Browsing by Author "Özcan G.E."

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A new design of electronic control unit involving microcontroller to determine important parameters for target species in forest
(2018-10-01) Özcan G.E.; Çіçek O.; Enez K.; Yildiz M.
Forests, a valuable source provided by nature to living beings, are indispensable for many living organisms; hence, it is important to ensure the sustainability of forests. Determining the factors that exposure threats to the forests, executing protective methods against them and putting these methods into practise are important for the ecological cycle. Bark beetles, which have destructive effects on the ecosystem, are one of the factors that expose a threat to forests. Therefore, monitoring of these species and determination of effective control strategies are increasingly gaining importance in forestry. Conventional pheromone traps, which are being currently used, provide limited information on flight times of target species. Therefore, the technological development of the capture systems of these traps will determine future control trends. Hence, pheromone traps with electronic control unit were prepared in earlier (ѵ1) and new designed (ѵ2) versions. In ѵ2, 97.5% of target species were counted, and instant temperature, humidity and time parameters at the time of capture were recorded at a practiced field work for the system. In addition to the instant parameters recorded in ѵ2, an anemometer used for measuring wind speed, which is considered to have influence on the behaviour of target species, was incorporated into the system. In the trials, the counting success rates under daylight and darkness conditions for Ips sexdentatus adults were 98.1 and 97%, whereas the counting success rates for Pityocteines curvidens adults, which are smaller in size, were 96 and 99%, respectively. In conclusion, data obtained by recording the amount of target species along with the capture moment and parameters related to this will be very useful and provide determinative in the management of target species.
APPLICATION OF DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS IN MODELING THE CAPTURE OF Ips sexdentatus IN PHEROMONE TRAP
(2022-01-01) Özcan G.E.; Karacı A.; Enez K.
In this study, the results were obtained for the first time during the flight period of the target species Ips sexdentatus, which has the potential to pose a threat to the forests of the region and to be caught in the natural environment by a pheromone trap with electronic control unit (ECU). This study carried out an open area covered by Crimean pine forests in the Daday region of the Kastamonu Forest Regional Directorate in Turkey. The caught status of Ips sexdentatus has been classified and the number of caught has been predicted by the deep neural networks (DNN) modeling methods. DNN models were developed using the Python language Keras Library to classify the status of the target species adults and to predict how many adults will be captured. It is aimed to develop an innovative approach by creating DNN models depending on the capture times of the target species and the temperature, humidity, wind speed and precipitation variables at these times. The DNN-1 model classifies the caught status of the species with high precision. The DNN-2 models verify the classification result of the DNN-1 model. The DNN-3 model estimates the number of captures of the target species. This study is the first modeling research for target species using DNN at local and country levels. DNNs are known to have high predictive potential in applied ecological research such as bark beetle outbreaks. Estimating and monitoring the population of the pest depending on variables will provide an ecological-based forecast for the development of control strategies.
Assessing the laboratory mass rearing of Predator Beetle Rhizophagus grandis Gyll. (Coleoptera: Monotomidae)
(2021-06-01) Özcan G.E.; Eroğlu M.; Alkan Akinci H.
The aim of this study was to determine the progeny production of predator beetle Rhizophagus grandis (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Monotomidae) under laboratory conditions. Different numbers of male and female predators introduced into breeding logs and the numbers of new progenies and their sex ratios were determined in the early and late spring periods. A total of 8776, 13,402, 5742 and 7864 R. grandis individuals were reared in 60, 109, 128 and 56 breeding logs in four consecutive years, respectively. Of the prepupae that have dropped from breeding logs to enter the sand in experimental basins, 81.4 % of them have emerged as adults at the end of the experimental periods. The average number of R. grandis per log was 146.2, 123, 44.9 and 140.4 according to experimental years, and 181.7 and 93.2, 123, 62.4 and 32.9, 163.8 and 101.5 according to the early and late spring periods in the experimental years, respectively. In the second year of the experiments, only early spring rearings have been performed that have yielded 123 R. grandis per log on average. Progeny production of a female R. grandis was 18.3, 18.7, 5.8 and 17.6 on average, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. Different numbers of predator females and males were used in early and late spring experiments in the study. Progeny production was higher in early spring when the experiments were performed with 6 females and 2 males. Of the 35,784 R. grandis individuals that were obtained from the experiment, 16.4 %, 28.3 % and 55.3 % were collected from the first, second and third part of the sand environment where the breeding logs kept during experiment.
Assessment of ips sexdentatus population considering the capture in pheromone traps and their damages under non-epidemic conditions
(2017-01-01) Özcan G.E.
one of the most important factors of natural balance in the forests are insects, which are a part of ecological diversity. Being in a constant change, forest ecosystems are affected by bark beetles in low level or wide ranged ratios. The pressure of Ips sexdentatus, one of the most important pests of conifer forests and principal species of Turkey, can be at a sensible level from time to time. In this study, it was determined that the beetles carry out two flights in the region, first flight starts around the beginning of May, this period continues until mid-June, second flight starts around mid-June and continues until the beginning of September. The number of beetles captured by the traps in the first and second flight period were statistically different and, also the average number of beetles in first period were more than second period. When the results of pheromone trap capturing were evaluated monthly, it was seen that the averages of June, July and August were not statistically different, meanwhile May average was statistically different from other months. No significant difference were found between the averages of I. sexdentatus captured by the pheromone traps in sunny and shaded aspect. No dying due to beetle damage was found on the trees in the study area after the flight of beetles, however, the damage ratio of the beetle was identified as 16.38% in a hectare. A statistically significant difference was found between the specified diameter classes in terms of beetle damage.
Assessment of ips sexdentatus population considering the capture in pheromone traps and their damages under non-epidemic conditions
(2017-01-01) Özcan G.E.
one of the most important factors of natural balance in the forests are insects, which are a part of ecological diversity. Being in a constant change, forest ecosystems are affected by bark beetles in low level or wide ranged ratios. The pressure of Ips sexdentatus, one of the most important pests of conifer forests and principal species of Turkey, can be at a sensible level from time to time. In this study, it was determined that the beetles carry out two flights in the region, first flight starts around the beginning of May, this period continues until mid-June, second flight starts around mid-June and continues until the beginning of September. The number of beetles captured by the traps in the first and second flight period were statistically different and, also the average number of beetles in first period were more than second period. When the results of pheromone trap capturing were evaluated monthly, it was seen that the averages of June, July and August were not statistically different, meanwhile May average was statistically different from other months. No significant difference were found between the averages of I. sexdentatus captured by the pheromone traps in sunny and shaded aspect. No dying due to beetle damage was found on the trees in the study area after the flight of beetles, however, the damage ratio of the beetle was identified as 16.38% in a hectare. A statistically significant difference was found between the specified diameter classes in terms of beetle damage.
Attack strategy and development of Dendroctonus micans (Kug.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on oriental spruce in Turkey
(2014-01-01) Alkan-Akinci H.; Eroʇlu M.; Özcan G.E.
Dendroctonus micans has been continuously colonizing the native oriental spruce forests after its discovery in 1966 in Turkey. Solitary females attack the trees and they usually do not kill its hosts. This study aims to contribute the understanding of this solitary attack strategy and development of D. micans on oriental spruce in Turkey. The pattern of tree infestation was analyzed from 2001 to 2004 and 2006 in 120 experimental plots. Field surveys were carried out in the north east of Turkey in Artvin, Giresun, and Maçka (Trabzon) from May to October of each year. A total 3010 trees were examined in plots. D. micans infestation up to 2 m of trees were examined and the successful and aborted attacks were recorded. Development stages and numbers of the beetles were recorded in the galleries. The sizes of the old brood chambers were measured in the abandoned and infested trees. The beetle was found in 95.8% of the plots, attacked 21.7% of the spruce trees, and was active in 11.1% of the attacked trees. The majority of the attacked trees had only one successful attack. 69.3% of the entry holes, were up to 1m, and 30.7% of them were between 1 and 2 m. The attack rate was limited in many trees but it was rather high (40 to 160 attacks on a tree) in certain trees. Females laid 51.4 eggs on average with maximum of 200. 3.7% larval and 4% young adult galleries were coalesced. 24.3% attempts of D. micans was aborted and 75.7% of them was successful. Numbers of wounded and unwounded infested trees indicated a significant statistical difference. D. micans attacked and established more often on wounded trees. 83% of the wounded trees, were attacked by D. micans.
Comparative study of the analytical hierarchy process, frequency ratio, and logistic regression models for predicting the susceptibility to Ips sexdentatus in Crimean pine forests
(2022-11-01) Sivrikaya F.; Özcan G.E.; Enez K.; Sakici O.E.
The six-toothed bark beetle Ips sexdentatus is one of the most important pests of coniferous trees that can cause extensive tree mortality, and change the structure and composition of forest ecosystems. Many abiotic and biotic factors affect the infestation of bark beetles. Early detection of forest stands predisposed to bark beetle infestations will benefit from reducing the impacts of possible infestations. The study focused on the production and comparison of Ips sexdentatus susceptibility maps using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), frequency ratio (FR), and logistical regression (LR) models. The research was carried out in the Crimean pine forests of the Taşköprü Forest Enterprise in Kastamonu City in the Western Black Sea region of Türkiye. The eight main criteria used to produce the map were the stand structure, site index, crown closure, stand age, slope, elevation, maximum temperature, and solar radiation. The map of the infested stands was used for the models' validation. Crown closure was determined as the one of the most important factors in all three models. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine the accuracy of the maps. The validation results showed that the AUC for the FR model was 0.747, for the AHP model was 0.716, and for the LR model was 0.638. The results revealed that the FR model was more accurate than the other models in producing an I. sexdentatus susceptibility map. Besides, the AHP model was also reasonably accurate. This study could help decision makers to produce bark beetle susceptibility maps easily and rapidly so they can take the necessary precautions to slow or prevent infestations.
Determination of some factors leading to the infestation of Ips sexdentatus in crimean pine stands
(2022-09-01) Özcan G.E.; Sivrikaya F.; Sakici O.E.; Enez K.
Large infestations of bark beetles result in the death of many trees in large forest areas. Ecological-based modeling approaches that include the factors causing infestations are important for accurately predicting whether these infestations will occur, suggesting ways to avoid large infestations, and understanding sustainable forest management. In the present study, the effects of some stand characteristics and topographical and climatological factors on the of Ips sexdentatus infestation at pure and mixed Crimean pine stands were evaluated. Ten factors were considered as important for predicting the predisposition of a pine forest to infestation: stand structure, site index, crown closure, stand age, aspect, slope, elevation, maximum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Ten conditioning layers were overlayed separately with a beetle infestation map using geographic information system (GIS) to investigate how the beetle damage changed according to these factors and how much damage it caused. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine how combinations of the 10 factors affected beetle infestations and which of the factors were most damaging. It was found that the stand structure, crown closure, site index, stand age, slope, elevation, maximum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were definite factors in I. sexdentatus infestation; the aspect was not found to be a strong factor. The crown closure was the most significant factor affecting I. sexdentatus infestation followed by maximum temperature, elevation, slope, precipitation, solar radiation, stand age, site index, and stand structure. The crown closure, stand structure, maximum temperature, solar radiation, and forest stand area variables were significantly included in the logistic regression model.
Evaluation of electronic pheromone trap capture conditions for Ips sexdentatus with climatic and temporal factors
(2021-10-01) Özcan G.E.; Tabak H.Ş.
Controlling forest pests to maintain the sustainability of forests and ecosystem balance is one of the interests of modern forestry. In the evaluation of damage risks associated with forest pests, pheromone traps attract attention by providing early warnings. With the development of these traps in line with modern technology, more reliable data are obtained; these data are important in the identification and planning of pest management. In this study, a pheromone trap with electronic control unit was tested under field conditions. The capture of adult Ips sexdentatus under natural conditions during 103 days of the flying period was evaluated; 97.2% of the beetles captured in the trap were the target species. The comparison of the number of beetles recorded by the trap and manual counts revealed that the trap worked with an error margin of approximately 4%. However, no statistically significant difference was noted between these two counting methods. During the study, 59% of the total beetles were captured between May 27 and June 25. The average temperature at the period of the capture was 20.09 °C, average humidity was 66%, and average wind speed was 2.9 m/s. Of the captures, 73.9% occurred in the temperature range of 15–24.9 °C, 61.1% occurred in humidity range of 61–90%, 89.6% occurred at a wind speed of 0.3–5.4 m/s, and 77.3% occurred within the period from sunrise to sunset. When these four parameters were evaluated together, the most strongly associated parameter was daylight, followed by temperature, wind speed, and humidity.
Evaluation of nutritional behavior and predation rate of Thanasimus formicarius (Coleoptera: Cleridae) in laboratory conditions
(2021-06-01) Özcan G.E.; Koçoğlu N.
Bark beetle is one of the most dangerous groups among forest pests. Periodic outbreaks of these species can cause very serious economic losses as well as negatively affect ecosystem processes and functions. Strategies developed in line with the specific objectives and continued efforts to control these pests are necessary. Environment-friendly and nature compatible methods are preferred to keep the population of pests at low levels. One of the effective methods of suppressing the bark beetle population is biological control. Thanasimus formicarius, a general predator of many bark beetle species, is an effective natural enemy of them. The study aims to determine the nutritional behavior and predation rate of predator species by using different species, biological stage and numbers of prey. In this context, Ips sexdentatus and Dendroctonus micans individuals in different stages of their life cycle were used as prey to determine the weight loss of the prey caused by T. formicarius, prey preference, and predation rates of predator beetle. T. formicarius adults caused an average weight loss of 0.0188 g of their prey within 24 h. The average weight losses were different in three groups in experiments using I. sexdentatus adults alone, D. micans larvae alone, and these two species together as prey. In experiments wherein only I. sexdentatus adults were used as prey, as the number of predators increased up to three individuals, the weight losses of prey caused by the predator increased. In the evaluations conducted without considering the differences in stages of life cycle and prey species, the predator caught the prey at a rate of 69%. In experiments wherein only I. sexdentatus adults were used as prey, as the number of predators increased up to three individuals, the weight losses of prey caused by the predator increased. Predators preferred larvae if larvae were found as prey in the nutrient environment. The average predation rate of T. formicarius in experiments using I. sexdentatus adults alone as prey was 68.9%, whereas this rate was 71.3% in experiments using D. micans larvae alone.
Investigation of some factors affecting habitat selection and nest size of Formica rufa
(2023-10-01) Yilmaz M.; Özcan G.E.; Sivrikaya F.; Enez K.
Investigation of some factors affecting habitat selection and nest size of Formica rufa
(2023-10-01) Yilmaz M.; Özcan G.E.; Sivrikaya F.; Enez K.
The effects of pine mistletoe (Viscum album subsp. austriacum) on the growth of Scots pine and Crimean pine in Turkey
(2023-01-01) Sakici O.E.; Özcan G.E.; Seki M.; Sağlam F.
In this study, the effect of pine mistletoe (Viscum album subsp. austriacum) on basal area increment of Crimean pine and Scots pine was investigated. Dendrochronological data were collected from 223 (71 uninfected and 152 infected) Crimean pines and 195 (77 uninfected and 118 infected) Scots pines located in Kastamonu province of Turkey in 2014. Infected sample trees were classified as light, moderate or severe infection levels. Growth trends and basal area increment loses were compared between uninfected and infected trees for the periods of the last 10, 20 and 30 years. In addition, infection status of forest stands was investigated using temporary sample plots; 27 plots in Crimean pine stands and 26 plots in Scots pine. Results demonstrated that basal area increments were negatively affected by pine mistletoe for both species. Mean basal area increment losses of infected trees for the last decade were determined as 24% for Scots pine and 26% for Crimean pine. Basal area increment losses varied by infection levels (light, moderate and severe) as follows: 25%, 20% and 28% for Scots pines and 20%, 32% and 9% for Crimean pines. Scots pine stands were more severely infected by pine mistletoe than Crimean pine stands. There were negative correlations between number of infected trees and stand density for both species, while positive correlation was detected between the number of infected trees and mean diameter for Scots pine. The results of this study indicate that the pine mistletoe infection has negative effect on radial growth of Scots pine and Crimean pine trees. The results can be an important contribution to the forest management and protection activities in mistletoe-infected stands.
The effects of the “Predict-Observe-Explain (POE)” strategy on academic achievement, attitude and retention in science learning
(2022-06-01) Özcan G.E.; Uyanık G.
This paper employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group to investigate the effects of the predict-observe-explain (POE) strategy on fourth grade students' academic achievement, attitudes towards science, and retention. Participants of the study were consisted of 60 students. Experimental ( ) and control groups ( ) were randomly selected. The activities in the intervention group conducted eight weeks and a total of 18 lesson hours were run. The pre-and post-test results of the students in the experimental group and the control group were compared using the t-test for independent groups. The results demonstrated statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in terms of both academic achievement and attitudes post-test scores. In addition, a retention test was applied five weeks later than post-test application. The retention test results of the study revealed that the difference between the experimental group and the control group was statistically significant in favor of the experimental group. In conclusion, the results suggest that POE is an effective strategy in increasing the academic achievement and providing positive attitudes towards science.
Variations in the attack pattern of Dendroctonus micans and the colonization rate of Rhizophagus grandis in Picea orientalis stands
(2022-09-01) Büyükterzi A.; Özcan G.E.; Sakici O.E.
The great spruce bark beetle, Dendroctonus micans, is an invasive pest that has spread to almost all of the Picea orientalis forests in Turkey, affecting many trees and causing active damage. The species-specific predator Rhizophagus grandis plays an important role in suppressing populations of this pest because it is only found in D. micans galleries. In this study, the attack pattern of D. micans and the colonization rate of R. grandis were investigated according to some stand characteristics, such as aspect, developmental stage, crown closure, and stand type. It was determined that 20.5% of the 2025 sample trees evaluated in 83 sample plots were attacked by the beetle and that active damage from the beetle was currently continuing in 5.8% of the trees. There was no difference in the attack pattern of D. micans between shady and sunny aspects. However, trees showed significant differences in terms of susceptibility to beetle attacks based on developmental stage, crown closure, and stand type. The damage rates of the beetle were 19.8% and 29.6% for the mature and overmature stages, respectively; 28.5%, 18.8%, and 16.4% for low, medium, and full coverage stands, respectively; and 10.5–32.3% for different stand types. The colonization rate of R. grandis was 18.2%. This rate was not affected by the aspect, developmental stage, crown closure, or stand type. However, the rate was higher in the stands heavily infested by D. micans. In addition, there was a moderate correlation between the total number of D. micans individuals in active galleries and the total number of R. grandis individuals in these galleries.