Effects of Turkish forest management philosophy and applications on forest ecosystem structure and functions in Northeast Turkey: A case study in Saçinka Forest Management Planning Unit

Nowadays, Turkish forest management philosophy has changed from timber management to ecosystem-based multiple-use forest planning (EBMUFM) with the principles of “sustainable forest management” criteria and indicators drafted in a few national and international agreements. This study analyzed the temporal changes in forest ecosystem structure and a few forest values such as tree species, distribution of age class, development stage, canopy closure, species mixture, timber volume and increment, carbon storage and oxygen production in Saçinka Forest Planning Unit in the northeast corner of Turkey. To assess the patterns during a 21-year period (1985-2006), the necessary data were obtained from forest stand maps and evaluated with Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Results showed that the decrease of agricultural and settlement areas caused the increase of productive forests and the decrease of degraded forests. Bark beetles, which have common effect in Artvin, had less effect on the vitality of Saçinka Forest Planning Unit forests compared to the neighboring forest ecosystems. This forest ecosystem vitality and integrity level was a result of the mechanic and biological interventions against the beetle damages and appropriate silvicultural prescriptions

Changes in carbon storage and oxygen production in forest timber biomass of Balci Forest Management Unit in Turkey between 1984 and 2006

Decrease in forest areas world wide and the damaging of its structures is hazardous to human health, hinders and dries up the spread of oxygen in the air and also destroys carbon storage. In recent years, global warming and changes in climates depending on the increase in the green house gases have been affecting the whole world. The solution seeking, initiated in the international arena with various treaties and processes, has shown itself around the world and in our country as the concept of planning and operation of the forest sources. During the recent ten years in Turkey, in forest management plans, the capacity of carbon storage and the amount of oxygen production by the forest were initiated to be calculated in the planning unit scale. The first forest management plans were prepared and put into force in 1972 in Turkey, where the planned forestry began in 1963. During the period of more than 30 years, neither the structural changes in forests nor their values regarding other functions have been examined enough. In this article, using Balcı Forest Management Units in Borçka Township of Artvin, forests are studied regarding their growing stocks, timber increments, their capacities of carbon storage and oxygen production. The basic management unit scale in the study is standard and the evident standard parameters are tree species, mixture and age class. Balcı Management Unit underwent attacks from bark beetles in the past. After the mechanical struggle, there have been structural changes in forest ecosystem and the potentials of forests have varied both in quality and quantity. Changes in forest ecosystems during that time, not only through natural ways but also through human activities, have been shaping the oncoming forestry practices

Spatial distribution and temporal change of old-growth forest: A case study in the Balci forest management unit, Turkey

Old-growth forests are considered as one of the important conservation targets in sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Stand parameters such as age, diameter at breast height, area, species mixture, canopy closure and snag volume per hectare are employed in estimating the value of the old-growth forests. This article is focused on the main stand parameters in determining potential old-growth forest stands by considering survival rate against 40-year of timber management philosophy in Turkey. The changes in the old growth forest stands between 1984 and 2006 were studied in the Balci Forest Planning Unit in Artvin, Turkey. The study showed that the decrease on the old-growth forest area was mainly attributed to the bark beetles. The Caucasian spruce dominated old growth forest stands were the most effected areas by this insect devastation. These stands left their places to the young oriental beech dominated stands. From the social point of view, “the extinct is not only a tree species or the forest ecosystem produced by it but also the cultural values and history in the region.

Spatial distribution and temporal change of increment and volume: a case study in balci forest management units

Geçmişte olduğu gibi günümüzde de ormanın en önemli ekonomik değerini odun üretimi oluşturmaktadır. 1963 yılında planlı ormancılığa geçilen ülkemizde odun üretimi eksenli ilk orman amenajman planları 1972 yılında hazırlanarak yürürlüğe girmiş ve günümüze kadar uygulanmıştır. Son 10 yıllık dönemde ise Çok Amaçlı Planlama (ÇAP) anlayışını benimseyen Türkiye, ormancılık altyapısını ve uygulama planlarını yeni planlama felsefesine göre hazırlamaktadır. Ancak, 30 yılı aşkın süreçte odun üretimi eksenli planlanan orman alanlarının ağaç serveti ve artımı açısından zaman içindeki yapısal değişimi ve bu açıdan plan uygulamalarının başarısı yeterince irdelenmemiştir. Bu çalışmada; Artvin ili Borçka ilcesine bağlı Balcı Planlama Birimi ormanlarının, geçmiş ve bugüne yönelik iki plan dönemi (20 yıl) itibariyle, ağaç serveti ve hacim artımı açısından zamansal değişimi Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemleri (CBS) yardımıyla analiz edilmiştir. Değerlendirmede ölçek meşcere olup, öne çıkan meşcere parametreleri ağaç türü, karışım, yaş sınıfı, gelişme çağları ve kapalılıktır. Balcı planlama biriminin geçmiş dönemde kabuk böcekleri tarafından istila edildiği ve buna bağlı olarak da silvikültürel uygulamaların yapıldığı ve yapısal anlamda değişikliğe uğradığı tespit edilmiştir. Sunulan ekonomik değerin kaynak potansiyeli değişmiş, tüm ormancılık faaliyetleri de bu değişimden etkilenmiştir. İnsanların doğaya yönelimleri ve ihtiyaçları zaman içinde şekil değiştirse de ormana ve orman ürünlerine olan gereksinim dünya var oldukça artarak devam edecektir.Historically, wood has been the most important forest value. Forest management plans were firstly prepared and implemented in Turkey between 1963 and 1973. All forests in Turkey have been managed with timber oriented forest management philosophy; Nowadays, Turkish forest management philosophy has changed from timber management to ecosystem-based multiple-use forest planning. Thus, Turkish forestry is underway in a re-structuring process. This paper presents evolution of the traditional forest management philosophy in Turkey since 1963. During the period of more than 30 years, neither the structural changes in forests nor their values regarding other functions have been examined enough. In this article, in Balcı Forest Management Units in Borçka township of Artvin are studied regarding their growing stocks and timber increments. Past two decade planning periods (managed under timber management approach) was compared with current case study data used for forest multiple use management approach based on ecosystem in terms of change of volume and increment. The basic management unit scale in the study is stand and the evident stand parameters are tree species, mixture and age class. Balcı management unit underwent the attacks from bark beetles in the past. After the mechanical struggle, it has been seen that there has become a structural change in forest ecosystem and the potentials of forests have varied with regard to the quality and quantity. Changes of forest ecosystems in forest areas during the time by not only natural ways but also human effects have been shaping the oncoming forestry practices, moreover the effects of each practice concern every human being

Data Base Design with GIS in Ecosystem Based Multiple Use Forest Management in Artvin, Turkey: A Case Study in Balcı Forest Management Planning Unit

In Turkey, the understanding of planning focused on timber production has given its place on Multiple Use Management (MUM). Because the whole infrastructure of forestry with inventory system leading the way depends on timber production, some cases of bottle neck are expected during the transition period. Database design, probably the most important stage during the transition to MUM, together with the digital basic maps making up the basis of this infrastructure constitute the main point of this article. Firstly, the forest management philosophy of Turkey in the past was shortly touched upon in the article. Ecosystem Based Multiple Use Forest Management (EBMUFM) approaches was briefly introduced. The second stage of the process of EBMUFM, database design was described by examining the classical planning infrastructure and the coverage to be produced and consumed were suggested in the form of lists. At the application stage, two different geographical databases were established with GIS in Balcı Planning Unit of the years 1984 and 2006. Following that the related basic maps are produced. Timely diversity of the planning unit of 20 years is put forward comparatively with regard to the stand parameters such as tree types, age class, development stage, canopy closure, mixture, volume and increment

Economic, ecologic and social functions of forests of Artvin forest management unit

Bu çalışma; Artvin Orman Bölge Müdürlüğü Artvin Orman İşletme Müdürlüğü’ne bağlı Artvin Orman İşletme Şefliği ormanlarının ekonomik, ekolojik ve sosyal işlevlerinin nitelik ve nicelik olarak ortaya konulmasını konu almaktadır. Araştırma alanı gerek konumu gereği gerekse de içerisinde bulundurduğu yüksek doğal kaynak değerleri itibariyle Artvin halkına pek çok değer ve hizmeti bir arada sunmaktadır. Ormanların odun, su ve oksijen üretimi, toprak erozyonu, karbon depolama kapasitesi gibi işlevleri miktar ve net bugünkü değer (NBD) olarak hesaplanırken, hesaplanması zor olan hassas tür ve ekosistemler gibi kimi ekolojik ve sosyal değerler de kırmızı listedeki önem düzeyi, alansal dağılım, istatistiksel veriler gibi sayısal göstergelerle ifade edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak; Artvin Orman İşletme Şefliği ormanlarının yerel ve ulusal ekonomiye olan gerçek katkısı ortaya konulmaya çalışılarak, amenajman planlarına yön gösterecek önemli altlıklar üretilmiştir.In this study; qualitative and quantitative issues of economic, ecological and social functions of forests of the Artvin Forest Managemenet Unit, in Artvin/Turkey was analyzed. The study area offers services all together to peoples of Artvin due to not only the high natural resource values but also its location. While forest woods, water and oxygen production, soil erosion, and carbon storage capacity were calculated as an amount of functions and the net present value (NPV), the ecological and social values such as the hard to calculate endemic (rare) species and ecosystems were expressed using numerical indicators based on in the list of importance in the red level, the spatial distribution, and the historic statistical data. In conclusion, the real contribution of forests of Artvin Forest Management Unit to the local and national economy was shown and many base layers that were thought to be guidance to the management plans were produced

Impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on the left ventricular mass

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) induces pressure overload of the left ventricle (LV) and results in left ventricular hypertrophy. The remodeling of the LV in patients with AS is a com­plex process including structural and functional disturbances. After aortic valve replacement, reverse remodeling of LV begins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of transcatheter aortic valve ımplantation (TAVI) on LV mass (LVM) in early and mid-term follow-ups after the procedure. Methods and Results: We enrolled consecutive 75 patients who underwent successful TAVI. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed prior to TAVI and at hospital discharge, in the 1st month and 6th month of the follow-ups. The mean LV ejection fraction improved significantly after TAVI (54.2 ± 15.0% to 57.3 ± 11.7%, p < 0.001). There were no significant changes between the baseline and discharge mean LVM and LVM index values (LVMI; p = 0.1). However, LVMI decreased significantly in the 1st month of follow-up compared to baseline (123.3 ± 20.3 to 127.9 ± 21.3 g/m2, respectively, p < 0.001). Also, significant regression of LVM was observed at the 1st month of follow-up compared to baseline (228.3 ± 33.5 g vs. 236.5 ± 34.2 g, respectively, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the significant regression in both of LVM and LVMI continued at 1st and 6th months of the follow-ups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A significant regression of LVM was observed after TAVI. These changes may have prognostic value in patients with severe AS

Immediate recovery of the left atrial and left ventricular diastolic function after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A transesophageal echocardiography study

Background: Chronic increased afterload due to severe aortic stenosis (AS) results in com­pensatory concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LV dysfunction. These in turn cause remodeling of the left heart. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on left atrial (LA) mechanics and LV diastolic function. Methods: The study consisted of a total of 35 consecutive patients (mean age was 77.7 ± 5.0 years, 25 female) undergoing TAVI. All TAVI procedures have been performed under the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance. Before and 24 h after TAVI, all patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and mitral inflow velocities with pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler including early filling wave (E), late diastolic filling wave (A), and E/A ratio were obtained. LV diastolic function was also explored by pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Early (E’) and late (A’) diastolic annular velocities, E’/A’ ratio and E/E’ ratio were obtained. In addition, during the procedure before and minutes after the valve implantation, the left atrial appendage-peak antegrade flow velocity (LAA-PAFV) was measured and recorded with TEE. Results: Compared with baseline, the mean mitral E, septal E’ and E’/A’ ratio increased significantly after TAVI. In addition, the LAA-PAFV increased significantly within minutes of TAVI (32.45 ± 10.7 cm/s vs. 47.6 ± 12.6 cm/s, p < 0.001). Conclusions: TAVI improves LV diastolic function and LA performance immediately