Climate Change and Its Impacts upon Occurrence of Natural Hybrid Firs

Abies equi-trojani Ashers et Sinten and Abies olcayana Ata and Merev are two fir hybrids distributed in the west of Turkey. These two firs are natural hybrids occurred in nature under severe climate changes. There was no human effect upon occurrence of these hybrid firs. Mattfeld (1925) claimed that long ago there were forests of firs surrounding the Mediterranean Sea through Asia Minor, Europe and some parts of North Africa. Later, the climate changed and the areas of fir became isolated from each other, surviving in the mountains and developing individual traits now recognized in Abies equi-trojani. Three major cities are to be found in the north west of Turkey: Bursa, Canakkale and Balikesir. Uludag (Mt. Olympus, 2543 m) is near Bursa and Abies bornmulleriana Mattf. occurs on it, Kazdagi (Ida Mountain, 1767 m) is between Balikesir and Canakkale and Abies equi-trojani is distributed on it, and Cataldag (1336 m) is between Balikesir and Bursa, and Cataldag fir (Abies olcayana) is found on it. The distances between these mountains are 100 - 200 km, the different fir species occur at high elevations in these mountains