Project title: Post-fire conservation of the Mediterranean Basin forests: In search of fire ephemerals

Project leader: Çağatay Tavşanoğlu

Project personnel: Gökhan Ergan (MSc Student), Barış Özüdoğru (PhD Student), Golshan Zare (Researcher), Öyküm Öztürk (PhD Student)

Duration: 2014-2015

Financial support: Rufford Small Grants Foundation

Aims: We aimed to investigate the diversity patterns in post-fire environments in Mediterranean Basin pine forests, specifically in Pinus brutia (Turkish red pine) forests. We asked the question if there is any fire ephemeral species in these environments, and how diversity of vascular plants and fungi change after fire.

Study area: Milas, Muğla, southwestern Turkey

Methods: Plant sampling in several burned and unburned sites in the field, germination experiments including heat shock and smoke treatments in the lab, resprouting experiments including smoke treatments for some geophyte species in the lab, comparison of plant functional groups in terms of species diversity.