Impact of wildfire on soil characteristics and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

This study explored whether wildfire alters the soil properties and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community composition when compared with burnt rangeland, non-burnt rangeland and adjacent tilled in mesothermal ecosystems. The study was carried out in August 2020, 1 year later after wildfire. The results of this study showed that the wildfire played a key role in altering soil characteristics and AMF community composition in Bartin Province located in the Western Black Sea Region. Soil samples were made according to standard methods. AMF spores were isolated according to the wet sieving method, and the spores of AMF were identified according to their morphological characteristics. Analysis of variance was performed to determine the differences between the parameters, and correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationships between the parameters. The highest values of soil organic carbon (2.20%), total nitrogen (0.18%), K2O (74.68 kg/da), root colonization (87.5%) and the frequency of occurrence of Funneliformis geosporum (20%), Claroideoglomus claroideum (16%) and Claroideoglomus etunicatum (11%) were found in burnt rangeland. Sporulation of Acaulospora dilatata, Acaulospora morrowiae, Acaulospora tuberculata, Scutellospora castanea, Scutellospora coralloidea, Scutellospora scutata, Glomus coremioides and Glomus multicaule was either decreased or completely inhibited in the burnt rangeland. While species diversity of AMF (12) decreased, the number of AMF spores (325.6 (number/50 gr soil)) increased in burnt areas. In conclusion, the number of spores and root colonization of AMF increased but species diversity of AMF reduced after the wildfire. In ecosystems with high fire risk where AMF transfer is planned, it is suggested that it would be more appropriate to select species with an increase in spore number after fire.

Assessment of metals (Ni, Ba) deposition in plant types and their organs at Mersin City, Türkiye.

The increase in heavy metal concentrations in the air, especially after the Industrial Revolution, is notable for the scientific world because of the adverse effects that threaten environmental and human health. Among the trace elements, nickel (Ni) is carcinogenic, and all barium (Ba) compounds are toxic. Trace elements are critical for human and environmental health. Their threat further increases, especially in the urban areas and surroundings with a high population. In urban areas, the trace element contamination in the airborne can be reduced using plants. However, which plant and plant organs absorb trace elements could not be determined. In the present study, Ni and Ba concentrations in the branch, wood, and leaf samples of 14 species collected from the city center of Mersin province were determined. As a result, broad-leaved species' Ni and Ba concentrations in their leaf sample were generally higher than other species. Almost all species had the lowest Ni and Ba concentrations in their wood samples. Among these 14 species, it was found that Ni concentration was very high, especially in non-washed leaves of Platanus orientalis, Photinia serrulata, and Citrus reticulate, and Ba concentration was very high in Citrus reticulata, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Laurus nobilis, and Acer hyrcanum. Using broad-leaved species in urban areas where pollution is at high levels will significantly contribute to reducing Ni and Ba pollution. It is recommended that these points be considered in future urban landscaping projects.

A geographic information systems and remote sensing-based approach to assess urban micro-climate change and its impact on human health in Bartin, Turkey.

Increasing land surface temperature (LST) is one of the major urban climatology problems arising in urban development. In this paper, the impact of vegetation and built-up areas on the LST and impact of LST on human health are assessed using the Landsat thermal data in Bartin, Turkey. The results show that there is a constant change in the share of vegetation and built-up areas due to rapid urbanization in Bartin. Strong positive correlation has been found between NDBI and LST while strong negative correlation has been found between NDVI and LST, suggesting their strong impacts on land surface temperatures. Similarly, a strong positive correlation has been observed between LST, sleep deprivation, and heat stress. This study provides precise information on effects of urbanization and man-made activities, which cause major changes in micro-climate and human health in the city. This study can assist decision-makers or planners to plan future developments sustainably.

Influence of climatic factor of changes in forest fire danger and fire season length in Turkey.

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.

Prediction of soil-bearing capacity on forest roads by statistical approaches.

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 effects of increased exposure time to UV-B radiation on germination and seedling development of Anatolian black pine seeds.

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%.

Periodical and regional change of particulate matter and CO2 concentration in Misurata.

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.

Changes in heavy metal accumulation in some edible landscape plants depending on traffic density.

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.

Determining potential planting areas in urban regions.

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 Bartin 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 km2. 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 Bartin 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.

Variability in morphological traits of seedlings from five Euonymus japonicus cultivars.

In this study, we investigated the variability in morphological traits of seedlings from five Euonymus japonicus cultivars. We measured seedling heights, root collar diameters, leaf lengths and widths, root lengths, root numbers, and twig numbers of 60 seedlings from each cultivar. The E. japonicus cultivars Variegate and Green Rocket had the highest (95.8%) and lowest (70.3%) rooting percentages, respectively. With the exception of root lengths (p > 0.05), all morphological characteristics significantly differed among all cultivars (p < 0.05). In particular, the cultivar Green Rocket performed better than all other cultivars, with greater seedling heights and root collar diameters. These data warrant further studies for quantifying differences in traits among these cultivars.

Investigation of the relationship between burned areas and climate factors in large forest fires in theÇanakkaleregion.

Fires pose a serious threat to the forests that lay on the western and southern coastline of Turkey that start with North Aegean coasts and end with the provincial boundaries of Hatay. Çanakkale, a western province of Turkey, is located in the North Aegean boundary and its topography (Dardanelles Strait), climate, and vegetation cover combine to form an inviting recipe to forest fires. Although the province is located in a transitional zone in terms of climate and vegetation, each year it witnesses highly dry and hot fire seasons. Thus, large forest fires occur periodically. In this research, the relationship between the large periodic fires (larger than 100 ha) and the climate data was investigated, with a particular focus on the most severe 8 fire seasons from 1969 to 2007. We established that there is a relationship between 1977, 1985, and 1986 fire seasons and the climate data for the corresponding periods. The remaining 5 seasons in which conflagrations occurred were also found to coincide with the days with high daily severity indices (DSR). These are 1969, 1977, 1985, 1987, and 2008. Additionally, 2008 was determined as the year with the highest fire risk, followed by year 1969.

Base alteration of some heavy metal concentrations on local and seasonal in Bartin River.

Fresh water resources have always been an extremely invaluable economic and strategic resource in the world. There are about 1.4 billion people who have no access to pure water resources mainly due to the discharge of 95% of unpurified wastewater and 70% of industrial wastes into water resources in underdeveloped and developing countries. More than half of the world's rivers are contaminated. Eighty percent of diseases are caused by contaminated waters in developing countries. Among the pollutants in these streams, heavy metals are of particular significance, as heavy metals do not dissolve and degenerate easily in nature. They also tend to bio-accumulate. This is why determining heavy metal concentrations is of great importance because it can help detect risk zones and risk levels. This study aims to determine the alteration of some heavy metal concentrations during a year in Bartin River on a point and seasonal base. Within the scope of the study, samples were collected from 5 chosen locations on Bartin River during a year and the alteration of Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Pb concentration amounts were determined monthly. As a result of the study, it was determined that there were various rates of contamination with heavy metals at all stations, and that the amount of all studied heavy metal concentrations decreased depending on seasonal alteration when precipitation and hence the flow rates were high, and the highest concentrations were calculated in samples that were collected from L3 and L5 stations. Results shows that some of the toxic metals' accumulations are higher than the suggestion of value, which recommended that the Bartin River is to some extent a toxic metal polluted river and that animals are not totally safe. Since this study constitutes a sample, all international samples should be controlled especially in the Organized Industrial Zone and foundation areas and the wastewater entering the river should be controlled and the pollution source should be determined and precautions should be taken. According to the results of the study, it also shows the water quality of the rivers in general. Pollution levels of rivers should be taken into account in the use of river water and care should be taken to use river water directly or indirectly in agricultural activities that may cause harm to human health. The results of this study can be a guide for identifying suitable areas to use the water of rivers. In future river planning, these studies will have an important guide value.

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.).

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.

The habitat, ecological life conditions, and usage characteristics of the otter (Lutra lutra L. 1758) in the Balikdami Wildlife Development Area.

The study was conducted to determine the habitat usage characteristics of the otter, which provides important information on the status of aquatic and coastal ecosystems. The Balikdami (Fish House) Wildlife Development Area, where the study was carried out, was registered in 1994 and was declared a natural site in 1998. The total area of the site is 1470 km2. In order to determine the habitat usage characteristics of the otter, photo traps were placed according to the assumed habitat characteristics between the river and the terrestrial areas near the river. Previous research suggested that there should be at least 15 days of observation. In this study, 11 photo traps were left in the study area at a ratio of 1463 camera traps/day. A total of 37 different otter images were obtained in 3, 4, and 5 points at the end of the study. The data indicated that the otters preferred to use places that were close to the aquatic aquarium. They did not prefer densely vegetated areas, open areas, and places where there was human intervention, large construction, water borders, water pump edges, and areas with high human activity. The otters were active at night. While the number of otters is increasing in Turkey, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, otters are in the NT (near threat) category. The otter is protected in all countries where it is increasing in number. Therefore, a better understanding of the habitat preferences of the otter will help us to better protect it.

The effects of selected pre-treatments on germination of seeds of Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis).

In the present study, the effect of some pre-treatments implemented on seeds of Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis), which has wide geographical variation along Turkey on germination percentage values were investigated. For this purpose, 13 different pre-treatments were implemented to seeds obtained from 17 different populations. According to the obtained results (except control seeds), pre-treatments leading to lowest germination percentage value (8.1%) in Oriental hornbeam seeds was PT10: Keeping seeds for 90 min in sulfuric acid, while highest germination percentage (86.58%) has been obtained with pre-treatment PT13: Implementation of 40% dose of Baikal EM1 + Biohoumous mixture to the seeds, while lowest germination percentage (40.50%) was observed on seeds collected from P7 (Bartin-Kozcagiz) population, highest germination percentage was observed in seeds obtained from P17 (Artvin-Hopa) population.

Identification of proper species that can be used to monitor and decrease airborne Sb pollution.

Heavy metal concentrations, which have increased continuously in the environment this century due to anthropogenic factors, severely threaten human and environmental health. Antimony (Sb) is one of the most toxic and harmful heavy metals in terms of human and environmental health. Therefore, the priority research subjects are monitoring the alteration of Sb pollution in the airborne and reducing pollution. This study was conducted to conclude the proper species to monitor and drop airborne Sb contamination on trees grown in Düzce, the 5th most polluted European city. This study examined samples taken from Pseudotsuga menziesii, Cupressus arizonica, Pinus pinaster, Picea orientalis, and Cedrus atlantica, and the Sb concentration changes based on tree species, route, tissue, and age range in the last 40 years were evaluated. The study hypothesizes that Sb concentration varies depending on (1) tree species, (2) direction, (3) plant tissue, and (4) age range, all confirmed in this study. In conclusion, the maximum concentrations were achieved in the outer bark and east (5.45 µg g-1) and north directions (6.72 µg g-1), with high traffic density. In addition, the mining and industrial places (sources of metal pollution) are not close to the study area. Therefore, it was concluded that traffic pollution was the primary source of Sb pollution in the study area. The study revealed that C. arizonica is the most suitable species for monitoring and reducing the change in Sb pollution because the highest Sb concentration (4.47 µg g-1) in wood (the largest organ) was obtained in C. arizonica.

The effects of climate on land use/cover: a case study in Turkey by using remote sensing data.

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.

Effects of stand types on recreational preferences of society in the Sub-Alpine Zone, northern Turkey.

The main objective of this study was to examine how different stand types influenced the tendency of visitors for varying recreational activities (i.e., hiking, trekking, camping and hunting) from 1993 to 2018 in the surrounding areas of Uluyayla Natural Recreation Site in Bartin, northern Turkey. A total of 627 visitors were selected on a voluntary basis, and questioned in the form of questionnaire. Most of the participants were in the age of 21-40 years old, and they were mostly (62.4%) male. Most of the participants (82.7%) lived in cities, while 62.8% of them were tourists when visiting the site. In determining the preferences of the visitors regarding the stand types for different recreational activities, several images of each stand were shared with them, and they were asked which stand type they would prefer for a given recreation activity (i.e., hiking, tracking, camping and hunting). A range of options from 1 to 5 in Likert's scale was used in evaluating the given responses. The degree of positive and negative effects was examined via trend analysis. It was found that stand type had influence on the preferences of visitors regarding the recreational activities. In general, unmanaged and moderately treated stands were more preferred by visitors for the recreational purposes, compared to the previously managed stands. On the other hand, visitors' preference for the activities were different during two periods (i.e., 1993-2005 and 2006-2018). For each recreational activity, there was an increasing trend from 1993 to 2018. There had been a continuous increase for hunting since 1996, and for trekking and camping after 1999. The increases between 1993-1996 and 1996-1999 were likely due to the increasing awareness of the society as a result of the training and consciousness raising activities for nature conservation. The demand on the recreational activities continuously increased in unmanaged and moderately treated stands, while no significant changes were examined in the previously managed stands. The study points out that forest planning and management should consider different needs of visitors for recreational infrastructure.

The effects of base station as an electromagnetic radiation source on flower and cone yield and germination percentage in Pinus brutia Ten.

Electromagnetic radiation is a substantial pollution factor that most of the living things found almost everywhere are constantly exposed to with current technology. The number of studies conducted on the effects of this exposed radiation on the living things constantly is limited; and almost all of the studies conducted are aimed at measuring the effects of short-term exposure. In addition to this, most of the studies conducted on plants focus on herbaceous plant species. In this study, the effects of distance to base station on flower and cone yield and germination percentage were investigated in Pinus brutia individuals, one of the critical forest tree species. The study results revealed that being close to the base station significantly reduced the number of flowers and cones in P. brutia individuals, and that the values obtained in individuals at a distance of 800 m from the base station were 11 times more than the number of flowers and 7 times more than the number of cones compared to the individuals at a distance of 100 m. In the seeds subject to the study, there is a three-times difference in terms of the germination percentage among the individuals located at the furthest and closest distance to the base station. These results show that P. brutia individuals are considerably affected by the base station.

The usability of Cupressus arizonica annual rings in monitoring the changes in heavy metal concentration in air.

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.