies according to vegetation and fire characteristics, regional assessment of fire severity is crucial. The objectives of this study were: (1) to test the performance of different satellite imagery and spectral indices, and two field—measured severity indices, CBI (Composite Burn Index) and GeoCBI (Geometrically structured Composite Burn Index) to assess fire severity; (2) to calculate classification thresholds for spectral indices that performed best in the study areas; and (3) to generate fire severity maps that could be used to determine the ecological impact of forest fires. Five large fires in Pinus brutia (Turkish pine) and Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana var. pallasiana (Anatolian black pine)—dominated forests during 2020 and 2021 were selected as study sites. The results show that GeoCBI provided more reliable estimates of field—measured fire severity than CBI. While Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8/OLI images performed similarly well, MODIS performed poorly. Fire severity classification thresholds were determined for Sentinel-2 based RdNBR, dNBR, dSAVI, dNDVI, and dNDMI and Landsat-8/OLI based dNBR, dNDVI, and dSAVI. Among several spectral indices, the highest accuracy for fire severity classification was found for Sentinel-2 based RdNBR (72.1%) and Landsat-8/OLI based dNBR (69.2%). The results can be used to assess and map fire severity in forest ecosystems similar to those in this study.

Measuring tree diameter using a LiDAR-equipped smartphone: a comparison of smartphone- and caliper-based DBH

Tree diameter measurement is one of the most important stages of forest inventories to assess growing stock, aboveground biomass, and landscape restoration options, among others. This study investigates the accuracy of measuring tree diameters using a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-equipped smartphone vs. a normal caliper (reference data) and the opportunity to use low-cost smartphone-based applications in forest inventories. To estimate the diameter at breast height (DBH) of single trees, we used a smartphone with a third-party app that automatically analyzed three-dimensional (3D) point clouds. For two different measurement techniques, we compared the two measurement techniques based on DBH data from 55 Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and 50 oriental plane (Platanus orientalis L.) trees using the paired-sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), percent bias (PBIAS), and coefficient of determination (R2) were used as precision and error statistics. Statistical differences were observed between the reference and smartphone-based DBH according to the paired-sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The R2 values obtained were determined as 0.91, 0.88, and 0.88 for Calabrian pine, oriental plane, and all tree species (105 trees), respectively. In addition to the overall accuracy performance of the comparison between reference and estimations, MAE, MSE, RMSE, and PBIAS values for the DBH of 105 tree stems were calculated as 1.56cm, 5.42cm, 2.33cm, and - 5.10%, respectively. The estimation accuracies increased in regular stem forms compared with forked stems particularly observed on plane trees. Further experiments are needed to investigate the uncertainties associated with trees of different stem forms, species (coniferous or deciduous), different work environments, and different types of LiDAR and LiDAR-based app scanners.

Таксационная структура насаждений сосны брутийской (Pinus brutia Ten.) в Сирии в зависимости от орографических условий

Artificial plantations of Brutia pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) in the conditions of two regions of Syria – the provinces of Latakia and Tartus – grow at different heights above sea level. At the research objects, accounting sites of a constant radius of 400 square meter were laid, arranged over an area in such a way as to cover the statistical variability of the studied taxation indicators. The distribution rows of tree trunks at a height of 1.3 m were ranked after 5 cm with the analysis of the indicators of symmetry and kurtosis of rank rows. The taxation indicators of the heights and diameters of the trunks of the trees of the Brutia pine (P. brutia Ten.) in its plantations have a direct correlation of varying strength with both the height of the site above sea level and the amount of precipitation. The indicator of the planting stock has the greatest direct correlation from the height of the plot above sea level and the amount of precipitation, in comparison with the indicator of the average diameter of the stands of the Brutia pine (P. brutia Ten.). The rank structure of the diameters of the trunks of the Brutia pine (P. brutia Ten.) has its own fundamental differences associated with the placement of growing areas above sea level. With an increase in the height above sea level of the plantation area, the number of trees with larger trunks in the plantation increases. An analysis of the asymmetry and excesses of the distribution series of diameters of trunks of the Brutia pine (P. brutia Ten.) revealed that a decrease in the competitive load in plantations of this species is associated with an increase in altitude above sea level. The most optimal conditions for the growth of the Brutia pine (P. brutia Ten.) are on the highest site relative to sea level. The limiting factor in these conditions of growth on infertile soils will be the moisture availability of the site.

The influence of tannins purified from Eastern Mediterranean Region plants (Pinus brutia Ten. and Quercus coccifera L.) on carbon mineralization: Antimicrobial and antimutagenic evaluation

Tannins, which are polyphenols with a wide variety of quality-quantity that control the carbon and nitrogen cycle in forest ecosystems, are very interesting because of their protein binding abilities and forming a complex structure with other compounds. In this study, the purified tannin content of Pinus brutia Ten. and Quercus coccifera L., the two dominant plant species of the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the effect of these tannins on C dynamics in a forest soil (O and A horizon) were evaluated. In addition, antimicrobial effects of tannin extracts on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis bacteria by disc diffusion method and antimutagenic effects on Allium cepa root tip cells were evaluated. Total phenol (TP) and condense tannins (CT) concentrations of P. brutia and Q. coccifera leaves ranged from 0.78–1.33 μg/100mg DW and 4.68–1.35 μg/100mg DW, respectively. With the addition of tannin extract to the soils, C mineralization (27th day) was significantly reduced compared to the control group. Both P. brutia tannin extract (PTE) and Q. coccifera tannin extract (QTE) exhibited antibacterial activity in the range of 8±0.2–35±1.1 mm zone diameter by inhibiting their microbial growth against test microorganisms. In addition, tannin treatments caused a dose-dependent mitotic index decrease in onion root tip cells and a serious inhibition by showing toxic effects on mitotic division stages. As a result, our data showed that C mineralization in soil is affected by different tannin sources and these tannin extracts have significant antimicrobial activity against pathogens and cytotoxic activity in A. cepa root tip cells.

In-vivo evaluation of an innovative feed additive formulation of Pinus Brutia Ten. resin containing turpentine and colophony and the effects on milk production performance and somatic cell counts of holstein dairy cows

The aim of this study was to investigate a feed additive which is expected to be preventative, consist of new active ingredients for mastitis disease which is frequently seen in dairy cattle. For these purposes colophony which has antibacterial and turpentine which has antibacterial, antifungal effects have a potential that is researched in vitro previously. These herbal ingredients were suggested to use for prevention of mastitis in dairy cattle. Powdered herbal material have colophony and turpentine %96.5 0.3 and %3.5 0.3, respectively. Animal assay was studied with two group (experimental, control) which have 15 dairy cattle each and at the end of the study milk parameters, somatic cell count (SCC), average milk productions discussed. Although it was not statistically significant the amount of milk and the amount of fat in the milk increased and SCC decreased more in the experimental group compared to the controlled group within two weeks.

Investigating the effect of Pinus brutia bark on Pancreatic lipase and adiposity index in high-fat diet induced obese rats

Obesity has become a global health problem. Orlistat is currently approved as an anti-obesity drug. However, its gastrointestinal side effects may limit its use, and with an alarming increase in obesity percentage there is a need to find new anti-obesity drugs. One of the most common approaches in treating obesity is inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity. In this study, the in vitro inhibitory activity of different polar solvent extracts of Pinus brutia bark against pancreatic lipase was measured using Para-nitrophenyl palmitate as a substrate. The ethanol extract showed the best anti-lipase activity with IC50 value of 0.07 mg/ml and was better than Orlistat. The anti-obesity activity of this extract was evaluated in vivo using high-fat diet induced obesity in wistar rats. Oral treatments with ethanol extract for 6 weeks precluded the increase in rats body weight and serum triglyceridesin in Pinus group similar to Orlistat group (positive control). Moreover, the adiposity index in Pinus group was similar to Orlistat group (p>0.05). However, the reduction in total cholesterol levels in Orlistat group was better than that in Pinus group (p=0.02). This study showed that ethanol extract of Pinus brutia bark may be useful as a natural anti-obesity agent. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of action of bark extract on triglycerides and obesity.

Modeli rasta prirodnih sastojina kalabrijskog bora u središnjem mediteranskom području Turske

Stand growth models are needed for a variety of forestry practices, primarily management plans and silvicultural studies. The goal of this study was to create stand-level models for natural, pure even-aged stands of Calabrian pine in the central Mediterranean region of Turkey. The study area consists of pure and natural Calabrian pine stands located within the boundaries of the Antalya and Mersin Regional Forestry Directorates in the central Mediterranean region of Turkey. Data was collected from 486 temporary plots scattered throughout the region. Two trees (the dominant tree and the tree representing the quadratic mean diameter of the stand) were measured in each plot, yielding 972 trees. The data showed that the age varied from 6 to 135 years, the site index (SI) from 8.5 to 33.5 m, and the density from 0.3 to 12.4. The density-dependent yield tables were generated using regression equations based on stand age, SI, and stand density with individual, two-factor, and three-factor interaction effects. For SI classes I, II, and III, the optimal rotation period that would result in the highest yields for pure Calabrian pine stands is 60, 65, and 75 years, respectively. The stand growth models developed (i.e., density-dependent yield tables) agreed with the fundamental growth principles and data provided in the literature.

Utjecaj nadmorske visine i starosti zatvorenog češera na klijanje sjemena crvenog bora (Pinus brutia Ten.)

This study investigated changes in the germination rate and germination percentage of seeds obtained from closed pine cones (Pinus brutia Ten.) of different ages collected at different altitudes. The seeds used in the study were obtained from closed cones (3/control, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years old) in the lower (0-200 m) and higher (800-1000 m) altitude zones of the Mersin-Anamur region in a section from the sea to the interior. The seeds germinated in the dark at a constant temperature of 20 °C for 28 days. At the end of the germination test, a two-way analysis of variance was performed on the germination percentage data on the 10<sup>th</sup>, 14<sup>th</sup>, and 28<sup>th</sup> days, and the interactions between altitude and cone age were found to be significant (p = 0.05). As a result of the significant interaction between the two groups, the mean separation test (Tukey test) showed that the highest germination rate was 89.0% in the control group, and the lowest was 77.5% in the 7-year-old cones. In the higher altitude zone, the highest germination rate was 74.0% and the lowest was 71.0%, obtained from 5- and 7-year-old seeds, respectively. In general, germination values in the lower altitude zone were higher than those in the higher altitude zone. However, the decrease in germination values from the control to the 7-year-old seeds was greater in the lower altitude zone than in the higher altitude zone. The study found that altitude was more effective than cone age on the germination rate and percentage.

Height Measurements of Pinus Brutia Ten. from Uav- 1" Cmos Digital Camera Point Clouds in Geverke - Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Height Measurements of Pinus Brutia Ten. from Uav- 1" Cmos Digital Camera Point Clouds in Geverke - Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

EVALUATIONS OF DIFFERENT MODELS FOR PREDICTING MERCHANTABLE VOLUME OF PINUS BRUTIA TEN. IN DUHOK GOVERNORATE

This study was initiated with the main objective of evaluating the prediction power of previously 24 published models in the literature, developed for estimating the merchantable volume of natural stands of Pinus brutia Ten. The estimation was based on measuring the breast diameter (D), tree height (h), and absolute form quotient (F) of 120 pine trees (Pinus brutia Ten.) from 2 natural stands situated to the east of Duhok governorate. Six indicators of Fit test statistics, namely Adjusted coefficient of determination (R2- adj.) standard error of estimate (SEE), mean absolute error (MAE), Durbin-Watson statistic (D-W), p-value, and mean biased error (Bias) were used to test the performance of the applied models. The result from the centroid model was considered a reference method for the evaluation during this study. The results indicated that the square root –y logarithmic-x offered the highest performance followed by the double square root model. The square root –y logarithmic-x (equation 11) attributed more than 90% of the variation in merchantable volume to variations in D, h, and F. Furthermore, the mean absolute error of prediction of this model was 0.0434. According to this study, the mean stem form of Pinus brutia trees is (0.64), which signifies quadratic paraboloid.