Tez özetleri Astronomi ve Uzay Bilimleri Anabilim Dalı

Structural Characteristics of Forest Edges In Belgrade Forest
Forest edges” are the areas by a forest that has a neighborhood relation within a subsequent area where these two separate ecosystems meet . Forest edges has important effects over forestry and agricultural activities, landscape management and recreation, the diversity of plant species and especially over the wind detriment of forest areas. In this study, the aim was to clarify the concept of “forest edges” and to emphasize the importance of these special areas. Since this is the very first study that forest edges are explored in Turkish forestry history, the concept of research, sampling method and a description of the evaluation methodology was shown clearly. Another aim of the study is to emphasize that silviculture and forest management plans should include the maintenance and conservation of the forest edges.
In this study, different forest edges with their own neighbour areas and depth (3 sets of narrow, medium and wide forest edges by the road, 1 slope forest edge by the road, 3 edges by the river and 3 forest edges from clearance to forest area) were sampled. These forest edges differ from each other depending on their edge diversity (determined according to Forest Edge Category Method), zone width and ecological classification (determined according to Forest Edge Switch Method) and herbaceous plant density which had determined according to Braun-Blanquette Covering Rank. In addition, trees, shrubs and thorny bushes species density was investigated and the type of forest edge tree blanketing was evaluated according to the Schretzenmayr Method.
According to this study conducted in Belgrade Forest, in terms of diversity, the forest edges are categorized as 'weak'. There is no significant difference between the areas that has different neighborhood and depth. According to the zone width and ecological classification, wide and neighbor areas to the road and neighbor areas by the river were determined as optimum forest edges. The measured densities of herbaceaus plants in fall are determined as sparse in neighbor areas to rivers and as dense in mid-lenght neighbor areas to the roads. The richness of the species of the forest edges in the sampled areas are increased through the slope forest edge by the road; narrow, mid-lenght and wide forest edges; forest edges by the river and forest edge by the clearance to forest. The blanketing of the edge trees are high in the neighbor sample areas by the toads and rivers; but almost at topsoil level in the sampled area of the forest edge by the clearance to forest.