Landscape of Vulnerability: Forest Cover Change and Fragmentation in Istanbul, Turkey
XXIV IUFRO 2014 World Congress "Sustaining Forests, Sustaining People: The Role of Research", Salt Lake Utah, United States Of America, 5 - 11 October 2014, vol.16, no.5, pp.510, (Summary Text)
- Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
- Volume: 16
- City: Salt Lake Utah
- Country: United States Of America
- Page Numbers: pp.510
- Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Because of its unique location between Asia and Europe, İstanbul is suffering from significantly increasing consumption rates and population growth that have caused great changes in land use, land cover, and new land use types which are not harmonious with the environment and forest areas of the city. The city scale landscape and forest areas are significantly impacted by human environment interaction in Istanbul, and consequently, rapid change in forest habitats have occurred. In this study, a GIS based system is executed and presented to identify the land use changes and evaluate the forest change and forest cover fragmentation by using Landsat images between the years of 1987, 2006, and 2013. Changes in landscape patterns, habitat fragmentation, habitat quality, and forest corridor alternatives between these fragmented habitats are analyzed by the system. Based on these analyses, some recommendations are discussed for forest landscape planning and management for sustainability of forest habitats and wildlife.