Uludağ’da Girland ve Çember Oluşumları

Abstract

Alpine zone of the Uludağ is under the influence of periglacial processes and landforms. As a result of this processes, garlands and circles have appeared to be dominant landforms. Because of the general direction of the Uludağ massif, the summit portion of the Uludağ are divided into north and south from watershed line, and garland and circle appear in both portions. However, distributions of the garland and circle forms are restricted by distribution of the common junipers (Juniperus communis subsp. nana) in both divisions. Garlands and circles have developed with a limited extent over the northern slopes, where the common junipers have found a better growing opportunity over granodiorite and gneiss on the northern slopes. Because most of southern slopes are of the marble formation and this causes preventing of distribution of the Juniperus communis subsp. nana on southern slopes, garland and circles have been developed much better and cover wider area. The basic factors that control the morphology of garlands are of the lithology, high-slope conditions, decomposition product and debris amount behind the garlands and the feature of plant placed in the front. While garlands developed in a large slope range of among 2-40° over the slopes and ridges having various altitudes, circles are mainly seen over flat and slightly flat areas (0-10°) among the summits. On the other hand, while many alpine plant species are effective in the formation of garlands, only two types of Festuca sp. are effective in the formation of circles

Keywords

• garland
• circle
• vegetation
• climate
• periglacial
• alpine zone
• uludağ