POLISH JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, vol.28, no.3, pp.1313-1324, 2019 (SCI-Expanded)
The forests of the eastern Black Sea in Turkey are populated by Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.), a heterogeneous species in terms of the quality of wood. Oriental spruce forests have been managed and used for lumbering in lack of consideration of the homogeneity of the trees. Furthermore, it is necessary to know what kinds of Oriental spruce have been found and which of them produce best quality of wood so that future improvement can be planned accordingly. In this work, a quantitative value developed. Homogeneous index (HI) and stand quality values (SQV) are calculated from the sample plots taken from 75 areas. The HI value varied from 1,95 to 6,74 in the even-aged stands, and 1,88-7,15 in uneven-aged stands. For both structures, HI = 3 value can be accepted as a general selective range. SQV values range 2,16-4,83 in even-aged stands and 3,47-4,77 in uneven-aged stands. According to regression analysis, mathematical models, and SQV, there are no statistically significant differences between the aspect and slope, but there is a positive correlation among the height, stand volume, and age. According to the results, homogeneous index is a classification method that can be used for discrimination of stands. Moreover, the operation of pure spruce stand according to uneven-aged management principles will contribute to the formation of better quality and stable stands.