Evalution of post-fire restoration practices in Karabük region

In this study, in which the growth and adaptation abilities of Anatolian black pine, Turkish red pine and Scots pine saplings brought to the area by planting for the restoration of the burned area after the fire in the Karabük-Safranbolu region were examined and evaluated at the end of the 2nd year and the natural changes, formations and natural succession that occurred in the vegetation after the fire were examined, very important scientific findings and results were reached regarding the restoration and rehabilitation of forest ecosystems after the fire. In the study, first of all, the seedling height measurements made in the sample plots taken from the afforestation area of all three species in the same year according to the randomized block experimental design were statistically evaluated by applying variance analysis (ANOVA) and Duncan test to the obtained raw data and were examined and interpreted. According to the variance analysis results applied to the total height growth values of the seedlings of three different pine species with a field age of 2, a statistical difference was revealed between the species in terms of the total height growth of the planted saplings at the 95% confidence level. According to the Duncan Test performed at a 95% confidence level, at the end of 2 years, black pine was in the first group with an mean height growth value of 12.43 cm and red pine was in the second group with mean height growth value of 11.92 cm in terms of mean seedling height growth, while Scots pine was in the second group with an average height growth value of 8.75 cm. In the study, in planting applications carried out using seedling of 3 different pine species for the restoration of burned areas, the root collar diameter growth of the seedlings planted at the end of the second year were also examined. Especially in determining the level of utilization of seedlings planted in artificial forest establishment studies from the current growth environment conditions, in terms of seedling root collar diameter growth, which provides very important indicator information together with total seedling height, in variance analysis applied to the mean of the measurement results made in the sample plots taken according to the randomized block trial design, a statistically significant difference was determined among the species at the 95% confidence level. In this context, as a result of the Duncan Test applied at the 95% confidence level to group the species, out of the species divided into two homogeneous groups, Anatolian black pine formed the first group with an mean root collar diameter growth of 4.38 cm and Turkish red pine formed the second group with an mean root collar diameter growth of 4.19 cm, while Scots pine formed the second group with an mean root collar diameter growth of 3.29 cm. In the postfire restoration study in Karabük-Safranbolu region, where one of the artificial forest establishment applications was carried out, the mean survival percentage values of the seedlings of 3 pine species used in forest establishment and establishment applications by planting in the second year were calculated as a result of the seedling counts carried out in the sample plots taken. As a result of the variance analysis applied to the average seedling survival percentage values, a statistically significant difference was determined at the 99% confidence level in terms of this important variable among the species. In this respect, according to the results of the Duncan Test, which was carried out at the 95% confidence level and aimed at homogeneous grouping among the species, while Anatolian black pine formed the first group with an mean seedling survival percentage value of 85.32% and Turkish red pine with an mean seedling survival percentage value of 81.77% at the end of the second year, Scots pine formed the second group alone with an mean seedling survival percentage value of 75.96%. The second phase of this study, which occurred in the Karabük-Safranbolu region and constituted the research area, was to determine the families and life forms of the species that came to the area two years after the fire using the square transect intersection method, and valuable information that will contribute to practitioners regarding the re-formation of the natural vegetation structure in terms of the recovery process of the ecosystem was obtained. In this respect, the numbers of the species that came to the area as a result of natural processes in the burned area two years after the fire were determined as a result of the identifications made in the herbarium according to their families. According to the findings, after the identification of the plants in the research area in the herbarium, it was determined that a total of 36 species belonging to 15 families came to the area naturally 2 years after the fire. According to these findings, the families with the highest number of species in the burned area 2 years later were Asteraceae (5), Rosaceae (5) and Fabaceae (4). On the other hand, the percentage distribution of these species according to Raunker's life form classification was determined. According to the scientific findings, when the distribution of species that came to the area naturally 2 years after the fire was examined according to Raunker's life form classification, it was determined that the highest number of species was in the Hemicryptophyte life form with a distribution rate of 63.7%, followed by Chamaephyte with a distribution rate of 15.4%, Geophyte with a distribution rate of 9.3%, Phanerophyte with a distribution rate of 6.1% and Therophyte with a distribution rate of 5.5%.