title: Establishing ecological networks for habitat conservation in the case of Çeşme-Urla Peninsula, Turkey.
abstract: The study involves the Çeşme-Urla Peninsula, where habitat fragmentation and loss, which threaten biological diversity, have become an urgent matter of concern in recent decades. The study area has been subjected to anthropogenic pressures and alterations due to ongoing and impending land uses. Therefore, ecological networks, as an appropriate way to deal with habitat fragmentation and loss and to improve ecological quality, were identified in the study area as one of the early attempts in the country to maintain its rich biodiversity. In this sense, core areas and ecological linkages as primary components of ecological networks were established on the basis of sustaining natural habitats. A GIS-based model was created to identify core areas and to facilitate the ecological connectivity. The modeling process for core areas and corridors combined 14 and 21 different variables, respectively. The variables were used as environmental inputs in the model, and all analyses were materialized in ArcGIS 9.2 using grid functions of image analysis and spatial analyst modules. As a result, six core areas and 36 corridor alternatives were materialized. Furthermore, some recommendations for the implementation and management of the proposed ecological networks were revealed and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, 35100, Bornova Izmir, Turkey. cigdemcn@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ciğdem Coşkun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hepcan
authors.forename: Mehmet Bülent
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ozkan
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D014421:Turkey
references.citation: Environ Manage. 2000 Nov;26(5):479-89
references.pmid: 10982726
references.citation: Conserv Biol. 2007 Dec;21(6):1414-22
references.pmid: 18173465
references.citation: Conserv Biol. 2007 Dec;21(6):1433-44
references.pmid: 18173467
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2008 Jun 7;275(1640):1297-304
references.pmid: 18319213