Functional Ecology Laboratory (FEL)

About

Functional ecology, fire ecology, and plant ecology are the main research fields of the Functional Ecology Laboratory. In the laboratory, we perform researches to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics in ecosystems using functional trait-based approaches. In these researches, field samplings, laboratory experiments, and modeling approaches are frequently used altogether.

Research Infrastructure

• Air conditioning cabinet (4 units)
• Refrigerator (1 large)
• Deep freezer (1 piece)
• Oven (1 piece)
• Laminar flow cabin (1 unit)
• Precision electronic scales (1 piece)
• Coarse electronic scale (1 piece)
• PH meter (1 piece)
• Digital micrometer (1 piece)
• Tree bark thickness meter (2 pieces)
• Mechanical caliper (1 piece)
• Digital caliper (1 piece)

Researchers

• Çağatay Tavşanoğlu (Prof. Dr., faculty member)
• Elif Deniz Ülker (PhD student)
• İrem Tüfekçioğlu (doctoral student)
• Gökhan Ergan (PhD student)
• Anıl Bahar (doctoral student)
• Nurbahar Usta (PhD student)
• Mina Cansu Karaer (PhD student)
• Cihan Ünal Değirmenci (doctoral student)
• Cansu Ülgen (doctoral student)
• Türkan Özdemir (doctoral student)
• Serhat Oral (PhD student)
• Zeynep Ladin Coşgun (graduate student)
• Nartjan Özden (graduate student)
• Cihan Anıl Benli (graduate student)

Ongoing Projects

• To present the possible effects of climate change on the Central Anatolian steppe plants with physio-ecological approaches. (TÜBİTAK 1001).
• Identification of functional characters and determination of relationships between functional characters in a plant community in the Central Anatolian Steppe. (TÜBİTAK 1002).
• The last 300 years of fire history of larch forests in Western Anatolia. (TÜBİTAK 1001).
• The relationship between the geographical distribution patterns of plants in the Mediterranean Basin, functional characters and climate. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Determination of phylogeography and genetic diversity patterns of two Anatolian endemic oak species (Quercus pontica and Quercus aucheri). (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Comparison of oaks (Quercus), which are distributed in different biomes of the Western Palearctic region, in terms of climatic niches, functional plant characters and late Quaternary shelters. (Hacettepe University BAP)

Completed Projects

• Nutritional habit of brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Western Black Sea forests and its effect on seed dispersal and germination. TÜBİTAK 1001.
• The effect of smoke caused by burning plant material and active chemicals in the smoke on early seedling growth in Hesperis matronalis, Saponaria officinalis and Nepeta racemose species. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Ecological importance of seed germination rate and comparison of different germination rate calculation methods. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Cross-population variability of fire-related characters in Red Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) And the factors that reveal this variability. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Investigation of the flammability characteristics of plants depending on their fire regimes. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Evaluation of plant functional character variability in Mediterranean plants. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Modeling of vegetation dynamics related to fire frequency and bush density of red pine forests. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Post-fire germination characteristics of Mediterranean Fabaceae members. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• The effect of holding time on physical dormancy and fire-related germination characteristics of Cistus salviifolius and Cistus creticus seeds. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Role of natural and anthropogenic factors in shaping today's fire regimes in Mediterranean type ecosystems of Turkey. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Updating the fire-related character database (BROT) in Mediterranean plants and testing some hypotheses. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Investigation of plant regeneration after forest fire in Milas (Muğla) region in 2013. (Hacettepe University BAP)

Publications

• Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Kazancı, D.D., Soyumert, A., Ertürk, A., Değirmenci, C.Ü. (2021) Seed dispersal by the brown bear in a mixed temperate forest: Fruit type matters. Mammal Research 66: 137-147.
• Soyumert, A., Ertürk, A., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2020) Fire-created habitats support large mammal community in a Mediterranean landscape. Mammal Research 65: 323-330.
Kattge, J. et al. (2020) TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology 26: 119-188.
• Moreira, F., Ascoli, D., Safford, H., Adams, M., Moreno, JM, Pereira, JC, Catry, F., Armesto, J., Bond, WJ, Gonzalez, M., Curt, T., Koutsias, N., McCaw, L., Price, O., Pausas, J., Rigolot, E., Stephens, S., Tavsanoglu, C., Vallejo, R., Van Wilgen, B., Xanthopoulos , G., Fernandes, P. (2020) Wildfire management in Mediterranean-type regions: Paradigm change needed. Environmental Research Letters 15: 01100.
• Bekar, İ., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Pezzatti, BG, Vacik, H., Pausas, JG, Bugmann, H., Petter, G. (2020) Cross-regional modeling of fire occurrence in the Alps and the Mediterranean Basin . International Journal of Wildland Fire 29: 712-722.
• Özgencil, İ.K., Beklioğlu, M., Özkan, K., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Fattorini, N. (2020) Changes in functional composition and diversity of waterbirds: The roles of water level and submerged macrophytes. Freshwater Biology 65: 1845-1857.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2020) Human-centered perception of forest fire and the role of fire in nature. EkoEvo Bulletin 3: 12-14.
• Kazancı, D. D., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2019) Heat shock-stimulated germination in Mediterranean Basin plants in relation to growth form, dormancy type, and distributional range. Folia Geobotanica 54: 85-98.
• Soyumert, A., Ertürk, A., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2019) The importance of lagomorphs for the Eurasian lynx in Western Asia: results from a large scale camera-trapping survey in Turkey. Mammalian Biology 95: 18-25.
• Perktaş, U., De Silva, T., Quintero, E., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2019) Adding ecology into phylogeography: Ecological niche models and phylogeography in tandem reveals the demographic history of the subalpine warbler complex. Bird Study 66: 234-242.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Pausas, J.G. (2018) A functional trait database for Mediterranean Basin plants. Scientific Data 5: 180135.
• Çatav, Ş.S., Küçükakyüz, K., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Pausas, J.G. (2018) Effect of fire-derived chemicals on germination and seedling growth in Mediterranean plant species. Basic and Applied Ecology 30: 65-75.
• Ülker, E.D., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Perktaş, U. (2018) Ecological niche modeling of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) supports the 'expansion-contraction' model of Pleistocene biogeography. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 123: 338-347.
• Ürker, O., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Gürkan, B. (2018) Post-fire recovery of the plant community in Pinus brutia forests: active versus indirect restoration techniques after salvage logging. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 11: 635-642.
• Zare, G., Özüdoğru, B., Ergan, G., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2018) Taxonomic notes on the genus Chaenorhinum (Plantaginaceae) in Turkey. Acta Botanica Croatica 77: 209-213.
• Kaptanoğlu, A. S., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Turgay, O. C. (2018) Soil chemistry and microbial activity after a surface fire in a mixed temperate forest. Eurasian Journal of Forest Science 6: 1-13.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2018) Effects of climate change on ecosystems and research needs. Science and Utopia 294: 34-36.
• Bekar, İ., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Modeling the drivers of natural fire activity: The bias created by cropland fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26: 845-851.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Ergan, G., Çatav, Ş.S., Zare, G., Küçükakyüz, K., Özüdoğru, B. (2017) Multiple fire-related cues stimulate germination in Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Plantaginaceae), a rare annual in the Mediterranean Basin. Seed Science Research 27: 26-38.
• Yeşilyurt, E.B., Erik, S., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Inter-population variability in seed dormancy, seed mass, and germination in Helianthemum salicifolium (Cistaceae), a hard-seeded annual herb. Folia Geobotanica 52: 253-263.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Education: Restore evolution to Turkey's curriculum. Nature 542: 165.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Intervention regimes operating on Anatolian steppe ecosystems. Kebikeç 43: 259-288.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Fire geography: Spatial distribution of vegetation fires and their ecological consequences. Kebikeç 43: 289-300.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2016) Anatolia's high biodiversity: Where is the evolution in this? In: Flow, I., Altınışık, N.E. (Eds.) In the Light of Evolution, Yazlama Publishing House, Istanbul, p. 207-225.

Links

Official Web Page
funecol.org

About

Functional ecology, fire ecology, and plant ecology are the main research fields of the Functional Ecology Laboratory. In the laboratory, we perform researches to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics in ecosystems using functional trait-based approaches. In these researches, field samplings, laboratory experiments, and modeling approaches are frequently used altogether.

Research Infrastructure

• Air conditioning cabinet (4 units)
• Refrigerator (1 large)
• Deep freezer (1 piece)
• Oven (1 piece)
• Laminar flow cabin (1 unit)
• Precision electronic scales (1 piece)
• Coarse electronic scale (1 piece)
• PH meter (1 piece)
• Digital micrometer (1 piece)
• Tree bark thickness meter (2 pieces)
• Mechanical caliper (1 piece)
• Digital caliper (1 piece)

Researchers

• Çağatay Tavşanoğlu (Prof. Dr., faculty member)
• Elif Deniz Ülker (PhD student)
• İrem Tüfekçioğlu (doctoral student)
• Gökhan Ergan (PhD student)
• Anıl Bahar (doctoral student)
• Nurbahar Usta (PhD student)
• Mina Cansu Karaer (PhD student)
• Cihan Ünal Değirmenci (doctoral student)
• Cansu Ülgen (doctoral student)
• Türkan Özdemir (doctoral student)
• Serhat Oral (PhD student)
• Zeynep Ladin Coşgun (graduate student)
• Nartjan Özden (graduate student)
• Cihan Anıl Benli (graduate student)

Ongoing Projects

• To present the possible effects of climate change on the Central Anatolian steppe plants with physio-ecological approaches. (TÜBİTAK 1001).
• Identification of functional characters and determination of relationships between functional characters in a plant community in the Central Anatolian Steppe. (TÜBİTAK 1002).
• The last 300 years of fire history of larch forests in Western Anatolia. (TÜBİTAK 1001).
• The relationship between the geographical distribution patterns of plants in the Mediterranean Basin, functional characters and climate. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Determination of phylogeography and genetic diversity patterns of two Anatolian endemic oak species (Quercus pontica and Quercus aucheri). (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Comparison of oaks (Quercus), which are distributed in different biomes of the Western Palearctic region, in terms of climatic niches, functional plant characters and late Quaternary shelters. (Hacettepe University BAP)

Completed Projects

• Nutritional habit of brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Western Black Sea forests and its effect on seed dispersal and germination. TÜBİTAK 1001.
• The effect of smoke caused by burning plant material and active chemicals in the smoke on early seedling growth in Hesperis matronalis, Saponaria officinalis and Nepeta racemose species. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Ecological importance of seed germination rate and comparison of different germination rate calculation methods. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Cross-population variability of fire-related characters in Red Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) And the factors that reveal this variability. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Investigation of the flammability characteristics of plants depending on their fire regimes. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Evaluation of plant functional character variability in Mediterranean plants. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Modeling of vegetation dynamics related to fire frequency and bush density of red pine forests. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Post-fire germination characteristics of Mediterranean Fabaceae members. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• The effect of holding time on physical dormancy and fire-related germination characteristics of Cistus salviifolius and Cistus creticus seeds. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Role of natural and anthropogenic factors in shaping today's fire regimes in Mediterranean type ecosystems of Turkey. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Updating the fire-related character database (BROT) in Mediterranean plants and testing some hypotheses. (Hacettepe University BAP)
• Investigation of plant regeneration after forest fire in Milas (Muğla) region in 2013. (Hacettepe University BAP)

Publications

• Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Kazancı, D.D., Soyumert, A., Ertürk, A., Değirmenci, C.Ü. (2021) Seed dispersal by the brown bear in a mixed temperate forest: Fruit type matters. Mammal Research 66: 137-147.
• Soyumert, A., Ertürk, A., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2020) Fire-created habitats support large mammal community in a Mediterranean landscape. Mammal Research 65: 323-330.
Kattge, J. et al. (2020) TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology 26: 119-188.
• Moreira, F., Ascoli, D., Safford, H., Adams, M., Moreno, JM, Pereira, JC, Catry, F., Armesto, J., Bond, WJ, Gonzalez, M., Curt, T., Koutsias, N., McCaw, L., Price, O., Pausas, J., Rigolot, E., Stephens, S., Tavsanoglu, C., Vallejo, R., Van Wilgen, B., Xanthopoulos , G., Fernandes, P. (2020) Wildfire management in Mediterranean-type regions: Paradigm change needed. Environmental Research Letters 15: 01100.
• Bekar, İ., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Pezzatti, BG, Vacik, H., Pausas, JG, Bugmann, H., Petter, G. (2020) Cross-regional modeling of fire occurrence in the Alps and the Mediterranean Basin . International Journal of Wildland Fire 29: 712-722.
• Özgencil, İ.K., Beklioğlu, M., Özkan, K., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Fattorini, N. (2020) Changes in functional composition and diversity of waterbirds: The roles of water level and submerged macrophytes. Freshwater Biology 65: 1845-1857.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2020) Human-centered perception of forest fire and the role of fire in nature. EkoEvo Bulletin 3: 12-14.
• Kazancı, D. D., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2019) Heat shock-stimulated germination in Mediterranean Basin plants in relation to growth form, dormancy type, and distributional range. Folia Geobotanica 54: 85-98.
• Soyumert, A., Ertürk, A., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2019) The importance of lagomorphs for the Eurasian lynx in Western Asia: results from a large scale camera-trapping survey in Turkey. Mammalian Biology 95: 18-25.
• Perktaş, U., De Silva, T., Quintero, E., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2019) Adding ecology into phylogeography: Ecological niche models and phylogeography in tandem reveals the demographic history of the subalpine warbler complex. Bird Study 66: 234-242.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Pausas, J.G. (2018) A functional trait database for Mediterranean Basin plants. Scientific Data 5: 180135.
• Çatav, Ş.S., Küçükakyüz, K., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Pausas, J.G. (2018) Effect of fire-derived chemicals on germination and seedling growth in Mediterranean plant species. Basic and Applied Ecology 30: 65-75.
• Ülker, E.D., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Perktaş, U. (2018) Ecological niche modeling of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) supports the 'expansion-contraction' model of Pleistocene biogeography. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 123: 338-347.
• Ürker, O., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Gürkan, B. (2018) Post-fire recovery of the plant community in Pinus brutia forests: active versus indirect restoration techniques after salvage logging. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 11: 635-642.
• Zare, G., Özüdoğru, B., Ergan, G., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2018) Taxonomic notes on the genus Chaenorhinum (Plantaginaceae) in Turkey. Acta Botanica Croatica 77: 209-213.
• Kaptanoğlu, A. S., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Turgay, O. C. (2018) Soil chemistry and microbial activity after a surface fire in a mixed temperate forest. Eurasian Journal of Forest Science 6: 1-13.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2018) Effects of climate change on ecosystems and research needs. Science and Utopia 294: 34-36.
• Bekar, İ., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Modeling the drivers of natural fire activity: The bias created by cropland fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26: 845-851.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Ergan, G., Çatav, Ş.S., Zare, G., Küçükakyüz, K., Özüdoğru, B. (2017) Multiple fire-related cues stimulate germination in Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Plantaginaceae), a rare annual in the Mediterranean Basin. Seed Science Research 27: 26-38.
• Yeşilyurt, E.B., Erik, S., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Inter-population variability in seed dormancy, seed mass, and germination in Helianthemum salicifolium (Cistaceae), a hard-seeded annual herb. Folia Geobotanica 52: 253-263.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Education: Restore evolution to Turkey's curriculum. Nature 542: 165.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Intervention regimes operating on Anatolian steppe ecosystems. Kebikeç 43: 259-288.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2017) Fire geography: Spatial distribution of vegetation fires and their ecological consequences. Kebikeç 43: 289-300.
• Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2016) Anatolia's high biodiversity: Where is the evolution in this? In: Flow, I., Altınışık, N.E. (Eds.) In the Light of Evolution, Yazlama Publishing House, Istanbul, p. 207-225.

Links

Official Web Page
funecol.org