Ruveyda’s Internship at the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, METU Institute of Marine Sciences
Our lab member, Rüveyda Zehra Ögütverici, completed her internship in June 2025 at the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences (Mersin), where she worked with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Korhan Özkan and his research team.
During her internship, she participated in ongoing mesocosm experiments designed to simulate warming and salinization scenarios under future climate change conditions. Her work included sample collection and the measurement of physicochemical variables such as pH, chlorophyll-a, and nutrients, as well as involvement in heatwave and salinization experiments.
Through this experience, she gained hands-on training in ecological measurements and developed insights into carbon cycling, the functional roles of sediments, zooplankton, and phytoplankton, and the ecological impacts of heatwaves and salinization in lake ecosystems.
We sincerely thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Korhan Özkan and the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory team for their mentorship, support, and collaboration.
Cansu’s Internship at the Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment
Our undergraduate researcher, Cansu Baran, recently visited the Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment (ILFE) in Novi Sad, Serbia, as an intern, where she worked with Dr. Srdjan Stojnić and his research team.
During her stay, she contributed to studies on Fagus sylvatica L., one of the most widespread tree species in Europe and a species known to be highly vulnerable to climatic stress. She gained hands-on experience in leaf anatomical analyses using cryosectioning and light microscopy, including measurements of leaf cross-sections. In addition, she participated in fieldwork conducted within the framework of the Horizon Europe project FRUITDIV.
We sincerely thank Dr. Stojnić and his team for their warm hospitality, productive collaboration, and inspiring scientific exchange.
Cansu successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis
Our researcher, Cansu Ülgen, successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “Aboveground and Belowground Plant Traits and the Plant Economic Spectrum in Central Anatolian Steppe Vegetation” on December 18, 2025.
We congratulate her on this important academic milestone and wish her continued success in her future endeavors.
We congratulate her and wish her continued success in her career.
Nurbahar successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis
Our researcher, Nurbahar Usta, has successfully completed and defended her PhD thesis entitled “Dynamics of Trojan Fir Forests in Mount Ida and the Possible Effects of Climate Change on These Dynamics” and has officially graduated on December 18, 2025.
We congratulate her on this important academic milestone and wish her continued success in her future endeavors.
Tracing Ailanthus altissima: Fieldwork at Beytepe Campus
To identify the distribution of Ailanthus altissima, examine its changes over time, and predict its future dynamics, we conducted fieldwork at Hacettepe University’s Beytepe Campus.
Together with our intern team, we collected field data within the pilot study area of our research project.
Functional Ecology Lab 