Hierarchical Forest Site Classification According to the Perennial Plant Species in the Alacadağ Nature Reserve District

In the study, vegetation was classified according to the distribution of perennial plant species in the Alacadağ Natural Reserve (NR) district which has high plant species richness. Classified vegetation groups were modeled by using environmental factors. Using these models, vegetation communities were mapped according to hierarchical classification. A grid network with a cell size of 100 · 100 m was created and 150 sample plots of 20 · 20 m in size were established. Plant species coverage was recorded in field studies according to the Braun-Blanquet scale. Cluster analysis was applied for the classification of vegetation communities based on binary hierarchical classification. Cluster groups were modeled with environmental variables using the classification tree analysis. The accuracy of the vegetation groups as a result of cluster analysis and modeling was tested by chi-square, kappa, and multiple permutation analyses at each distinction stage. Model groups with significant results were generalized and mapped on digital layers by using the prediction values. Indicator species for the vegetation groups were identified by indicator species analysis. As a result of this process, the study area was divided into 4 vegetation groups. The elevation and, correspondingly, climate were the most effective environmental variables in the differentiation of vegetation groups. In addition, ruggedness, hillshade, roughness, and heat index were the other important environmental variables for the vegetation groups in the district. As a result of this study, forest sites were classified for the conservation, sustainability, development, and future planning of the Alacadağ NR region.