Lake Avlan Drainage Effects on Radial Tree Growth at Microecological Level

Abstract

Lake Avlan is a natural lake located in the mountainous areas in southwestern Turkey. The lake was drained towards the end of the 1970s. However, some serious socioeconomic impacts were felt in the region surrounding the lake basin. Because the increasing ecological problems were realized within 20 years, the lake was restored towards the end of the 1990s. The present study considers the effects of lake drying on the radial growth rate of cedar and juniper forests on the slopes adjacent to the lake basin, during the drained period. Dendrochronological methods were used in two stands, one from cedar and the other from juniper forests. Results showed that mean index values derived from annual growth rate for the drained period were 15% and 14% less than that of the average of pre- and post-drying periods of the lake for cedar and juniper sites, respectively. Microecological change, namely decreasing air humidity, due to drying the lake may be the main reason of differentiation in the index values. Natural lakes, like Avlan, on mountainous areas are an important component of forest ecosystems and should not be overlooked by natural resource planners in such regions.