The word "biodiversity" is a contracted version of "biological diversity". The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as: "The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems" (1).
Biodiversity of Turkey
Turkey is at the intersection of three biogeographic hotspots (Caucasus, Mediterranean and Irano-Anatolian). Thus often variable climatic and geographic features generate a rich biodiversity.
The number of spineless animal species in Turkey is approximately 19000 and 4000 of them is endemic for Turkey, at the same time more than 100 species of 1500 vertabrate is endemic in Turkey.
The endemism rate increases in plants. While whole Europe has 12500 plant species (Both Angiospermae and Gymnospermae), Turkey has 11000 plant species and one-third of them is endemic for Turkey.
Mount IDA
Mount Ida (Turkish: Kazdağı, pronounced [kazdaːɯ], meaning "Goose Mountain", Kaz Dağları, or Karataş Tepesi) is a mountain in northwestern Turkey, southeast of the ruins of Troy, along the north coast of the Gulf of Edremit. The name Mount Ida is the ancient one.
Geography of Mount IDA
Mount Ida is lightly populated upland massif of about 700 km² located to the north of Edremit. A number of small villages in the region are connected by paths. Drainage is mainly to the south, into the Gulf of Edremit, also known as Edremit Bay, where the coast is rugged and is known as "the Olive Riviera.". However, the Karamenderes River (the ancient Scamander) flows from the other side of Mount Ida to the west. Its valley under Kaz Dağları has been called "the Vale of Troy" by English speakers. Currently a modest 2.4 km² of Mount Ida are protected by Kaz Dağı National Park, created in 1993.
The summit is windswept and bare with a relatively low tree line due to exposure, but the slopes of this mountain, at the edge of mild Mediterranean and colder central Anatolian climate zones, hold a wealth of endemic flora, marooned here after the Ice Age. The climate at lower altitudes has become increasingly hot and dry in the deforested landscape. The dry period lasts from May to October. Rainfall averages between 631 and 733 mm per year. The mean annual temperature is 15.7 degrees Celsius, with diurnal temperatures as high as 43.7 degrees Celsius in Edremit. The forests on the upper slopes consist mainly of Turkish Fir (Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani; considered by some botanists to be a distinct species Abies equi-trojani) (2).
 |
| Map of Mount IDA (2). |
Biodiversity of Mount IDA
Mount IDA is an important area with 32 endemic plant species, such as Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojana, Hypericum kazdaghensis, Digitalis trojana, Astragalus idea, Ferulago idaea, Galium trojanum and Sideritis trojana.
And also Mount IDA has many predatory and forest birds such as Sitta krueperi, Aquila chrysaetos and Falco peregrinus. Mount IDA also has Rhinolophus mehelyi, Myotis cappaccinii and Myotis emarginatus bat species which are globally important. Capoeta bergamae is also globally endangered inland water fish which lives in Mount IDA.
Mount Ida, both have excellent habitat areas, and hosted numerous flora and fauna richness one of the most important (maybe the most) biodiversity hotpoint in Europe. Protecting this area is the duty of all of us.
Kaan HÜRKAN, M.Sc.
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University
Biology Department
References
(1) http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biodiversity?topic=49480
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ida_(Turkey)#cite_note-0
No comments:
Post a Comment