The Heart Rot of Abies normanniana subsp. bornmülleriana Mattf. to Altitudes
Abstract
Fir is the taxon subjected to the selection systems in Turkish forestry. In selection forests, target diameter is the main criterion for planning and management. In this study the aim is to determine the formation and level of the heart rot and target diameter depending on aspect and altitude for Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmülleriana Mattf. For this purpose, the fir trees with maximum diameters were cut and the situation of heart rot at various altitude levels (900-1,200 m, 1,200-1,500 m, and 1,500-1,800 m) and aspects was determined. The formation of heart rot starts at low altitudes and this defect was found nearly on all fir trees of target diameter of 60 cm which is commonly used in practical Turkish forestry. Target diameter of 60 cm was considered as usable at the altitude of 1,200 m and even higher, at 1,500 m and even more, the usable target diameter is more than 60 cm, as heart rot was not found in the sample trees with target diameters about 70-80 cm. In addition to this, heart rot was detected less in fir trees located on the south-facing slopes than on the north-facing slopes. The correlation coefficient between the basal diameter and heart rot was 0.631; it was 0.638 in the fir trees on the north-facing slopes and 0.696 on the south-facing slopes. According to these results, the target diameter of fir trees, which are dominant in selection forests, must be planned considering the altitude and aspect
Keywords
Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmülleriana, target diameter, heart rot
