Assessment of the ecological tolerance status of woody plant taxa in the context of plant design; example of Çayeli district in Rize

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the importance of ecological tolerance status of woody plant taxa in plant design in urban roads, parks, playgrounds and squares in Çayeli district of Rize province. When the growth demands of woody plant taxa in urban roads, parks, playgrounds and squares in the research area are examined, it has been determined that water consumption is low-medium and moderate, and light demands are sun and semi-shade-sun. When the ecological tolerance status of the taxa was examined, it was determined that the majority of them were tolerant to frost, air pollution and wind. When the plant designs in the sample areas were evaluated according to the design principles, the relationship between the size characteristics of the area and the color and emphasis was found to be statistically significant. In addition, the relationships between texture and repetition, between form and repetition, and between form and diversity, and between color and diversity were found to be statistically significant. When the plant designs in the sample areas were evaluated according to their functional contributions, the relationship between the number of woody plant taxa and shading and between highlighting and shading were found to be statistically significant. It has been concluded that the selection of plant species with high ecological tolerance and suitable for the habitat of the woody plant taxa used in the design for the creation of sustainable plant design areas is important in supporting the design principles and elements and making a functional contribution to the areas. KEYWORDS: Design principles, ecological tolerance, plant design, xeric landscape