Ferhat Kara

Sediment dynamics following active management of a stream buffer zone: A case study

In this case study, change in sediment yield over a one year period was examined on paired watersheds (treated vs. reference) located in east Alabama. The effect of a partial cutting within a stream buffer zone (SBZ) on sediment yield was explored as well as the relative effects of pastoral, forested, and clearcut areas. During the no-harvest (calibration) period, upstream pastoral area generated much more sediment load per unit area than downstream forested sections during rainfall events. A partial cut within an SBZ changed the sediment pattern of downstream sections of the treatment watershed. On the treated sections, the observed sediment yield was higher than expected while there was no significant change in sediment yield from the pastoral area. Some of this increase was attributed to seasonal effects due to reduction in evapotranspiration. There was no change in the sediment yield pattern of the control watershed. The partial cut within the SBZ played a much more critical role than the stream road crossing as the sediment source. This study further shows that a holistic approach is needed to control sediment yield in mixed land use watersheds.

A silvicultural management tool for the Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests

ABSTRACT Stand density management tools help forest managers and landowners to more effectively allocate growing space so that specific silvicultural objectives can be met. Due to the economic importance of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests in Turkey, a stand density management tool was developed for this species to optimize regeneration success rate and tree growth. For the development of this tool, named stand density management diagram (SDMD), we utilized forest inventory data from the Kastamonu Regional Forest Directorate in Turkey. Previously published forest management approaches and models were employed during the development of the tool. The SDMD illustrates the relation among four forest indexes: the basal area per hectare, number of trees per hectare, forest stand volume per hectare, and quadratic mean diameter of the beech stands. The stand stocking percent (SSP) can be determined based upon any two of these four measurements. The results suggest that SSP is a better predictor of tree growth than BA in Oriental beech forests. The newly developed SDMD allows for a more effective use of the growing space to achieve specific silvicultural objectives including tree regeneration, timber production, thinning planning, and wildlife protection in Oriental beech forests.

THE GROWING SPACE UTILIZATION OF MAIN TREE SPECIES IN NORTHERN TURKEY

Relationships between tree size and density are important to defi ne the growing space utilization in a stand. Although a universal slope for the maximum size-density relationships (MSDRs) has been previously suggested, recent research have highlighted that these relationships are species-specifi c. Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), Trojan fi r (Abies nordmanniana subsp.equi-trojani), black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) represent different crown architecture, growth rate and shade tolerance; however, MSDRs have not been developed for these tree species in northern Turkey. In this study, average maximum density (DAM) slopes for these tree species were determined. Results suggested that MSDRs varied among the species, and that their slope differed from the universal slope of -1.605. The MSDRs described in this study are useful for managing stand density in natural stands of the species analyzed. v.24 n.2 2018 THE GROWING SPACE UTILIZATION OF MAIN TREE SPECIES IN NORTHERN TURKEY