Abies Cilicica Research Articles

Infestation Rates, Seasonal Abundance of Aphids and Relationships with Some Environmental Factors in Different Forest Habitats in Southwestern Türkiye

Aim of study: It was to determine the infestation rate and seasonal abundance of aphids and their relationships with some environmental factors in forests. Area of study: The study was conducted in Pinus nigra, P. brutia, Cedrus libani, Abies cilicica, Juniperus spp., Quercus spp. and Robinia pseudoacacia forests (34 sampling areas) in Isparta. Materials and methods: Systematic sampling was carried out monthly throughout April-October in 2019-2020. As aphid density and infestation rates were determined, 30 cm shoots were taken from 10 trees. The slope, aspect, elevation, forest characteristics, daily minimum, average, and maximum temperature and total precipitation were recorded. Main results: Abundance were highest in P. nigra, Quercus and Robinia pseudoacacia forests in both years. There was a significant correlation between abundance and development stages (p

TÜRKİYE’NİN ORTA TOROS DAĞLARI’NDA KÖKNAR-SEDİR ORMANLARINDAKİ ARALAMA KESİMLERİ VE OTLATMANIN YER BİTKİ ÖRTÜSÜNÜN FONKSİYONEL ÖZELLİKLERİNE ETKİLERİ

The forests of Cedrus libani and Abies cilicica in the middle Taurus Mountains in southern Turkiye are heavily degraded by traditional land use. Population, working in the agricultural sector migrates in summer with their cattle, sheep and goats from lowlands to highlands because the pastures there are prolific due to higher precipitation. The forests have been opened up by grazing and timber cutting. Both effects on the ground vegetation of forests with cedar and fir are examined in the study. Intensive grazing changed the plant species composition as the animals prefer tasty as food. This has led to dominance of inedible plant species, like thorny, prickly, poisonous species and those armoured species with rosettes. Although the sensitive species were reduced by intensive grazing, plant diversity increased. While the rate of hemicryptophytes, camaphytes and geophytes is generally high in the study area, the rate of therophytes is quite low. Generally, the perennial plants were favoured by grazing. On the other hand, the annual species preferred by the cattle fell back. The effect of timber use by illegal logging shows that light demanding plant species have colonised the lighter parts of the formerly closed and semi-closed forests.

Biological evaluation and in silico molecular docking studies of Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière) resin

Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière) is an endemic species of industrial and medicinal importance. The resin obtained from this plant is effective for different diseases. The chemical content of the ethanol extract of Abies cilicica resin by GC-MS method, its antimicrobial activity on 12 different microorganisms by MIC value, antibiofilm activity on six microorganisms by Christensen method and biological activities on three different cancer cell lines by MTT method were investigated in this study. The findings showed that antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity was high in L. monocytogenes. The resin extract showed strong anticancer activity on all three DU-145, HeLa and SaOS-2 cells. The major component of the resin was abietic acid. A molecular docking simulation of the major compounds from resin extracts was conducted. In this study, in which the strong biological properties of A.cilicica resin were revealed, which suggests that the resin can increase the inhibition of cancer cell growth while strengthening the immune system against pathogenic microorganisms. Molecular docking analysis performed supported the experimental observations. Further extensive studies will support the possibility of using this resin as a therapeutic agent.

Determining indicator plant species of Pinus brutia Ten. Site index classes using interspecific correlation analysis in Antalya (Turkey)

Background: We performed a vegetation study in Antalya, where the Mediterranean climate prevails, in order to determine the indicator plant species of red pine (Pinus brutia Ten.). Red pine can be widely distributed from sea level to 1200 meters. Its main distribution is in the main Mediterranean vegetation zone between 500-1000 meters. However, the variation of the habitat factors may be low in this range. Therefore, the productivity relationships of species such as red pine, whose sustainable use is important, cannot be directly explained by environmental variables. In such cases, it is important to determine the indicator plant species. For this reason, indicator plant species of red pine productivity (site index class I) were determined by using interspecific correlation analysis (ICA) in the study. Then, using principal components analysis, the relationship of indicator plant species with the variables of elevation, slope, aspect and soil depth was revealed. In the principal components analysis, the plant species that were determined as an indicator were also added to the graph as a class variable, and the effects of the variables on the indicator plant species were also investigated. Results: The results of the ICA showed that Dryopteris flix-mas (L.) Schott, Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière, Cedrus libani A. RICH and Colutea cilicica Boiss. & Bal. species were negative indicators of red pine productivity. On the other hand, Cistus creticus L. and Smilax aspera L. species were positive indicators of productivity Conclusions: Interspecific correlation analysis is a useful tool to determine the ecological properties of species that have a local distribution or a vertical distribution in a narrow altitude range. It also offers practical and effective results, especially for species with high commercial value such as red pine.

Właściwości i zastosowanie lecznicze żywicy jodły syryjskiej w historii medycyny i farmacji

The Syrian fir [Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière] is a slender tree found in the mountainous areas of Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Its name recalls an ancient land called Cilicia, located in modern-day Turkey; the capital city of this land was Tarsus, where an important trade route called the Gates of Cilicia ran. The rich medicinal properties of the resin naturally flowing from this tree were appreciated by the ancient Egyptians as early as in the Old Kingdom period. It was used as an antiseptic, anti–inflammatory and diuretic agent, but also in cosmetics: an important ingredient of preparations strengthening weakened hair, skin firming and wrinkle reducing. Respiratory ailments, mainly persistent coughs, were widely treated with preparations containing the Syrian fir resin, which was also noted by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in his famous Naturalis Historia. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the medicinal properties of the Syrian fir, primarily of its resin, and the time period in which it was used for therapeutic purposes. A thorough analysis of the botanical, medical and pharmaceutical literature brings to a conclusion that Syrian fir was often used in the abovementioned applications in ancient times. Since the Middle Ages and continuing into the 19th century, native, neighboring, more popular varieties of fir trees, like the balsam fir, or the Canadian fir, were more often used for medicinal purposes. Many other common species of coniferous trees were used as well, especially the Pinus sylvestris, thanks to which the pine tar (Pix liquida Pini) can still be used today.

New contributions to the Turkish aphid fauna and species composition (Hemiptera: Aphididomorpha) in Isparta forests

A study was conducted on the aphid fauna of Pinus nigra Arnold. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe., Pinus brutia Ten., Cedrus libani A. Rich., Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière (Pinaceae), Juniperus spp. (Cupressaceae), Quercus spp. (Fagaceae) and Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Leguminosae) forests in Isparta Province between 2018 and 2020. Using systematic and random sampling, 9,252 specimens in 68 species from the families Aphididae and Phylloxeridae (14 species at genus level only) were identified between 2018 and 2020. It was determined that Appendiseta robiniae (Gillette, 1907) collected from R. pseudoacacia is a Nearctic species, which was identified as a new record for the aphid fauna of Türkiye. Fifty-five species were detected in 2019, and a further 51 in 2020 using systematic sampling. The species with the highest number of specimens in 2019 were Myzocallis boerneri Stroyan, 1957 (16.0%), Eulachnus rileyi (Williams, 1911) (12.3%) and Cinara cedri Mimeur, 1936 (10.4%). In 2020, the species with the highest number of specimens were E. rileyi (10.1%), A. robiniae (9.3%) and Cinara orientalis (Takahashi, 1924) (7.2%). The highest number of aphid species was collected from P. nigra in the three years (2018-2020). The second highest numbers were collected from Quercus coccifera L. in 2018 and 2020, and P. brutia in 2019.

Chemical profiling, in vitro biological activities and Pearson correlation between chemical profiling and anticancer activities of four Abies species from Turkey

Abies species are known to have various bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities. In the manuscript, their bioactive components and anticancer activities of four unexamined Abies in Anatolia ( Abies cilicica subsp. isaurica, Abies nordmanniana subsp. nordmanniana, Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana, Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani ) were investigated. The principal component analysis and drug likeness properties of the specific bioactive compounds were conducted on our datas. The results showed that solvent polarity affected the phytochemical composition of extracts and thus their anticancer activity. Gentisic acid, catechin, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide and eicosene were identified as major components. The principal component analysis of the specific bioactive compounds results indicated that the compounds are able to have an effective anticancer activity against HeLa an C6 cells. At the same time, the drug likeness properties results showed that these compounds have a potential drug properties. Also, docking result demonstrated that oleic acid, stearic acid, catechin, palmitic acid and eicosene can perform a strong synergistic effect against Cyclooxygenase-2 activity. Hovewer, oleic acid had the best binding poses against six targets. According to the findings, this four Abies species could be considered for further phytopharmaceutical researchs. • The four Abies species from Turkey were researched. • GC–MS and HPLC-TOF/MS were used to determine phytochemicals of the extracts. • Abies ssp.'s anticancer effects against C6 and Hela cells were evaluated. • Molecular dockings showed interactions of anticancer effects and phytochemicals. • Abies ssp. could be considered for further pharmaceutical researchs.

Analyzing climate-induced mortality of Taurus fir based on temporal forest management plans and climatic variations and droughts in the Central Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey

Analyzing climate-induced mortality of Taurus fir based on temporal forest management plans and climatic variations and droughts in the Central Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey

Impact of white mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. abietis) infection severity on morphology, anatomy and photosynthetic pigment content of the needles of cilicican fir (Abies cilicica)

White mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. abietis, Santalaceae) is a hemi-parasitic plant and is regarded as one of the most significant biotic factors affecting fir forests. Mistletoe affects its host in many ways, including changes in leaf development. This paper studies and quantifies the effect of white mistletoe on morphological, anatomical traits and photosynthetic pigment content of cilicican fir (Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière, Pinaceae) needles growing on uninfected branches of infected and uninfected trees in relation to varying mistletoe infection severity. Morphological (needle length and width, area and weight, and specific leaf area), anatomical (needle width and thickness, epidermis and central vein thickness, needle cross sectional and mesophyll area, epidermis plus hypodermis and central vein area, xylem and phloem area, transfusion and resin duct area), stomatal (number of stomata rows, stomatal band width, stomata length and density) traits and photosynthetic pigment content (chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll (a+b), total carotenoid) were measured in one-year-old needles growing on uninfected branches from a total of 48 cilicican fir trees. Of the trees, 10 were uninfected, 13 lightly infected, 14 moderately infected and 11 severely infected. The results indicated that morphological dimension of needles decreased steadily with increasing infection severity. Stomatal size of needles decreased gradually while stomatal density increased gradually with increasing infection severity. Reduced anatomical dimension were only evident in needles from moderate and severe infection classes, while chlorophyll content decreased in only severely infected trees.

Demographic history and range modelling of the East Mediterranean Abies cilicica

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the 36 global hotspots of biodiversity and it is rich in endemic tree species. The complex geological history of the region throughout the Neogene and Quaternary periods that were marked with several palaeoclimatic transformations was a major factor triggering the genetic divergence of lineages in tree species in the region. The ongoing global climate change is the main factor threatening Mediterranean biodiversity. The risk of population decline related to aridization is the highest in the case of endemics, especially for cold-adapted conifers, such as Abies cilicica. The Cilician fir grows in the East Mediterranean mountains that constitute a local centre of endemism within the region. The species range is fragmented and small-size populations prevail. Previous studies have suggested that the last glacial cycle led to a significant reduction in the species range and might have initiated genetic divergence. As a result, two lineages are currently recognized at the subspecies level, A. cilicica subsp. isaurica (Turkey) and A. cilicica subsp. cilicica (Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon). The predictions about the impact of future climate changes in the East Mediterranean suggest a profound reduction of precipitation and overall warming that may put the remnant populations of A. cilicica at a risk of decline. Here, we used the Bayesian approach to investigate the demographic history of endemic A. cilicica. Specifically, we estimated the probable time of the intraspecies divergence to verify previous assumptions about the species’ evolutionary history. Additionally, niche modelling was used to outline the potential range of changes in the past and to indicate glacial refugia in where the species persisted climate crisis. This approach was also used to explore the possible influence of the future climate changes on the distribution of A. cilicica in the region. Our results demonstrate that the divergence between the Lebanese and the Turkish populations that occurred ~220 ka years BP coincided with the Riss glaciation. According to palaeoecological data, in the East Mediterranean, that glacial period caused a severe reduction in the populations of woody species due to the aridity of the climate. At that time, the Lebanese-Syrian part of the range was likely disconnected from the main range. The second split was induced by the last glacial cycle ~60 ka years BP and led to the separation of the Central Taurus and East Taurus population and, consequently, to the formation of the two subspecies. Niche modelling for the last glacial maximum has allowed us to locate the probable refugia for A. cilicica in the western Anatolia and Syria-Lebanon area. A projection of the future possible distribution of the species indicates a serious reduction of the range during this century.

Carbon stock estimation by dual-polarized synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and forest inventory data in a Mediterranean forest landscape

Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating global climate change by forming massive carbon sinks. Their carbon stocks and stock changes need to be quantified for carbon budget balancing and international reporting schemes. However, direct sampling and biomass weighing may not always be possible for quantification studies conducted in large forests. In these cases, indirect methods that use forest inventory information combined with remote sensing data can be beneficial. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images offer numerous opportunities to researchers as freely distributed remote sensing data. This study aims to estimate the amount of total carbon stock (TCS) in forested lands of the Kizildag Forest Enterprise. To this end, the actual storage capacities of five carbon pools, i.e. above- and below-ground, deadwood, litter, and soil, were calculated using the indirect method based on ground measurements of 264 forest inventory plots. They were then associated with the backscattered values from Sentinel-1 and ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 data in a Geographical Information System (GIS). Finally, TCS was separately modelled and mapped. The best regression model was developed using the HH polarization of ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 with an adjusted R2 of 0.78 (p < 0.05). According to the model, the estimated TCS was about 2 Mt for the entire forest, with an average carbon storage of 133 t ha−1. The map showed that the distribution of TCS was heterogenic across the study area. Carbon hotspots were mostly composed of pure stands of Anatolian black pine and mixed, over-mature stands of Lebanese cedar and Taurus fir. It was concluded that the total carbon stocks of forest ecosystems could be estimated using appropriate SAR images at acceptable accuracy levels for forestry purposes. The use of additional ancillary data may provide more delicate and reliable estimations in the future. Given the implications of this study, the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon can be effectively controlled by forest management when coupled with easily accessible space-borne radar data.

Türk Göknar Taksonlarında Genetik Çeşitlilik Analizleri

Aim of study: Five Abies taxa naturally distributed in Turkey. Abies nordmanniana has three subspecies and A. cilica has two subspecies. In this study, we aimed to show phylogenetic relationships both in Turkish taxa and in other Abies taxa from around the world based on cpDNA regions, trnR-trnN and rps18-rpl20 regions.&#x0D; Material and methods: Following CTAB-based DNA isolation method, the relevant fir DNA regions were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using maximum likelihood method with 1000 bootstrap replicates.&#x0D; Main results: It was difficult to make distinctions among the Turkish Abies taxa based on the sequenced DNA regions. Based on rps18-rpl20 phylogenetic tree, some members of Abies cilicica subsp. isaurica, A. nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani and A. cilicica subsp. cilicica were in the same clade with A. spectabilis and A. densa; However, some members of A. nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana, A. cilicica subsp. isaurica and A. nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani were placed in a clade with A. alba placed near Turkey and A. amabilis known from North America.&#x0D; Highlights: This study provides new insights into the distribution of cpDNA variation in Abies species in Turkey and the genetic variation between firs in Turkey and the rest of the world.

Classification of forest and shrubland vegetation in Mediterranean Turkey

AbstractQuestionsWhat are the main vegetation types of forest and shrubland vegetation at the alliance level in Mediterranean Turkey? What is their syntaxonomical position? Can we integrate them into the European vegetation classification system? Which environmental factors are the main drivers of the floristic differentiation of vegetation types?LocationSouthern and western Turkey.MethodsWe collected 4,717 vegetation plots of forest and shrubland vegetation in Mediterranean Turkey and performed an unsupervised classification of this data set. We described vegetation types based on the classification results, expert knowledge and information from the literature. We defined diagnostic species and prepared distribution maps for each vegetation type. To support the interpretation of the vegetation types, we determined the most important environmental variables using canonical correspondence analysis.ResultsThe studied vegetation was divided into 21 types related to three vegetation belts: (a) thermo‐ and meso‐mediterranean, comprising coniferous (Pinus brutia, Pinus pinea) and sclerophyllous forests, as well as macchia, garrigue and phrygana; (b) supra‐mediterranean, comprising Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana forests, thermophilous deciduous forests dominated by various oak species and Ostrya carpinifolia, and forests dominated by temperate species such as Fagus orientalis; and (c) oro‐mediterranean, comprising forests and shrublands dominated by Abies cilicica, Cedrus libani, Juniperus excelsa and Juniperus communis subsp. nana. Elevation was identified as the main environmental driver of the vegetation pattern. Among climatic variables, the most important are the mean temperatures (annual and of driest, coldest, and warmest quarters), minimum temperature of winter, precipitation of warmest and driest quarters and precipitation seasonality. These factors indicate the decreasing effect of the Mediterranean climate with increasing elevation.ConclusionsThe vegetation of Mediterranean Turkey is arranged along climatic gradients depending on elevation and the distance from the Mediterranean Sea. Most vegetation types in this area correspond to the syntaxa accepted in EuroVegChecklist, while others were described as new.

Toros Göknarı (Abies cilicica (Antoine &amp; Kotschy) Carrière) ’ndan Elde Edilen Reçinenin In vitro Antioksidan ve Sitotoksik Aktivitelerinin Belirlenmesi

In this study, the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of resin obtained from the Cilician Fir plant were evaluated. According to data, the in vitro antioxidant activity of the resin has changed depending on the radical scavenging activity method. This resin has antioxidant activity according to 2,2′-Azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of the resin was investigated against a panel of human cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, Hep G2, PC-3, U-87, MCF-7, HT-29) with the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay for 48 h. Normal human lung fibroblast cells (WI-38) were used as healthy cells. The results indicated that the in vitro cytotoxic activity of the resin depends on the cell line type and concentration of the resin. According to the IC50 values, the resin has the most cytotoxic activity on endometrial adenocarcinoma cancer cells (IC50=8.94 ± 0.03 µg mL-1) compared to other cancer cells. The results also indicated that Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cells, which have Selectivity Index (SI) value &amp;gt;2, have the most sensitivity against the resin. This study provides the first evidence that the resin inhibits the different cancer cells' growth.

Changes in soil arthropod communities and soil biological quality along an elevation gradient in Taurus Fir forest

Orman ekosistemlerindeki toprak eklembacaklıları (Arthropoda), ölüörtünün parçalanması ve ayrışması sürecinde, birincil ve ikincil tüketiciler olarak önemli rol almaktadır. Toprak ekosistemindeki eklembacaklıların miktarı, çeşitliliği ve komünite yapısı; yetişme ortamı özelliklerinin değişimine çok hızlı tepki vermektedir. Bu çalışmada, Toros Göknarı (Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière) ekosisteminde yaşayan toprak eklembacaklılarının farklı yükseltilerde mevsimsel değişimleri, çeşitlilikleri ve biyolojik toprak kalitesine olan etkilerinin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma, Berçin Yaylası (Tomarza-Kayseri) saf göknar meşcerelerinde, 1600-1730 metre yükseltiler arasındaki (3 farklı yükseltide) yürütülmüştür. Ölü örtüden 10 cm çapında ve yüksekliğinde çelik silindir kullanılarak yapılan örnekleme kış, ilkbahar, yaz ve sonbahar mevsimlerinde yapılmıştır. Eklembacaklıların, mevsimsel ve farklı yükseltilerdeki miktarları, çeşitlilikleri, trofik yapıları ve toprak biyolojik kalitesi (QBS) değerleri belirlenmiştir. Toprak biyolojik kalitesi eklembacaklılar kullanılarak belirlenirse QBS-ar, Collembola taksonu kullanılarak belirlenirse QBS-C olarak adlandırılır. Çalışma sonucunda, eklembacaklıların mevsimlere göre dağılımında en fazla birey yaz mevsiminde, yükseltiye bağlı dağılımında ise en fazla birey 1613 m yükseltide bulunmuştur. Yükseltiler arasında çeşitlilik indeksi bakımından fark bulunamamıştır. Toprak biyolojik kalitesi hem QBS-ar hem de QBS-C değeri yükselti ile azalmaktadır. Teşhis edilen Collembola türleri Kayseri/ Berçin Yaylası için yeni kayıt iken Protaphorura microsellata türü Türkiye için yeni kayıttır.

Stem taper equations for diameter and volume predictions of Abies cilicica Carr. in the Taurus Mountains, Turkey

Taper equations are an important tool in estimating stem volumes at a multi-product level for sustainable forest management. Nine taper equations are tested from three categories to estimate diameter at specified point on the stem, height at specified diameter, volumes of any desired portion of the stem, and whole tree volume of Taurus fir in Taurus Mountains of Turkey. To account for autocorrelation and multicollinearity present among multiple stem data observations collected from the same tree, proper statistical approaches were used in model fitting. Comparisons are made to determine which equation provides the best overall fit to all data based on four goodness-of-fit statistics, Coefficient of determination (R2); Root mean square error (RMSE), Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Results indicated that all taper equations tested could be used to accurately estimate section diameter at given height and stem volume. Clark et al.’s taper equation provided better results than the others for Taurus fir when an additional stem diameter observation at 5.30 m was available. Segmented and variable-form taper models consistently provided better results than the simple taper models except for Max and Burkhart’s model. Fang et al.’s and Kozak’s taper models showed equally good performance to describe stem taper and to predict tree stem volume. Therefore, these taper equations are able to be used to estimate diameter and volume for Taurus fir trees, if an upper stem diameter measurement was not available.

Ultrasonic testing and evaluation of moisture-dependent elastic properties of fir wood

Abstract With respect to their relevance for wood-related technologies, moisturedependent elastic engineering parameters of Taurus fir (Abies Cilicica (Antoine et Kotschy) Carriere) are determined from ultrasound longitudinal (2.3 MHz) and shear (1 MHz) wave velocities. The dynamic Young’s and shear modules of characteristic axes and planes decrease significantly down to 17 % at increased moisture content due to decreased wave velocities. Moisture-dependent R2 values of the modules range from 0.88 to 0.99. However, Poisson’s ratios exhibit inconsistent moisture dependent behavior. Remarkable differences between ultrasound findings and the published results from compression tests are observed. Generally, the elastic values of wood from ultrasonic testing are reported higher than from mechanical tests. In contrast we find lower values as well. The critical issue of different ultrasound velocity sensitivity at selected directions is highlighted.

Ultrasonic testing and evaluation of moisture-dependent elastic properties of fir wood

Abstract With respect to their relevance for wood-related technologies, moisturedependent elastic engineering parameters of Taurus fir (Abies Cilicica (Antoine et Kotschy) Carriere) are determined from ultrasound longitudinal (2.3 MHz) and shear (1 MHz) wave velocities. The dynamic Young’s and shear modules of characteristic axes and planes decrease significantly down to 17 % at increased moisture content due to decreased wave velocities. Moisture-dependent R1 values of the modules range from 0.88 to 0.99. However, Poisson’s ratios exhibit inconsistent moisture dependent behavior. Remarkable differences between ultrasound findings and the published results from compression tests are observed. Generally, the elastic values of wood from ultrasonic testing are reported higher than from mechanical tests. In contrast we find lower values as well. The critical issue of different ultrasound velocity sensitivity at selected directions is highlighted.

Contrasting Signals of the Westerly Index and North Atlantic Oscillation over the Drought Sensitivity of Tree-Ring Chronologies from the Mediterranean Basin

Extreme drought events are becoming increasingly frequent and extended, particularly in Mediterranean drought-prone regions. In this sense, atmospheric oscillations patterns, such as those represented by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and the Westerly Index (WI) have been widely proven as reliable proxies of drought trends. Here, we used the Standardized Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), as a reliable indicator of drought, to investigate the drought sensitivity of tree-ring width data (TRW) from several long-lived tree species (Abies borisii-regis, Abies cilicica, Abies pinsapo, Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libanii, Pinus nigra, Pinus heldreichii). NAO and WI relations with TRW were also investigated in order to identify potential non-stationary responses among those drought proxies. Our temporal and spatial analyses support contrasting Mediterranean dipole patterns regarding the drought sensitivity of tree growth for each tree species. The spatial assessment of NAO and WI relationships regarding SPEI and TRW showed on average stronger correlations westward with non-stationary correlations between annual WI index and TRW in all species. The results indicate that the drought variability and the inferred drought-sensitive trees species (e.g., C. atlantica) are related to the NAO and the WI, showing that TRW is a feasible proxy to long-term reconstructions of Westerly Index (WI) variability in the Western Mediterranean region. Spatial variability of drought severity suggests a complex association between NAO and WI, likely modulated by an east–west Mediterranean climate dipole.

Seasonal variation of microbial activity in soil and forest floor under three different fir plantations

Microbil activity is one of the important process for biochemical cycles in soil and forest floor of ecosystems. Because, , the carbon dioxide and nutrients needed by plants are released during the microbial activity. In this study, we were investigated releationships between environmental factors (mositure, temperature, pH, electric conductivity, C, N, Na, Ca, Mg, K, P) and seasonal variations of microbal respiration, microbial biomass-C and metabolic quotient (qCO2) in the forest floor and soil (0-5cm) under three adjacent Abies plantation plots (Abies nordmanniana ssp. bornmuelleriana Mattf. (Ab), Abies cilicica Carr. (Ac) and Abies nordmanniana ssp. nordmanniana Mattf (An)) in Atatürk Arboretum located in Istanbul-Turkey. Sampling was carried out by collecting bimonthly (from May-2012 to March-2013) both soil (54 sample) and forest floor (54 sample) samples within each species. According to the results of the study, soil microbial respiration (SMR) has significantly lower value in Ab plot. Although SMR and soil microbial biomass-C (SMBC) were correlated with moisture and temperature in An plot, they were correlated with nutrients in other plots. In general, an increase in soil respiration rates was showed in autumn and early spring. Forest floor microbial respiration (FFMR), microbial biomass-C (FFMBC) and metabolic quotent (qCO2) did not differ among the plots. The measured FFMR, FFMBC and qCO2 parameters were lower in autumn than spring. Forest floor microbial parameters were drived by the variation of nutrients amounts. As a result, microbial processes in both soil and forest floor changed with the effect of different factors although there was no clear difference among the plots,