Determining the health status of natural monument trees using acoustic tomography method

Areas with natural beauty and rich biodiversity have had a different significance for people since ancient times. With the latest developments in industry, technology, and urbanization, the demand for natural areas has increased considerably. Accordingly, the need to protect such private areas has become even more significant. In order to protect areas with such natural characteristics effectively, problems and threat factors must be correctly revealed. For this purpose; a study was conducted to determine the health status of some trees, which are natural monuments in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye, using the acoustic tomography method. The general appearance of six trees in the study area was examined, and measurements were made with the Arbor Sonic 3D Acoustic Tomography device. In the research, it was found that the trunk of one of the natural monument trees was hollow. The other five trees were found to be in good general condition. According to the results of the tomography, it was determined that one of the six trees measured was in good health, three of them had partial hollows and decay, and two of them were completely hollow. According to the data obtained, it has been revealed that the acoustic tomography method is an effective tool in determining the health status of nature monument trees.