In this ethnobotanical study, an ethnoarchaeological approach was adopted for the archaeological implications of the importance of wild food plants and their dietary uses in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Periods in Central Anatolia by exploring the dietary uses of these plants by the modern villagers of Konya Basin. The study was based on the indigenous knowledge of the modern villagers of Konya of managing wild food plant resource in their surroundings for the dietary uses. This knowledge was explored through ethnobotanical research strategies. The study was limited by both the research subject and the area for a better focus on the research. The geographical borders were limited to Central Anatolia as it included Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites with detailed archaeological investigations and it made a comparison available between different geographical zones. Because it was possible to study similar environments today in the Konya Basin, nine modern villages to collect ethnobotanical data were chosen from three different environmental zones in this area, which included wetland, forest and steppe zones. The wild fruit, nut and tuber species recovered from the archaeological excavations were selected for study in their current natural environments. The different strategies of harvesting, processing and storage local people used for the consumption of each plant species provided useful implications to archaeological recoveries.

Conifer species are subjected to major time constraints in tree improvement because of their long regeneration cycle and large sizes. However, integration of developing biotechnologies could significantly reduce this time limitation in tree breeding programs. In this regard, somatic embryogenesis (SE) offers a great potential in commercially important Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia TEN.) for rapid production of larger number of clones as well as capture of greater genetic gains. In this study, seven collections were done to sample precotyledonar zygotic embryos for induction of embryogenic tissue (ET) from 15 clones located in Antalya. Afterwards, abscisic acid, carbohydrates, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and gellan gum were tested to obtain mature somatic embryos in maturation experiments. Analyses of variance showed a significant variation among collection dates (43.1% of total variance) and clones studied (18.8% of total variance) for induction of ETs. Overall initiation frequency of ET in this study was 11.6% with clonal range of 4.7 &amp / #8211 / 24.1%. Of those tested maturation treatments, 80&amp / #956 / M ABA, sucrose and maltose at 3 and 6%, 3.75% PEG combined with 1% gellan gum were found to be suitable for maturation of somatic embryos in Turkish red pine. Sixty nine somatic embryos were obtained from Clone 22, which was one of tested clones. Induction frequencies could be further improved by using different basal media and/or manipulating media components, such as plant growth regulators. For proper maturation of somatic embryos, embryogenic lines need to be screened to find suitable lines, which are developmentally responsive to ABA treatment.

ABSTRACT COMPARATIVE SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF THE INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER 2 REGION OF TURKISH RED PINE (Pinus brutia TEN.) AND NATURAL ALEPPO PINE (Pinus halepensis MILL.) POPULATIONS FROM TURKEY Tozkar, &Ouml / zge M.S., Department of Biology Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Zeki Kaya April, 2007, 107 pages Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia) is wide-spread and an important forest tree species in Turkey, occurring mainly in southern, western and north-western Turkey and as small isolated populations in the Black Sea region. Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) has naturally found only in Adana and Mugla provinces as small population in mixture with Turkish red pine. Although Turkish red pine and Aleppo pine are morphologically different, Turkish red pine has been regarded as subspecies of Aleppo pine by some taxonomists due to occurrence of natural hybridization between these two species. However, the phylogenic relationship between these species needs to be explored further. In the present study, by sampling overlapped populations of both species from Mugla and Adana provinces (4 populations of Turkish red pine and 3 populations of Aleppo pine), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA were comparatively studied with sequence analysis. Although ITS1, 5.8s and ITS2 regions of ribosomal DNA were studied with ITS primers, only ITS2 region was successfully amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The complete data set for this region was analysed using MEGA3.1 and Arlequin softwares. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated the highest genetic differentiation between Turkish red pine and Aleppo pine in Mugla with 100 percentage of variation. AMOVA analysis also indicated the possibility of low-level migration of genes between Turkish red pine and Aleppo pine populations in Adana with 50.65 percent of molecular variance. Haplotype comparison revealed that two major haplotypes were represented Based on the results of ITS2 region sequence analysis, Turkish populations of Aleppo pine and Turkish red pine populations could not be fully differentiated. In Mugla province Turkish red pine and Aleppo pine revealed more differentiation due to reproductive isolation. But in Adana province, two species shared more common genetic background due to possible hybridization. Since ITS2 region of nuclear ribosomal DNA revealed a few variable and parsimony informative sites for both species, thus, only ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA does not appear to be sufficient for fully resolving genetic relationships between Turkish red pine and Aleppo pine populations. Further studies including ITS1 and 5.8s regions of ribosomal DNA and populations included from major Aleppo pine distribution areas will be useful to understand the evolutionary relationship between Aleppo pine and Turkish red pine populations in Turkey.