Impact of Weather Conditions on The Development of Taurus Cedar and Anatolian Black Pine Plantations

Abstract

Plantation forestry primarily aims to enhance the production of high-quality timber. This research focuses on evaluating the effect of various climatic factors (such as relative humidity, annual precipitation, average, minimum and maximum temperatures) on the growth parameters (including tree height, breast height diameter and base diameter) of Taurus cedar (Cedrus libani A. Rich.) and Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (L.) Holmboe). This study was conducted in two adjacent plantations established in 1995, with data collected over a three-year period (2022-2024). To assess growth patterns, 30 trees from each plantation were randomly selected and monitored. Climatic data were sourced from Türkiye’s general directorate of meteorology and climatology. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that growth and climate parameters were statistically similar (p>0.05) for both species, except for tree height, which showed significant differences in Taurus cedar. The Spearman rank correlation analysis identified a strong and statistically significant relationship (p<0.05) between temperature variables (minimum, maximum, and average) and the growth traits of both tree species. On the other hand, relative humidity and annual precipitation showed no significant correlations (p>0.05). The findings underscore the critical role of temperature in influencing tree growth within plantation forestry, offering valuable insights for sustainable forest management practices.