Browsing by Author "Zeren Cetin I."

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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.
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.
Determination and Mapping of Regional Change of Pb and Cr Pollution in Ankara City Center
(2022-05-01) Cetin M.; Aljama A.M.O.; Alrabiti O.B.M.; Adiguzel F.; Sevik H.; Zeren Cetin I.
As in the whole world, environmental problems have increased with the increase in residential areas in Turkey, and this situation has brought many problems, especially environmental pollution. Among the components of environmental pollution, heavy metals are the most dangerous and important in terms of human and environmental health. Especially Pb and Cr are among the most toxic and deadly heavy metals, and the concentrations of these heavy metals in the environment are constantly increasing. Soil is one of the elements most affected by the increase in pollution. Soils are both a nutrition and living environment for plants and one of the most important components of the environment. In addition, topsoil is one of the most important indicators of the level of air pollution. This study aimed to determine and map the Pb and Cr pollution in the city center of Ankara, the capital and the second-largest city of Turkey, with the help of topsoils. Within the scope of the study, Ankara city center was divided into sub-regions with different characteristics, and Pb and Cr analyzes were performed by taking topsoil samples from 50 points representing these regions. Then, the changes in Pb and Cr concentrations on a regional basis were statistically evaluated, the data were transferred to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using ArcGIS 10.7 software, then modeled with the kriging method, one of the interpolation methods, and pollution maps were created. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the Cr concentration is generally higher in the northwest-southeast axis of the study area, decreases as one goes to the northeast and southwest, and the region with the highest Pb concentration is located in the center of the study area, that is, in the west of the town of Sincan.
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.
Effect of the surface temperature of surface materials on thermal comfort: a case study of Iskenderun (Hatay, Turkey)
(2021-04-01) Bozdogan Sert E.; Kaya E.; Adiguzel F.; Cetin M.; Gungor S.; Zeren Cetin I.; Dinc Y.
As a result of urbanization that started with the industrial revolution, high temperatures caused by surface materials in built areas cause the formation of urban heat islands. This situation adversely affects the livability of cities due to the thermal comfort or lack thereof. The surface temperatures of these widely used materials in a park located in the urban area of Iskenderun (Hatay, Turkey) were assessed in this study. The study was conducted in 3 stages in July 2019, one of the hottest months of the year in Iskenderun Community Park (the largest park on the borders of Iskenderun). The city itself is a coastal city with a Mediterranean climate. In the first stage, studies related to the subject were reviewed, and the points to be measured in the area were determined. It was taken into account that the measured points represented different surfaces in the park. In the second stage, the surface temperatures were measured 5 times in total during July using an infrared thermometer (TFA-ScanTemp330) from 12:00–13:00 with 3 repetitions from a height of 150 cm above the surface level. In the third stage, the data obtained was evaluated. The results of this study highlight the importance of the selection of surface materials in the development of healthy and livable cities. In regions where the Mediterranean climate prevails, the importance of increasing the presence of water bodies, grass areas, and plants (trees, bushes, and groundcover) due to their vital roles in reducing urban heat islands and increasing thermal comfort cannot be stressed enough.
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.
Investigation of the relationship between bioclimatic comfort and land use by using GIS and RS techniques in Trabzon
(2020-02-01) Zeren Cetin I.; Sevik H.
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between bioclimatic comfort and land use in Trabzon by using geographical information systems and remote sensing technologies. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the bioclimatic conditions of the years 1985, 1994, 2005, and 2018 with the use of land in the same years in the province of Trabzon in seasonal and annual periods. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) index, which takes into consideration the physiological characteristics of humans, was used when determining bioclimatic comfort zones. The meteorological parameters used in the calculation of this index are as follows: daily average temperature values reduced to sea level, daily average relative humidity, and wind speed. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) method was preferred in the calculation of the spatial distribution of the obtained values at sea level. Using DEM data, height-dependent PET values were obtained and bioclimatic comfort maps were generated. According to the years of the bioclimatic comfort maps produced, land use maps were created by using CORINE land cover data. Then, the relationship between bioclimatic comfort zones and land use was examined.
The change in biocomfort zones in the area of Muğla province in near future due to the global climate change scenarios
(2023-02-01) Cetin M.; Sevik H.; Koc I.; Zeren Cetin I.
It is inevitable that the global climate change, which has important effects on the climate throughout the world, would have significant effects on the biocomfort zones. Hence, how global climate change will change the biocomfort zones should be determined and the data to be obtained should be used in urban planning projects. In the current study, SSPs 245 and SSPs 585 scenarios were taken as a basis, and the potential effects of global climate change on the biocomfort zones in Muğla province, Türkiye were investigated. Within the scope of the present study, the current status of biocomfort zones in Muğla and their possible conditions in years 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100 were compared using DI and ETv methods. At the end of the study, it was estimated that, according DI method, 14.13% of Muğla province are in cold zone, 31.96% in cool zone, and 53.71% in comfortable zone. According to the SSPs 585 scenario, together with the increase in temperature, the cold and cool zones will totally disappear in year 2100, comfortable zones will decrease to 31.22%, and approx. 68.78% of the province will be in hot zone. According to the calculations made using ETv method, Muğla province currently consists of moderately cold zones by 2%, quite cold zones by 13.16%, slightly cold zones by 57.06%, and mild zones by 27.79%. Based on the SSPs 585 scenario for the year 2100, it is projected that Muğla will consist of slightly cool zones by 1.41%, mild zones by 14.42%, and comfortable zones by 68.06%, besides warm zones by 16.11% which are not present at this moment. This finding suggests that especially the cooling costs will increase and the air-conditioning systems to be used will negatively affect the global climate change through the energy consumption and the gases used.
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.
The Effects of Climate Change Scenarios on Carpinus betulus and Carpinus orientalis in Europe
(2022-02-01) Varol T.; Cetin M.; Ozel H.B.; Sevik H.; Zeren Cetin I.
Occurring mainly as a result of human activities, global climate change is considered the most important problem of the current years. It was stated that global climate change will directly or indirectly influence the entire organic life on earth and that the group which will be affected by this process at most will be the plants, which have a limited migration mechanism, and especially the forests. In order to protect from the destructive effects of this process, it is important to determine the possible effects of climate change and to take measures addressing the future effects. Within the scope of this study, it was aimed to determine how the appropriate distribution areas of Carpinus betulus and Carpinus orientalis species widely spreading the European continent will be affected by the process of global climate change. In this parallel, by employing 15 bioclimatic variables by the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 4.5 and RCP 8.5 global climate scenarios from the WorldClim database, Maximum Entropy software was used in modeling the years 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100 and the changes in appropriate distribution areas of these species were calculated in units of area and percentage. As a result of the study, it was determined that the population loss might exceed beyond 25% at the altitudes below 1600 m for Carpinus betulus and beyond 30% at the altitudes below 1000 m for Carpinus orientalis, that the appropriate distribution areas will expand at higher altitudes, and that this increase may be more than 100% at the altitudes of 1000–2000 m for Carpinus orientalis. However, it is projected that the species will not be able to migrate to the newly emerging appropriate distribution areas fast enough and, moreover, significant population losses may occur for this reason.
The effects of climate on land use/cover: a case study in Turkey by using remote sensing data
(2023-01-01) Zeren Cetin I.; Varol T.; Ozel H.B.; Sevik H.
Economic and industrial development results in worldwide population concentration in cities, leading to increases in impervious surfaces. Thus, the surface temperatures increase and cities are exposed to the urban heat island effect. This study analyzed the changes in the urban heat island effect in the 30 years (from 1990 to 2021) in the central district of Bartin. In this sense, there were two primary goals. Firstly, land use/land cover change, land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference built-up index (NDBI), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were analyzed by using remote sensing methods between 1990 and 2021. Secondly, a linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the factors associated with LST, NDVI, and NDBI. The study results revealed increases in urban surfaces and the average land surface temperature values in the past 30 years and showed a decline in the vegetation. Regression analysis results indicated a strong negative relationship between LST and NDVI and a strong positive relationship between LST and NDBI. It was also found a robust negative relationship between NDBI and NDVI. In light of the findings, it was stated that the amount of open and green areas should be increased in order to prevent the negative effects of the urban heat island in the central district of Bartin. For this purpose, it has been proposed to encourage green roof systems throughout the city, to create city parks and to create a green belt system. In addition, as a result of the study, the importance of preventing forest destruction caused by over settlement in the Mountains, which is one of the rare habitats of the world with different plant species, was emphasized. In this sense, legal sanctions should be employed to protect those areas and prevent construction.
The effects of increased exposure time to UV-B radiation on germination and seedling development of Anatolian black pine seeds
(2021-07-01) Ozel H.B.; Abo Aisha A.E.S.; Cetin M.; Sevik H.; Zeren Cetin I.
Exhaustion of stratospheric ozone found at a height of 10–30 km around the world causes the solar UV-B (280–320 nm) radiation to penetrate through the atmosphere more, and thus to reach the Earth’s surface quicker. The protective ozone layer gets damaged by human activities constantly, and the increasing levels of UV radiation present threats to all life forms, plants, animals, and even microorganisms. However, the studies conducted on the effects of UV radiation on plants, and especially forest trees, are rather limited. In this study, it was aimed to identify the effects of UV-B radiation on some germination and seedling characteristics of Anatolian black pine seeds. Within the scope of the study, seeds were exposed to UV-B radiation for 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min for germination experiments; and the germination speed (GS) was calculated as the ratio of the germinated seeds to the solid seeds at the end of the 7th day, whereas the germination percentage (GP) was calculated as the ratio of the germinated seeds to the solid seeds at the end of the 35th day. The seeds reserved for the seedling experiment were exposed to UV-B radiation for 1, 3, 5, and 7 h. With the measurements made at the end of the day, the seedling length (SL), the terminal bud length (TBL), the branch number (BN), the root collar diameter (RCD), the stem fresh weight (SFW), the root fresh weight (RFW), the stem dry weight (SDW) and the root dry weight (RDW), and the rooting percentage (RP) were determined. Variance analysis and Duncan test were applied to the obtained data with the help of SPSS package program. The study results revealed that the exposure time to increased UV-B radiation significantly affected all characters; the least affected character was RP, and that the most affected characters were RDW, SDW, and RCD. As a result of the study, it was found that even the applications with the lowest intensity took effect in most of the characters, that the seedling development decreased by more than 80% in terms of some characters at the end of 7-h application, and that even the decrease in the RP character, which was the least affected by the 7-h UV-B application, was above 50%.
The usability of Cupressus arizonica annual rings in monitoring the changes in heavy metal concentration in air
(2021-07-01) Cesur A.; Zeren Cetin I.; Abo Aisha A.E.S.; Alrabiti O.B.M.; Aljama A.M.O.; Jawed A.A.; Cetin M.; Sevik H.; Ozel H.B.
Air pollution, which has been increasing in recent years, has reached significant dimensions and has become one of the most important agenda topics of present day. Among air pollution components, heavy metals are of particular importance, since they are not easily decomposed, they tend to bioaccumulate, and some of them have toxic or carcinogenic effects even at low concentrations. Therefore, it is an extremely important subject to monitor the changes in heavy metal concentrations found in air. The most preferred method in determining the changes in heavy metal concentrations in the atmosphere is the use of biomonitors. From past to present, trees have been good biomonitors in determining the increase in heavy metal concentrations in the atmosphere. Particularly, with the help of the annual growth rings of trees, vital information can be obtained on the changes in heavy metal concentrations in air. In this study, after the annual rings were determined on the log taken from the main body of the cypress (Cupressus arizonica) tree cut from the Kisla park located in Kastamonu province, the concentrations of Bi, Cd, and Ni in the outer bark, inner bark, and wood were compared in the inward-facing and road-facing parts of these sections. Also, the changes in heavy metal concentrations in the annual rings were evaluated on a yearly basis. As a result of the study, it was found that the element concentrations in the outer bark of the road-facing part were generally at a higher level, and that the changes in the elements on a yearly basis generally followed a fluctuating course, but there had been a general increase in the Cd and Ni concentrations in recent years.
The Use of Cupressus arizonica as a Biomonitor of Li, Fe, and Cr Pollution in Kastamonu
(2022-06-01) Cesur A.; Zeren Cetin I.; Cetin M.; Sevik H.; Ozel H.B.
Air pollution became an important problem that severely threatens human health, especially in urban areas. Such that it was reported that 90% of global population respire polluted air and the air pollution causes the death of approx. 7 million annually. It is known that heavy metals have a significantly high share in these deaths. Heavy metals are elements, which do not easily disintegrate in nature, can accumulate in bodies of living organisms, and can be toxic, carcinogenic, and even lethal. Thus, monitoring the changes of heavy metal concentrations in the air is very important for human and environmental health. The method most preferred for determining the change of heavy metal concentration in the atmosphere is the biomonitors. The use of annual rings of trees is one of the most accurate methods because they can provide information about the long-term change of heavy metal concentrations in the air. In the present study, it was aimed to reveal the usability of annual rings of Cupressus arizonica as a biomonitor in determining the change of Li, Fe, and Cr concentrations. Within the scope of this study, the concentrations of elements in the inner bark, outer bark, and wood in the roadsides, where there is intense traffic, and opposite sides of trees were compared and the annual changes in heavy metal concentrations in annual rings were investigated. At the end of this study, it was determined that Fe and Cr concentrations in the roadside outer barks of trees were generally at very high levels, that the annual changes of elements generally followed a fluctuating course, and that annual rings of Cupressus arizonica are very useful for monitoring the annual change of Fe concentration in the air but not for monitoring the changes in Li and Cr concentrations.
Using Topsoil Analysis to Determine and Map Changes in Ni Co Pollution
(2022-08-01) Cetin M.; Aljama A.M.O.; Alrabiti O.B.M.; Adiguzel F.; Sevik H.; Zeren Cetin I.
The change in soil quality due to soil pollution significantly affects the ecosystem. The pollutants in the air also pass to the soil after a while, and therefore the soil is also the environment that best reflects the pollution level. Heavy metals are among soil and environmental pollutants; they are especially notorious because many of them can be toxic to living things even at low concentrations, tend to bioaccumulate in living things, and stay in nature for a long time. Therefore, monitoring heavy metal concentrations is of great importance. In this study, it is aimed to determine and map the Ni and Co pollution with the help of top soils in the city center. Top soil samples were taken from these regions and Ni and Co analyses were made, and the obtained values were evaluated statistically. Additionally, the data were transferred to geographic information systems (GIS) using ArcGIS 10.7 software, and then modeled with the kriging method, one of the interpolation methods, and pollution maps were created. As a result of the study, it was determined that the areas with the highest Ni and Co concentrations were generally located in the center of the study area. This shows that Ni and Co pollution increases in areas with high levels of human activities.