Browsing by Author "Ozel H.B."

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Age-related changes of some chemical components in the leaves of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.)
(2020-05-01) Turfan N.; Ayan S.; Celik E.N.Y.; Ozel H.B.; Onat S.M.
The aim of this study was to investigate the developmental physiology of sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa Mill.) of different age groups (≥ 25, ≥ 50, ≥ 100, ≥ 200, and ≥ 400) in the Catalzeytin district of Kastamonu, Turkey. For this purpose, photosynthetic pigments, proline, total soluble protein, glucose, sucrose, total soluble carbohydrate and starch values, malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration, and also ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured in leaf samples. Hence, significant differences were found in the amounts and concentrations of all types of chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline, total soluble protein, glucose, sucrose, total soluble carbohydrate, starches, MDA, H2O2, APX, CAT, and SOD among the trees of different age groups. While the chlorophyll a value was low in young trees, the chlorophyll b value was low in older trees. It was determined that the MDA content was high in old trees, whereas it was low in young trees. While the amounts of glucose, sucrose, total soluble carbohydrate, and starch were highest in ≥ 400-year-old trees, they were lowest in the young trees. Both APX and CAT activities were high in young trees, whereas SOD activity was lowest in ≥ 400-year-old trees.
Altitudinal Migration of Species of Fir (Abies spp.) in Adaptation to Climate Change
(2022-09-01) Tekin O.; Cetin M.; Varol T.; Ozel H.B.; Sevik H.; Zeren Cetin I.
Global climate change is considered an irreversible problem, which might directly or indirectly affect all the organisms and ecosystems on the earth and the world has to struggle with. Plants having no effective movement mechanism are the group that global climate change will affect the most. In order to minimize the species and population losses, it is important to estimate the changes in the available distribution areas of species and to ensure the migration mechanism, which the species will need, by the hand of humans. The present study aims to reveal how potential distribution areas of fir, which is among the significant tree species of Turkey and significant portion of global distribution of which is in Turkey, will change from an altitudinal aspect because of the climate change. The results achieved showed that, because of the effects of global climate change, the suitable distribution areas of Abies nordmanniana subsp. nordmanniana will significantly decrease especially at high altitudes and that suitable distribution areas of Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani will reduce at altitudes higher than 1400 m but increase generally at the altitudes between 200 and 600 m. Moreover, suitable distribution areas of Abies cilicica will shift towards higher altitudes.
Analyzing of usability of tree-rings as biomonitors for monitoring heavy metal accumulation in the atmosphere in urban area: a case study of cedar tree (Cedrus sp.)
(2020-01-01) Sevik H.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Akarsu H.; Zeren Cetin I.
It is important to monitor the heavy metal pollution in order to identify risk zones and to determine the change in the heavy metal concentration of the atmosphere within the process. For this, it is necessary to carry out measurements for many years; however, this is not possible. Especially from past to present, one of the most effective methods to determine the changes of heavy metal concentrations in the atmosphere is to use the annual tree rings as biomonitors. Perennial plants growing in our country create annual rings, and it is possible to gain information regarding the changes of heavy metal concentrations in that region by determining the heavy metal concentrations in these rings. In this study, it was aimed to determine the annual changes of Pb, Co, and Fe elements’ concentrations in these sections by determining the annual rings on the logs taken from the main stem of the cedar tree (Cedrus sp.), which was cut by the end of 2016, in December, 2016, in Kastamonu province. Within the scope of the study, the element concentrations were also determined in the inner and outer bark. As a result of the study, it was found that the heavy metal values in the organelles taken from the road-facing part, especially the heavy metal concentrations in the outer bark were higher than the metal concentrations in the inward-facing part, and that the concentrations changed significantly on organelle and year basis.
Application of artificial neural networks to predict the heavy metal contamination in the Bartin River
(2020-12-01) Ucun Ozel H.; Gemici B.T.; Gemici E.; Ozel H.B.; Cetin M.; Sevik H.
In this study, copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) analyses were performed, and the results were modelled by artificial neural networks (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Samples were taken from 3 stations selected on the Bartin River for 1 year between December 2012 and December 2013. Radial basis neural network (RBANN), multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks models, and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were applied to the data in order to predict the heavy metal concentrations. As a result of the study, the RMSE and MAE values of all the heavy metal models were found to have very low error values during the test phase, and it was found that the models created using MLP had R2 values higher than 0.77 during the test phase; the test phase R2 values of the models using RBN method were found to be ranging between 0.773 and 0.989, and the test phase R2 value of the ANFIS model was higher than 0.80. If sorted from the best model to the worst by taking the MAE and RMSE values into consideration based on the test evaluation results, according to the heavy metal types, where all of the MLP, RBN, and ANFIS models were generally approximate to each other, RBN was successful for Cu, Zn, and Mn, while MLP model was successful for Ni and ANFIS model for Fe and Pb. According to the results, it can be inferred that the heavy metal contents can be estimated approximately with artificial intelligence models and relatively easy-to-measure parameters; it will be possible to detect heavy metals which are harmful to the viability of the rivers, both quickly and economically.
Change of Aluminum Concentrations in Specific Plants by Species, Organ, Washing, and Traffic Density
(2023-02-01) Kuzmina N.; Menshchikov S.; Mohnachev P.; Zavyalov K.; Petrova I.; Ozel H.B.; Aricak B.; Onat S.M.; Sevik H.
One of the most critical problems throughout the world is air pollution, causing the death of millions of individuals annually, and it is reported that 90% of the global population breathes polluted air. Among the components of air pollution, the most harmful ones are the heavy metals, which can remain non-degraded in nature for a long time, bio-accumulate in living organisms, and be toxic or carcinogenic at low concentrations. Hence, monitoring and reducing heavy metal pollution in the air are high-priority research topics. Heavy metals can accumulate within various organs of plants grown in an environment with an increased level of heavy metal pollution. The metal analyses on these organs can provide insight into the heavy metal pollution in the air. In the present study, the concentrations of aluminum (Al), one of the most important heavy metals, were determined in the different organs of five plant species grown in regions with different traffic densities. Remarkable changes were observed in the Al concentrations in all the organs of species, which were examined here by organ and traffic density. The highest values were obtained from the organs of plants grown in no-traffic regions.
Changes in heavy metal accumulation in some edible landscape plants depending on traffic density
(2020-02-01) Sevik H.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Ozel S.; Zeren Cetin I.
Food scarcity is one of global issues that our world faces today. A significant portion of the world’s population has no access to adequate food, and it is stated that approximately 830 million people suffer from chronic famine. This predicament is estimated to grow even further. Many attempts have been made to solve the food problem. Some examples are using new resources which have not been used for dietary purposes up to this point, planting new areas to produce food products, and increasing the potential harvest per an area unit. One of the solution proposals, which has come up recently within this scope, is the term of “edible landscaping”, which means the use of edible plants in the landscaping works, and thus maximizing the potential for food security. However, edible landscaping poses a considerable risk. Heavy metal accumulation in plants grown in urban centers can reach to high levels, and consuming these plants will allow these heavy metals a direct access into the human body and wreak havoc to the public health. But since this subject has not been sufficiently studied yet, the extent of such a risk is not accurately determined yet. This study aims to determine the changes of Ni, Co and Mn concentrations depending on traffic density in the leaves, branches, barks and fruits of cherry, plum, mulberry and apple trees growing in areas with dense traffic, low-density traffic and no-traffic zones in Kastamonu province. The results showed that the concentrations of Ni and Co elements increased in many organelles depending on traffic density, and that the heavy metal concentrations in fruits could be very high. This situation indicates that fruit and vegetables grown in industrial zones and urban centers, where heavy metal pollution may be high, can be harmful to the public health if consumed as crops.
Changes in PB, CR and CU concentrations in some bioindicators depending on traffic density on the basis of species and organs
(2019-01-01) Sevik H.; Cetin M.; Ozturk A.; Ozel H.B.; Pinar B.
The growing population and industrialization is causing air pollution. In some cities pollution has reached to a point where it is threatening human lives. Pollution has become one of the biggest issues of today’s world. Pollutants are produced by exhaust gases, car wheels, and vehicles. Heavy metals (HM) are one of the major culprits that cause air pollution. This is due to the fact that HM can exist in the environment for a long time without deterioration, and their concentration in the atmosphere is ever-growing. They also tend to bioaccumulate. Therefore, determining HM concentration levels is crucial in terms of identifying risk zones and levels. Bioindicators are the most important determinants that can indicate the change in the concentration of HM in the atmosphere. This study aims to monitor the changes in Pb, Cr and Cu concentrations in the leaves, seeds and branches of cherry plum (Prunus ceracifera), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Tilia (Tilia tomentosa), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) species, which can be used for monitoring the traffic-induced HM concentration. We observed that the concentration of all the elements increased according to the traffic density, this is especially visible in the case of Pb and Cr.
Determination of changes in heavy metal accumulation depending on plant species, plant organism, and traffic density in some landscape plants
(2019-02-02) Sevik H.; Ozel H.B.; Cetin M.; Özel H.U.; Erdem T.
The level of pollution has reached the dimensions that threaten human health, with the rapid urbanization and the increase of energy consumption especially in developing countries. Every year in the world, millions of people lose their lives because of air pollution. Heavy metals have a separate precaution in pollutants, especially in terms of human health, because they can remain intact in nature for long periods of time, they tend to bioaccumulate and some are toxic or carcinogenic even at low concentrations. Therefore, monitoring of heavy metal pollution and determination of risky areas is very important. Biomonitors are the most commonly used methods for monitoring heavy metal pollution. However, determining which plants and organelles are more suitable for monitoring the metal is essential in order to ensure that the monitoring is reliable. In this study, it was aimed to determine the variations of the concentration of Ni, Pb, and Cd elements depending on the traffic density in leaves, seeds, and branches of Ailanthus altissima, Biota orientalis, Platanus orientalis, and Pyracantha coccinea which are grown in areas with heavy, low dense, and non-traffic areas. As a result of the study, it was determined that concentrations of Ni, Pb, and Cd increased depending on traffic density. According to the results obtained, it was determined that seeds and branches of Biota orientalis were the most suitable species and organelles to determine Ni pollution. The leaves of Ailanthus altissima are very suitable for monitoring the pollution of Pb and Cd.
Determination of Pb and Mg accumulation in some of the landscape plants in shrub forms
(2020-01-01) Sevik H.; Cetin M.; Ucun Ozel H.; Ozel H.B.; Mossi M.M.M.; Zeren Cetin I.
Heavy metals have a separate precaution in the air pollution components as they are not easily deteriorated in nature, they tend to bioaccumulate, they are carcinogenic or poisonous, and they can be toxic even at low concentrations. Therefore, monitoring of heavy metal pollution is of great importance. Plants are frequently used as biomonitors to monitor the heavy metal pollution. However, the heavy metal accumulation capacities of plants can vary considerably depending on the plant species, as well as on the organelle basis and the amount of particulate matter in the environment. It is also very important to determine how much of the heavy metal concentrations found in plants are derived from the plant species and how much from the particulate matter on the organ. In this study, it was aimed to determine the change of heavy metal accumulation in some landscape plants grown in the city center of Kastamonu depending on plant type, plant organism, washing status, and traffic density. For this purpose, leaf and branch samples were collected from individuals of Ligustrum vulgare L., Euonymus japonica Thunb., Biota orientalis L., Juniperus sabina L., Berberis thunbergii DC, Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt., and Buxus sempervirens L., which are frequently used in urban landscape designs growing in areas with heavy, low dense, and no traffic. Some of the collected samples were washed, and heavy metal analyses were conducted to determine the amount of Pb and Mg concentrations. It was remarkable that Pb concentration was higher in branches than in the leaves for all the species. And the alteration depending on traffic density on the base of the factors studied was in different proportion depending on the metals.
Determining potential planting areas in urban regions
(2019-03-01) Varol T.; Gormus S.; Cengiz S.; Ozel H.B.; Cetin M.
Impermeable surfaces are getting larger in Turkey, as they are in most parts of the world as urban sprawl increases. The increase in impermeable surfaces leads to air pollution, floods, and overflows due to changes in urban landscapes and ecosystems. In order to prevent such damages, impermeable surfaces must be reduced by the means of urban afforestation. The main purpose of this study is to determine which areas are suitable for urban afforestation, and thus to improve the ecological conditions of the city. Accordingly, the study adopts a method that takes urban density into account. Satellite image classification, canopy measurement and determination of potential afforestation areas have been performed within the boundaries of Bartın Municipality. The IKONOS satellite images have been taken as a base for the study, which has been carried out via ENVI, GIS, and SPSS techniques and Tree Canopy Cover. By excluding the too-small spaces within the study area, as well as the ones too close to infrastructural facilities, I have been able to identify potential planting areas using GIS-based decision-making mechanisms. The existing trees and other plant covers have been noted in order to plan the potential plant cover. Considering the locational suitability of the planting areas and the canopy of the trees, the planting areas have been set out using three grid types: 15 × 15 m (large tree), 10 × 10 m (medium tree), and 5 × 5 m (small tree). A total of 29,773 potential trees have been planned for. After corrections, the potential canopy cover has been calculated to be 0.71 km 2 . Of the potential trees, 93.34% are small, 5.23% are medium, and 1.43% are large trees. If the potential planting areas determined in this study are forested as calculated, the canopy in Bartın city will increase by approximately 2%. In the city, where impermeable surface areas have expanded because of rapid urban sprawl, this new increase will make an important contribution to the improvement of the city’s ecosystem.
Exploring land use/land cover change by using density analysis method in yenice
(2022-10-01) Aksoy H.; Kaptan S.; Varol T.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.
In this study, the changes in forest areas and land cover in the period of 2001–2011 and 2011–2021 in the Yenice Forestry Operation Directorate of Turkey were examined in time interval, category and transition levels by using the density analysis method. Landsat images of the study area for the relevant years were classified according to the supervised classification method, land cover change maps and matrices were produced. Method of Intensity Analysis dissects the transition matrices of 2001–2011 and 2011–2021 time period for six categories: Coniferous, Broad-Leaved, Mixed, Settlement, Agriculture and Water. Interval results of the analysis show that the accelerated change in the second period resulted in a decrease in mixed forest and agricultural areas (2%, 8%, respectively) and an increase in residential and pure forests (1% and 9%, respectively) in 20 years. According to the category level results, Broad-Leaved category is active in gain in the first time interval and dormant in terms of loss and gain in the second time interval. Mixed, on the other hand, is an active loser in the first timeframe and active in terms of gains in the second timeframe. According to the Transition level results, the gains of Coniferous and Mixed categories showed that they targeted each other's losses in both time intervals. While Broad-Leaved targeted Mixed losses in the first timeframe, Agriculture losses were targeted as gains in the second timeframe.
Identification of Some Fiber Characteristics in Rosa sp. and Nerium oleander L. Wood Grown under Different Ecological Conditions
(2021-08-01) Yigit N.; Mutevelli Z.; Sevik H.; Onat S.M.; Ozel H.B.; Cetin M.; Olgun C.
Climate-dependent changes in wood anatomical characteristics were studied for Rosa sp. and Nerium oleander sp. grown in phytosociological areas. For this purpose, wood samples were taken from the individual wood species grown in Antalya, Eskisehir, and Kastamonu provenances, where Terrestrial, Black Sea, and Mediterranean climate types prevail, and 11 anatomical characters were identified or calculated. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the climate has large effects on the characteristics that are the subject of the study and that each characteristic is at a higher level in individuals grown in areas where different climate types prevail. The highest values in Rosa species were obtained in the individuals grown under Terrestrial climate type in all characteristics except for LW (lumen widths), EC (elasticity coefficients), and FF (F-Factors.) Whereas in Nerium oleander, the highest values were obtained in individuals grown in the Mediterranean climate type in FL (fibre lengths), LW (lumen widths), FR (felting ratios), and EC (elasticity coefficients). For the same species type, in the Terrestrial climate, RIJID (rigidity coefficients), MUHT (Muhlstep ratios), and RUNK (Runkel ratios), and in the Black Sea climate DWT (double wall thicknesses) and WT (wall thicknesses) characteristics had high values.
Identifying the suitable habitats for Anatolian boxwood (Buxus sempervirens L.) for the future regarding the climate change
(2022-10-01) Varol T.; Canturk U.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Sevik H.; Zeren Cetin I.
Distribution of tree species is a function of climatic (such as temperature and precipitation) and topographic (such as altitude, slope, and exposure) parameters. It is thought that any change in climatic parameters would be one of the most effective factors to influence the distribution of species. The adaptation of populations would depend on the phenotypic variation, strength of selection, interspecies competition, and biotic interactions. Moreover, many ecologic and anthropogenic processes that are related with each other would affect the distance of distribution. Hence, the detailed and reliable information about the geographical distribution of species under changing climate conditions is of significant importance for various ecologic and protection practices. For this reason, the present study focused on the estimation and analysis of the potential distribution of Anatolian boxwood in different scenarios (SSPS245 and SSPS585) and the estimation and analysis of environmental factors influencing this distribution. Using the current and future (2040-2060-2080-2100) climate scenarios, the habitats that are suitable for the distribution of Anatolian boxwood in Turkey were modeled using the maximum entropy model and then mapped using ArcGIS software. In determining the potential distribution areas, 21 parameters (19 bioclimatic and 2 topographic variables) were used in 21 field-based formation points. The results showed that the most important variables affecting the distribution of species were annual mean temperature (Bio1), minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), mean temperature of the coldest quartile (Bio11), precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), precipitation of the driest quartile (Bi017), and precipitation of the warmest quartile (Bio18). According to two future climate change scenarios, the estimation models showed that there might be decreases up to 6% in Anatolian Boxwood population in years 2040–2060 and, in year 2100; the potential area of distribution will shift to north and higher altitudes in comparison to the current ones and increase by 1–4%. The human help needed for maintaining the existence of new species in the suitable distribution areas suggests the necessity of reviewing and re-designing the current forestry plans and silvicultural practices within the context of climate change.
Impacts of climate change scenarios on European ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior L.) in Turkey
(2021-07-01) Varol T.; Canturk U.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Sevik H.
Climate change is expected to have various impacts on forest ecosystems through drought, heat stress, insect invasions and forest fires. Therefore, lack of taking the necessary measures in time will lead to the extinction or endangerment of valuable species. The entropy method was used in order to estimate the geographic distribution of Fraxinus excelsior L. available in Turkey under present and future climate conditions. 19 bioclimatic variables obtained from the monthly data within 30 provinces, where Fraxinus excelsior L. was found in Turkey, as well as the topographic variable of elevation were used in the modelling process. The results show that Fraxinus excelsior L. is largely affected by precipitation in the driest month, the driest quarter and the hottest quarter. According to the response curve of Fraxinus excelsior L. in Turkey, it is observed that it prefers the habitats with average precipitation of 22 mm in the driest month, average precipitation of 100 mm in the driest quarter and the precipitation over 70 mm in the hottest quarter. The SSPs 245 and SSPs 585 climate scenarios, respectively, show that the geographic distribution of Fraxinus excelsior L. will narrow by 7.58% and 6.28% in 2100. All of these results show that species response to the individual and communal impacts as well as the impacts at ecosystem scale dictated by climate change by changing their climatic niches. Most of the plant species that lack an effective and rapid migration ability will have difficulty in finding suitable habitat areas. Thus, the ecological consequences of the narrowing experienced in the foreseen borders may have serious consequences for both the management and protection of forests.
Impacts of Small-Scale Mechanized Logging Equipment on Soil Compaction in Forests
(2020-09-01) Varol T.; Emir T.; Akgul M.; Ozel H.B.; Acar H.H.; Cetin M.
The present study focuses on assessing the effects of different numbers of skidders on soil compaction. To assess the skidding effects, four-wheeled small-scale logging equipment attached to an ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) was used. Skidding operations were carried out on undistributed forest corridor (20 × 3 m).To measure soil compaction, 11 measurement lines were used, spaced at 2-m intervals. A total of 33 measurement points were used to measure soil compaction. Soil compaction values were measured for different soil depths with 5 cm intervals in the 0–40 cm range as MpA. The results were evaluated for the skidding zone and the wheel zone. Prior to skidding, soil compactions at 0 cm (top soil) is almost 2.5–3 times lower than those at the other depths. The p values indicate that the numbers of passes and the compaction values belong to nonidentical groups. The Bonferroni method was used to determine whether the compaction values are similar. The Dunn test results demonstrate that there were statistically significant differences between the mean values of the number of passes up to the 60th pass. However, there are no statistically significant differences between the means of the compaction values occurring between 60 and 80 and 100 and 120 passes. Generally, soil compaction is expressed as an increase in the soil bulk density. Soil bulk density and soil porosity are negatively correlated. It was found that for each of the zones, soil compaction values between the depths of 15 cm and 40 cm are approximately 4 times higher than at the 0 cm soil depth. Soil compaction values increased 3 times at the depths of between 0 cm and 5 cm. The average soil compactions values in the skidding zone are approximately 1.5 times higher than those at the wheel zones at the depth greater than 5 cm. The use of different skid trails will decrease soil compaction of the forest stand, provide uniformity of soil compactions in forest stand.
Influence of climatic factor of changes in forest fire danger and fire season length in Turkey
(2021-01-01) Ertugrul M.; Varol T.; Ozel H.B.; Cetin M.; Sevik H.
In contrast to the expectations of an increase in annual fire activity and the severity of fire season due to climate change and large fires, which have been occurring in recent years, a downtrend has been identified in fire activity in many studies conducted for the whole of Europe in recent years. Similarly, in Turkey, according to the General Directorate of Forestry statistics, while there is an increase in the number of annual fires, the burnt area has a downtrend pattern. In this study, fire activity and climate data statistics for Turkey were examined along with the fire season length and severity. The results obtained conform with the studies conducted in places from Spain at the westernmost part of Mediterranean Europe to Israel at the easternmost part of the Mediterranean. Considering the changes in temperatures, temperature rise of 2 to 3 °C was detected at all stations in the study area. No decrease was observed in the average temperatures at any of the stations within the study period between 1940 and 2018. On the other hand, the precipitation trend varied according to the stations. Although there have been increases in precipitation in Fethiye, Isparta, and Marmaris since 1960, the decrease in precipitation by 132 mm in Afyon since 1970 and the decrease in precipitation by 137 mm in Bodrum since 1940 are attention-grabbing. These stations are followed by Izmir station with 66 mm and Cesme station with 37 mm of decrease, despite being smaller decreases. In the study, the long-term (1940–2018) data of the meteorological stations discussed within the study, the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) and the Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) values were calculated. According to the FWI results used in determining the severity and length of fire season on the coastline of Turkey from the northern Aegean to Antalya, the likelihood of large fires decreased by about 52% in 2018 compared to 1970. This decrease in FWI value indicates that the fire severity is reduced. The specified decrease in fire severity also explains the reason of the decrease in the burnt area that occurred over the years in Turkey. No significant change was observed in the FFMC values indicating the possibility of human-induced fires between 1970 and 2018.
Monitoring of Land- Cover/Land- Use changes in Syria by involving the collect earth methodology approach
(2020-12-01) Atesoglu A.; Akturk E.; Rasouli A.; Erpay S.; Ozel H.B.
Land-cover/Land-use (LC/LU) monitoring is important for the ecosystem and climate change intends. The LC/LU change sector plays and will continue to play a crucial role in international efforts for decision making and planning. Monitoring, evaluating and reporting according to international agreements in LC/LU change is still a challenging task difficult task due to government instability, war or conflict situation in some countries. What happened in Syria in recent years is an example of this situation too. In this context, different methods based on remote sensing are used to produce more sensitive and accurate data. Thus, in this study used to Collect Earth methodology, that multi-purpose land monitoring using remote sensing and Geographic information system integrated, for accurately estimating LC/LU change between 2000 and 2018 in Syria. Recently, The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to assist countries in collecting, managing and analysing land-cover and land-use information have released Open Foris Collect Earth software. Besides, there are not enough and current studies for studies in line with the international LC/LU categories and classification principles in Syria. Overall, the article provides basic results which distribution of LC/LU classes according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), monitoring the current status and change of forest, pasture or woody vegetation, agricultural fields and wetlands, LC/LU change between 2000-2018, habitat loss-gain and revealing the effects of war on the land.
Periodical and regional change of particulate matter and CO2 concentration in Misurata
(2021-11-01) Elsunousi A.A.M.; Sevik H.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Ozel H.U.
Today, environmental pollution, air pollution in particular, is among the most important problems in the world. Air pollution, which has become a global issue, is estimated to cause the death of around 1 in 8 people worldwide. Due to the significance of air pollution, all components of air pollution are of great importance for human health, and thus the studies on air pollution are highly important, especially in areas with high population density. In this study, it was aimed to determine the regional and periodic change of CO2 and particulate matter pollution in the city of Misurata, one of the important cities of Libya. The study was conducted in the city centre of Misurata, and the measurements were made once in every three days between November and February at 7 different locations selected in the city centre. As a result of the measurements made, the changes in the pollution parameters were evaluated on the basis of zones and months. As a result of the study, the cleanest areas were found to be the industrial area (B3) located in the east of the city and the zone (B4), where the Al-Swehli farm was located, while the dirtiest areas were found to be the main street (B1 and B2) in the city centre and the city centre, in general. In terms of months, the lowest CO2 values were obtained in January, and the highest value was in February, whereas the lowest particulate matter values were obtained in January and the highest values in December.
Prediction of soil-bearing capacity on forest roads by statistical approaches
(2021-08-01) Varol T.; Ozel H.B.; Ertugrul M.; Emir T.; Tunay M.; Cetin M.; Sevik H.
The soil-bearing capacity is one of the important criteria in dimensioning the superstructure. In Turkey, predictability of California Bearing Ratio values, which may be used in the planning and dimensioning of forest roads, of which about 26% lacks the superstructure, by using soil mechanical properties (cost and time efficient parameters that are easier to determine) is investigated. Simple linear regression, multiple linear regression, artificial neural networks and adaptive network–based fuzzy inference system methods were utilized. Two hundred sixty-four California Bearing Ratio values obtained from the project carried out on the forest roads of Bartin Forest Operation Directorate were used in both the production of training-test data and the creation of models. Statistical performance of the models was assessed by means of parameters such as root-mean-square error, mean absolute error and R2. The obtained results show that the bearing capacity values predicted by artificial neural networks and adaptive network based fuzzy inference system models display significantly better performance than the simple linear regression and multiple linear regression models. While the highest prediction capacity belongs to adaptive network based fuzzy inference system (0.969–0.991), it is followed by artificial neural networks (R2 = 0.796–0.974), multiple linear regression (R2 = 0.796) and simple linear regression (R2 = 0.554). What makes the algorithms superior than the traditional statistical models is the fact that they have many processing neurons, each with local connections, and thus have higher error tolerance. On the other hand, for the forest and rural roads, which play an important role in rural development of the forest peasants, to be able to operate all-seasons, superstructure should be immediately built in order to minimize the wear on the roads.
The effect of climate on leaf micromorphological characteristics in some broad-leaved species
(2021-04-01) Sevik H.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Erbek A.; Zeren Cetin I.
This study aimed to determine the change in micromorphological characteristics depending on the species and the climate conditions in some landscape plants grown in areas with different climate conditions. For this purpose, leaf samples of five different woody species from the areas dominated by continental, Black Sea and Mediterranean climates were collected, and the scaled images of these samples were obtained via scanning electron. The stoma length, stoma width, pore length, pore width and stoma density were determined using the measurements conducted on these scaled images. The obtained data were evaluated statistically, and changes in these characteristics depending on the climate and the species were determined. The lowest values for all characteristics, except stoma density, were obtained in the terrestrial climate, whereas the highest values were obtained in plants grown in the Mediterranean climate. In terms of stoma density, the lowest value was obtained in plants grown in the Mediterranean climate, whereas the highest values were obtained in terms of other characteristics, and the highest value was obtained in plants grown in the terrestrial climate, whereas the lowest values were obtained in terms of other characteristics. However, when the changes depending on the species were examined, it was determined that different species react differently depending on the climate type.