Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
AUSTRIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE, sa.4, ss.289-318, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Beech forests have a very important place not only in timber production, but also in environmental and soil protection, with a wide variety of provided benefits. This study has two main objectives: 1. to examine morphogenetic variations of seeds and seedlings of oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) in relation to geoclimatic factors in the natural distribution of oriental beech in Turkey and 2. to provide basic informa- tion about gene conservation and management of oriental beech forests by morpho- genetically examining the variations among and within 11 populations in the natural distribution of oriental beech in Turkey. There were statistical differences among and within the populations depending on seed and seedling characteristics measured in the study. A Penrose's analysis suggest that, the highest distance value was evident between Sinop-Abali and Trabzon-Caykara populations (Pn(1,7): 3.490) and the lowest distance value between Trabzon-Macka and Giresun- Kulakkaya populations (Pn(6,8): 0.477). We conducted correlation analysis between bioclimatic factors and seed and seedling morphological characteristics and found positive correlations between mean of the minimum temperature of the coldest month and seedling length as well as the number of side branches of the one and two-year -old seedlings, while we found negative correlations between altitude and these characteristics. The seed sizes had statistically significant correlations with each other and with seedling length, root col- lar diameter and the number of side branches of the one and two-year -old seedlings. Since preservation of gene resources in-situ is important in terms of continuity of va- riation and conservation of biological diversity, preservation of existing populations and continuity of genetic variation should be ensured. In future forest establishment studies of oriental beech, we advise attention with regards to altitude zones and geo- graphic distances. Using seedlings produced using seeds of a confirmed origin in such studies will likely increase both success and reduce losses in genetic diversity.