Natural plant revegetation on reclaimed coal mine landscapes in Agacli-Istanbul

In this study, natural vegetation development was compared on one abandoned open coal mine spoil and three reclaimed coal mine areas with umbrella pine-Pinus pinea L., maritime pine-Pinus pinaster Ait. and leguminous black locust-Robinia pseudoacacia L. in Agacli-Istanbul. Soil data of these sample areas were determined in previous studies. These properties demonstrate physically and nutritionally poor conditions and some rehabilitative effects after tree species were introduced. The plant species composition and total coverage for each species (vertical projection onto the ground) was estimated visually and recorded on each sample plot. Naturally revegetated plant species, species composition, Shannon-Wiener diversity index values, species richness, evenness, total abundance and their coverabundance scales were evaluated by comparing each other. Generally, the best-represented species belong to Rosaceae in all investigated plots. Shannon diversity index and its components give the different results among sample plots. However, higher values were found on reclaimed sites. Highest Shannon diversity index (H') was found on the sample area reclaimed with maritime pine. Plant species richness (S) was highest under umbrella pine and plant species evenness (J') was highest on black locust sample plot. Despite the sample area reclaimed, black locust has the more fertile soil conditions, it has only the highest plant species evenness (J') value among areas.Key words: Coal mine, plant composition, reclamation, revegetation, species richness, species diversit

Investigation of air pollution effects by determining sulphur content in leaves of forest trees and mistletoes on Istranca section

Forest declines have been faced in large areas (especially on deciduous forests) on northern aspects of Istranca Mountains in 1996, mostly on oak forests in Demirkoy and on poplar forests in Igneada

Thinning effects on soil and microbial respiration in a coppice-originated Carpinus betulus L. stand in Turkey

Effects of thinning on soil respiration and microbial respiration were examined over a 2-year period (2010-2012) in a coppice-originated European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) stand in Istanbul, Turkey. Four plots within the stand were selected; tree density was reduced by 50% of the basal area in two plots (thinning treatment), and the other two plots served as controls. The study focused on the main factors that affect soil respiration (RS) and microbial respiration on the forest floor (RFFM) and in soil (RSM): soil temperature (TS), soil moisture (MS), soil carbon (C), soil nitrogen (N), soil pH, ground cover biomass (GC), forest floor mass (FF), forest floor carbon (FFC) and nitrogen (FFN), and fine root biomass (FRB). Every 2 months, soil respiration was measured using the soda-lime method, and microbial respiration was measured with the incubation method separately for the soil and forest floor. Results were evaluated yearly and over the 2-year research period. During the first year after treatment, RS was significantly higher (11%) in the thinned plots (1.76 g C m-2 d-1) than in the controls (1.59 g C m-2 d-1). However, there were no significant differences in either the second year or the 2-year study period. In the thinned plots during the research period, RS was linearly correlated with GC, Ts and FRB. Thinning treatments did not affect RSM, but interestingly, they did affect RFFM, which was greater in the control plots than in the thinned plots. RSM had a significant and positive correlation with soil N and soil pH, while RFFM was linearly correlated with FFC and C/N ratio of the forest floor in both thinned and control plots during the research period

MONITORING OF GRAIN SIZE FRACTIONS OF SEDIMENTS FROM DIFFERENT FOREST ROAD TYPES

Grain size distributions of sediments of paved (PFR) and unpaved (UPFR) forest roads were compared to an undisturbed forest land (UA) in Belgrad forest located in Istanbul, Turkey. Sediments were collected from sediment traps on the road ditches. Monthly sediment production on UPFR was significantly higher than those of PFR and UA. Sediments were sorted into grain size fractions of >76.20, 50.80, 38.10, 25.40, 19.10, 9.52, 4.76, 2.00, 0.42 and 0.074 mm. Mean rate of passing amount (%) and grain size fractions of sediments were calculated and evaluated by ASTM D422-63 and USCS (Unfined Soil Classification System) classification systems. Significantly more sediment amount passed in all sieve sizes of sediments of UPFR than those of PFR and UA. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that UPFR produced higher rates of erosion, and higher concentrations of all sediment grain sizes than PFR and UA

COMPARISON OF SOIL PROPERTIES OF AN ADJACENT CLAY MINE SPOIL, A MINING SITE RECLAIMED WITH STONE PINE (Pinus pinea L.) PLANTATION AND A NATURAL FOREST

The purpose of this study was to compare the soil properties of an adjacent natural forest, clay mine spoil and mine site reclaimed with Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). Bulk density, sand, silt, clay, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and C/N ratios of soil samples taken from three different soil depths (0-5, 5-15 and 15-30 cm) were determined and compared. Furthermore, the mass, N and C contents and C/N ratios of the forest floor were determined in the Stone pine plantation and natural forest. Almost 24 years after the establishment, 6.79 ton/ha forest floor mass was found in the Stone pine plantation, while it was found to contain 2 71 ton C/ha and 0.04 ton N/ha, which were significantly lower than those in the natural forest. In general, with some exceptions (EC in 0-5 and 5-15 cm, and bulk density in 15-30 cm), there were significant differences on the soil properties. Sand and clay contents varied substantially depending on the material and mixture. The soil C (1.5-2.1%), N (0.05-0.06%) and pH (5.34-5.69) in the Stone pine plantation significantly increased. Despite these properties, this shows that rehabilitation with plantation will take a much longer time compared to the natural forest area

Carbon and nitrogen accumulation in forest floor and surface soil under different geographic origins of Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton.) plantations

<p><em>Aim of study</em> : To determine if plantations consisting of different geographic origins of the Maritime pine (<em>Pinus pinaster</em> Aiton.) could have altered C and N stocks in the forest floor and surface soils.</p><p><em>Area of study</em> : Forest floor and mineral soil C and N stocks were measured in four adjacent plantations of different geographic origins of Maritime pine (Gironde, Toulon, Corsica and Spain) and adjacent primary native Sessile oak (<em>Quercus petraea</em> L.) at Burunsuz region in Belgrad Forest where is located in the Istanbul province in the Marmara geographical region between 41°09' -41°12' N latitude and 28°54' - 29°00' E longitude in Turkey.</p><p><em>Material and Methods</em> : Plots were compared as common garden experiments without replications. 15 surface soil (0-10 cm) and 15 forest floor samples were taken from each Maritime pine origins and adjacent native Sessile oak forest. C and N contents were determined on LECO Truspec 2000 CN analyzer. The statistical significance of the results was evaluated by one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).</p><p><em>Research highlights</em> : Forest floor carbon mass, nitrogen concentration and nitrogen mass of forest floor showed a significant difference among origins. Soil carbon mass and nitrogen mass did not significantly differ among investigated plots.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>carbon sequestration; C/N ratio; decomposition; exotic; tree provenance.</p

Estimation of above-ground biomass and sequestered carbon of Taurus Cedar (Cedrus libani L.) in Antalya, Turkey

Based on data obtained from 36 sample trees, above-ground biomass development of Taurus Cedar was modeled according to tree components on a singletree basis. Carbon concentrations of tree components were established with the help of samples taken from sample trees. The biomass and sequestered carbon were modeled from the standing stem volume of single trees. It was determined that a coefficient of 0.51 could be used for Taurus Cedar species as a conversion factor from fresh weight to dry weight. Carbon concentrations were found to be lowest in branch barks, with a ratio of 49.5%, and highest in needles, with a ratio of 52.8%. According to the results of a comparison between volume, biomass and stored carbon amounts, 70.27 tons of biomass and 35.56 tons of carbon are stored in each standing stem volume of 100 m3. © iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry

Carbon and nitrogen accumulation in forest floor and surface soil under different geographic origins of Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton.) plantations

Aim of study : To determine if plantations consisting of different geographic origins of the Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton.) could have altered C and N stocks in the forest floor and surface soils.Area of study : Forest floor and mineral soil C and N stocks were measured in four adjacent plantations of different geographic origins of Maritime pine (Gironde, Toulon, Corsica and Spain) and adjacent primary native Sessile oak (Quercus petraea L.) at Burunsuz region in Belgrad Forest where is located in the Istanbul province in the Marmara geographical region between 41°09' -41°12' N latitude and 28°54' - 29°00' E longitude in Turkey.Material and Methods : Plots were compared as common garden experiments without replications. 15 surface soil (0-10 cm) and 15 forest floor samples were taken from each Maritime pine origins and adjacent native Sessile oak forest. C and N contents were determined on LECO Truspec 2000 CN analyzer. The statistical significance of the results was evaluated by one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).Research highlights : Forest floor carbon mass, nitrogen concentration and nitrogen mass of forest floor showed a significant difference among origins. Soil carbon mass and nitrogen mass did not significantly differ among investigated plots.Keywords: carbon sequestration; C/N ratio; decomposition; exotic; tree provenance.</p

Soil carbon and nitrogen changes under Douglas-fir with and without red alder

We sampled pure Douglas-fir (DF) [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] end mixed red alder (Alnus rabra Bong.)(RA) and DF (RA/DF) stands in 1980 and in 1999 to investigate the influence of RA on soil C and N pools. In RA/DF plots with 25% RA, the soil N pool to a 45-cm depth increased significantly (P < 0.05) by 190 g N m(-2), corresponding to 10 g N m(-2) yr(-1) accretion: The average between treatment soil N difference in 1999 was 166 g m(-2), representing N accretion of 8.7 g m(-2) yr(-1). In pure DF plots, the soil N pool remained nearly constant. Resin N mineralization in RA/DF plots was about ten fold greater than on pure DF plots, but the enhanced resin N availability did not affect DF foliar N concentration. Temporal plot pairing was necessary within this landscape with high spatial variability to detect significant changes in soil N pools, and only large effects, such as N addition by RA, could be identified with statistical significance. Minimum detectable difference (MDD) estimates for mean total soil C differences in RA/DF plots showed that it would require about 30 more years of C accretion to detect differences at P < 0.05. Conversely, total soil N accretion in RA/DF plots was 28% greater than the MDD after 19 yr