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Lab visit by Dr. Jalil Noroozi
On Monday, July 14, 2025, our lab had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Jalil Noroozi from the University of Vienna for a research article discussion session.
During the visit, we discussed his recent co-authored paper:
“Plant endemic diversity in the Irano-Anatolian global biodiversity hotspot is dramatically threatened by future climate change” (Moradi, Noroozi & Fourcade, 2025 – Biological Conservation).
We sincerely thank Dr. Noroozi for the inspiring discussion and generous knowledge sharing!
Fieldwork in the Alpine Habitats of Hasandağı
Our Principal Investigator, Prof. Dr. Çağatay Tavşanoğlu, conducted fieldwork in the alpine zone habitats of Hasandağı (~3250 m), Central Anatolia, together with Dr. Jalil Noroozi and Asst. Prof. Golshan Zare.
During this expedition, the team explored alpine plant communities and ecosystems, gaining valuable insights into species composition and ecological dynamics. We sincerely thank Dr. Noroozi and Dr. Zare for the inspiring collaboration and fruitful exchange of ideas.
EEBST 2025
Our lab members had the pleasure of presenting several talks and posters at the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Symposium Türkiye (Hacettepe University; 9-11 July 2025). We were excited to share our ongoing research with the community and engage in fruitful discussions.
Oral Presentations
- Pollinator Assemblages as Drivers of Plant Range: Evidence from a Marl Steppe in Central Anatolia – presented by Gülseli Kırgıl
- Effect of Crown Fires on Temperate Mixed Forests of Northeastern Anatolia: A Modeling Approach – presented by Anıl Bahar
- Community Composition and Resistance Levels of Soil Bacteria and Fungi in a Mediterranean Forest Under Varying Wildfire Severities – presented by Bedirhan Avdancı
- Trojan Fir under Climate Warming: A Facilitator Species Facing Regeneration Limits – presented by Nurbahar Usta
Poster Presentations
- Afforestation Alters Epigeic Beetle Community in Central Anatolian Steppes – Cansu Baran & Eylül Evrenosoğlu
- Variability in Germination and Dormancy in Steppe Plant Communities – Berna Yavuz
- Modelling Wildfire Occurrence in Türkiye: The Role of Productivity and Human Influence – Mehmet Göktuğ Öztürk
- Wisdom from Ashes: Exploring Traditional Fire Knowledge and Use in Anatolia – Rüveyda Zehra Öğütverici
- Comparative Analysis of Leaf Flammability Traits in Forest and Shrubland Plants of Western Türkiye – Nursema Aktepe
- Gastrointestinal Helminth Diversity in Captive and Free-Ranging Mountain Gazelles in Hatay, Türkiye – Mina Cansu Karaer
We are glad to have represented our lab with such diverse contributions and thank all participants for their inspiring presentations and discussions.
Awards at EEBST 2025
Our lab is proud to announce that two of our members received significant recognitions at the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Symposium Türkiye (EEBST 2025).
M.Sc. Thesis Award – Mehmet Göktuğ Öztürk
Göktuğ was recognized for his Master’s thesis focusing on wildfire ecology and the drivers of fire occurrence in Türkiye, highlighting the roles of productivity and human influence.
Best Oral Presentation Award – Nurbahar Usta
Nurbahar received this award for her talk on the regeneration limits of Trojan fir under climate warming, presenting valuable insights into how a key facilitator species may respond to future climate scenarios.
We sincerely congratulate both for their outstanding achievements and their contributions to advancing ecological and evolutionary research.
Oral Presentation at EEBST 2025 – Prof. Dr. Çağatay Tavşanoğlu
Our principal investigator, Prof. Dr. Çağatay Tavşanoğlu, delivered an oral presentation at the Philosophy of Biology mini-symposium within EEBST 2025, titled “The Intellectual Evolution of Ecology: Paradigm Shifts and Current Trends.”
The talk explored key conceptual shifts in ecology over time and discussed current perspectives shaping the field today.
Gülseli successfully defended her M.Sc. thesis
We are delighted to announce that our team member Gülseli Kırgıl successfully defended her Master’s thesis on June 16, 2025, and graduated from the program.
Her thesis, titled “Patterns of insect pollinator diversity in rare and common plants growing in a marl steppe habitat in Central Anatolia”, focused on understanding the diversity and assemblages of pollinator insects in steppe ecosystems, with a special emphasis on species of restricted and widespread distribution.
We sincerely congratulate Gülseli on this important achievement and wish her continued success in her academic journey.
The Turkish Translation of C.J. Krebs’ Ecology Book
The release of the Turkish translation of C.J. Krebs’ renowned book on ecology1 is a significant milestone. This project has been a labor of love and dedication, involving a team of ecologists deeply committed to making this essential work accessible to Turkish readers.
Our lab PI, Çağatay, was also a member of the translation team alongside many esteemed colleagues, most of whom are members of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Society of Turkey (https://www.ekoevo.org/). Their collaboration was characterized by intense discussions and meticulous attention to detail, particularly concerning the Turkish equivalents of ecological terms. These discussions ensured that the translation not only remained true to the original text but also aligned with the Turkish scientific community.
The translation process was challenging yet immensely rewarding. The aim was to preserve the integrity and clarity of Krebs’ writing while making it comprehensible and relevant to Turkish-speaking ecologists and students. Every term and concept was carefully considered and debated to ensure the highest quality translation.
This Turkish edition of C.J. Krebs’ Ecology2 is highly recommended for those interested in ecology, whether students or researchers. It is a valuable resource that offers comprehensive insights into ecological principles and practices. The team’s hard work and dedication are evident on every page, and it is hoped that it will inspire and educate a new generation of Turkish ecologists. This translation is expected to contribute significantly to the growing body of ecological knowledge in Turkey.
New chapter on drivers of the exceptional biodiversity of Anatolia
A book chapter by our lab PI Çağatay Tavşanoğlu has been published in the book entitled “Evrimin Işığında” [In the Light of Evolution]: Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2016) Anadolu’nun yüksek biyoçeşitliliği: Evrim bunun neresinde? [High biodiversity of Anatolia: the role of evolution] In: Akış, I., Altınışık, N.E. (Eds.) Evrimin Işığında [In the Light of Evolution], Yazılama Yayınevi, İstanbul, Turkey, pp. 207-225.
The book has been published in Turkish, and the chapter is about the drivers of the exceptional biodiversity of the Anatolian Peninsula. The chapter summarizes the biodiversity of Anatolia briefly and then explains drivers of this exceptional biodiversity for a temperate region country with long-term and recent climatic and geological processes.
The conclusion of the chapter is that the unique regional location of and the huge topographic and climatic diversity inside the Peninsula make Anatolia a gathering center, a diversification center and an ice age refugium for various taxa, which is responsible for the currently observed biodiversity.
The book is an outcome of the 4th and 5th Evrim, Bilim ve Eğitim Sempozyumu [Evolution, Science, and Education Symposium] that were held in İstanbul, Turkey in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The chapter by Çağatay Tavşanoğlu had already been presented in the 4th one.
The book is available from many bookstores in Turkey, but also from the Internet sales.
You can read the chapter from here: [pdf]
Functional Ecology Lab 