Abstract
Traditional Tar Production from Cedrus libani A. Rich on the Taurus Mountains in Southern Turkey. Cedrus libani A. Rich is a magnificent and sacred tree species native to the eastern Mediterranean region. Today, traditional people in southern Turkey produce wood extract, called katran, from C. libani, and use it to protect wooden structures against insects and fungi, to fight parasites and bacteria, and to heal wounds and cure various diseases in humans and domestic animals, both internally and externally. Here we illustrate traditional methods of producing katran, its use by local people, and its chemical composition.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the people of Gecmen who demonstrated the traditional method of katran production and the Turkish Forest Service and staff from the District Office of the Cedar Research Forest in Elmali who provided us with logistical support and special permission to extract katran for research purposes. The study was partially supported by Akdeniz University Scientific Research Projects Unit. Dr. Roy Turkington (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada) helped us in editing the manuscript.
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Kurt, Y., Suleyman Kaçar, M. & Isik, K. Traditional Tar Production from Cedrus libani A. Rich on the Taurus Mountains in Southern Turkey. Econ Bot 62, 615–620 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-008-9023-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-008-9023-x