Page 209 - Çevre Şehir ve İklim Dergisi İngilizce - Özel Sayı

Bilgi Sarihan - Ramazan Acar Çakır
Aydın Uzun

the analyses, it was found that the soils of the test area are problematic due to
gypsum and salt, and that the soil characteristics change over short distances. This
situation is particularly pronounced in terms of salt (1.04-52.60 dS/m) and gypsum
(qualitatively varying from low to high).
The soils of the test areas belong to the salt-affected soil group and are
categorizeas gypsum soils due to their gypsum content. Seedlings of tamarix
(Tamarix ramosissima), mahaleb cherry (Cerasus mahaleb), four-wing saltbush
(Atriplex canescens), Ephedra distachya (Polygonaceae), and oleaster (Elaeagnus
angustifolia) were planted on the land. Three treatments were applied: control,
soil conditioners (zeolite + leonardite), and manure application. In the assessment,
which took into account all the plants in all the treatments, the best-adapted plant
in terms of survival percentage (100%) by the end of the project period (2018) was
the four-winged saltbush (Atriplex canescens). Following in order were tamarisk
(98%), mahaleb cherry (39%), oleaster (31%), and the lowest, apricot (23%). The
other species in the trial, the ephedra distachya shrub, was unable to establish itself.
In general, it was observed that the plant heights and diameters increased over
the years. A positive correlation was found between the plant height and the stem
diameter. It has been experienced that the atriplex canescens species is resistant
not only to salt but also to boron. As observed from the atriplex canescens plants
previously planted on the site, it has been determined that the species maintains its
greenery for a long period, produces seeds, and that this area provides a suitable
environment for obtaining seeds of the species (Karakaya et al., 2018).

Figure 11: 2018; Kırşehir, Malya; image of Atriplex canescens in the test area
(From the writer’s personal archive, 2018).
Almost all of the goji berry (Lycium barbarum) shrub species, which were
later added to the area as a revenue-generating species, have successfully
adapted (Figure 12). With its clonal propagation feature, this species rapidly
spreads in the area and is planned to be included among the potential species
to be used in similar sites in the future.

196 Journal of Environment, Urban and Climate