Structural and Distributional Evaluation of Forest Ecosystems in Turkey

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Structural and Distributional Evaluation of Forest Ecosystems in Turkey Journal of Environmental Biology January 2010, 31, 61-70 (2010) ©Triveni Enterprises, Lucknow (India) For personal use only Free paper downloaded from: ww w. jeb.co.in Commercial distribution of this copy is illegal Structural and distributional evaluation of forest ecosystems in Turkey Ibrahim Atalay 1 and Recep Efe* 2 1Department of Geography, Buca Faculty of Education, Dokuz Eylul University, 35150, Buca, Izmir, Turkey 2Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Balikesir University, 10145, Balikesir, Turkey (Received: February 15, 2009; Revised received: May 20, 2009; Accepted: September 10, 2009) Abstract: Turkey has very rich ecosystems and habitats in which various types of vegetation communities and fauna are found. These properties of Turkey depend on its geographical position, different climatic region, mountainous topographical conditions and climatic changes occurred during the Pleistocene. Several field works have been conducted during the period of 1975-2008. The field observations and analyses of data reveal that Turkey’s forests can be divided into six main forest ecosystems (Black sea region, Marmara transitional region, Mediterranean region, Mediterranean transitional region, Inner and Eastern anatolian region, Southern anatolian region) in terms of floristic composition, forest productivity and climatic properties. Key words: Forest ecosystem, Turkey, Black Sea region, Miditerranean region PDF of full length paper is available online * Corresponding author: [email protected] Introduction humid and cold humid climates. Mediterranean climate prevails in Turkey possesses a rich variety of vegetation due to its the western and southern part of the Turkey. Continental climate geomorphologic features and vaieties of ecological conditions. prevails in the inner and eastern part of Turkey (Atalay et al ., 2008; Turkey is located at the intersection of phytogeographic regions of Ozturk et al ., 2008; Atalay and Efe, 2008). Turkey has various soil Mediterranean, Euro-Siberian and Irano-Turanian (Atalay, 1994, types due to the diffrent climatic regimes, landforms, parent material. 2002; Guner et al ., 2000; Yilmaz et al ., 2003). Their distinctive Geomorphological features and climatic variations produce major vegetation reflects differences in climate, geology, topography, soils contrasts in soil types between the interior and the periphery. and floristic diversity and human impact. Ninety percent of the forests Spodosols occur mainly in the mountainous areas in the northern in Turkey are ‘natural’ in origin and contain over 450 species of Turkey which is favourable to the growth of forest formation including trees and shrubs (Kayacik and Yaltirik, 1971; Akman, 1995; Colak both decidious and conferous forests. Alfisols occur on the karstic and Rotherham, 2006). Turkey has 21.2 million ha of forest, covering land on the Mediterranean cost. Aridisols are characteristic of the 27% of the land surface of the country. Most of these forests occur driest parts of the country, mainly in the semiarid zones of southeast in the mountains. About, 53.3% of the forests in Turkey are composed Anatolia and central Anatolia. Broad-leaved deciduous forests and of broadleaf species, 42%of coniferous species and 4.5% mixed humid-cold coniferous forests occur on the asidic soils on the northern coniferous and broadleaf forests (Louis, 1939; Mayer and Aksoy, Anatolia (Atalay, 1994). This paper reviews the structural and 1986). Furthermore, the mountainous landscapes of Turkey, with distributional features and ecology of the forests in Turkey. This their remarkable bioclimatic, geomorphological and pedological study is based on the published literature and extensive field diversity, support a great many different high mountain vegetation investigations to determine the existing ecological properties of the types (Ozturk et al ., 1991; Atalay, 2002; Parolly, 2004). forests. Turkey, which takes place on Alpine-Himalayan orogenic Materials and Methods belt has high and mountainous topography. There are two main The study was carried out all over Turkey and based on orogenic belts: Northern Anatolian Mountains in the north and Taurus mostly field investigations. Field studies were conducted several Mountains in the south. Isolated volcanic cones higher than 3000 m times in the years between 1975 and 2008. The forest management in altitude are found in the Inner and Eastern part of Anatolia. Horst maps also have also been used to determine the distribution of and graben systems are common in the western and eastern species. Anatolia. Orogenic belts have been deeply dissected by the rivers flowing into seas. These various topographic forms are responsible Published books and scientific articles on forest vegetation for the formation of different habitats. Three main climatic types prevail in Turkey were reviewed. Meteorological data obtained from Turkish in Turkey. The northern part of the Anatolia is under the effect of State Meteorological Service were interpreted in order to determine Special Issue - Forest, Forestry and Environment in Turkey Journal of Environmental Biology January & March 2010 Guest Editor - Professor Dr. Munir Ozturk 62 Ibrahim Atalay and Recep Efe the effect of climate on the distribution of forests in Turkey. Linear begins at the seashore and continues as high as 1700 m. The tree vegetation transects lines were established in several areas along composition of these forests varies depending on altitude. Quercus the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea cost in order to find out the petrea ssp . iberica (Steven ex Bieb.) Krassilin, Castenea sativa impact of aspect. Various studies have been carried out in Turkey Mill., Acer leatum, Acer cappadocicum var. stenocarpum Yalt. , on the forests. These studies are mostly on forest management, and Zelkova carpinifolia (Pall. ) Dippel , Tilia spp. and Pterocarya botanics. A few ecological studies in different regions of Turkey fraxinifolia (Lam.) Spach. are other broadleaf species in the oriental were conducted (Atalay, 2002; Yaltirik, 1973; Mayer and Aksoy, 1986). beech forests especially on the altitudes between 500 and 1200 m. It has a rich broadleaf understory, including species such as Results and Discussion Rhododendron spp ., Laurocerasus officinalis Mill. , Ilex aquifolium The vegetation of Turkey is classified according to L., Hedera helix L. and Buxus sempervirens L. (Atalay, 1984; ecoregions and biomes. Main climatic conditions and the dominanttree Atalay, 1992b). species were taken into consideration in the classification of the On the other hand, oriental spruce, Picea orientalis ( L.) forest formations. On the other hand, each phytogeographical region Link. becomes dominant species at an elevation of 1200 to 1500 m. fits the main zonobiomes or main climatic regions. Climate Besides pure oriental beech forests, the other mixed forests geomorphology and aspect influence the distribution of the vegetation. combination of beech and oriental spruce; Fagus orientalis Lipsy+ The mountainous regions form a separate ecological environment Picea orientalis ( L.) Link. + Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. subsp. and altitudinal belts are common along the mountains. The forest of barbata (C.A.Mey.) Yalt.; Fagus orientalis Lipsy + Castanea sativa Turkey can be divided into six main ecoregions (Atalay, 2002; Mill; Fagus orientalis Lipsy, Castanea sativa Mill + Tilia rubra D.C. Atalay and Efe, 2008). subsp caucasica (Rupr.); Fagus orientalis Lipsy + Abies (I) Forests of Black Sea region: Black Sea ecoregion extends nordmanniana (Link.) Spach.; and Abies nordmanniana (Link.) from Istiranca Mountains in the west to the Artvin, Georgian border Spach.+ Fagus orientalis Lipsy+ Picea orientalis ( L.) Link are found. in the east. Black Sea region that characterized by mild-humid and They have a rich understory of ferns and vines (Atalay, 1994, cold-humid climates prevail in the north of Turkey. The mean annual 2002). temperature varies between 14 to 10 oC along the coastal belt up to Middle Black sea region: The natural forest of the subregion is 1000 m. The average temperature is about 10-6 oC between 1000 deteriorated and degraded considerably due to densely populated and 2000 m. The eastern part of the region is highly humid with an rural settlements. Productive Fagus orientalis Lipsky forests are average of 1,500-2,500 mm annual precipitation. The western part common on the upper part of the Canik mountains in the vicinity of of the region is less humid and receives between 1,000 and 1,500 Akkus. Oriental beech forests occupy the southern part of Bafra mm of average annual precipitation. All seasons are rainy but the district is composed of Castanea sativa Mill. , Alnus glutinosa (L.) amount of the rainfall of the seasons varies. The mean annual Gaertn. subsp. barbata (C.A.Mey.) Yalt. , Alnus glutinosa ssp. precipitation is over 1000 mm and humid and perhumid climatic glutinosa Mill. , Prunus spp. and Carpinus betulus L. The understory conditions prevail in the region. But, these semiarid subhumid of such forests covered by mainly thick vegetation composed of conditions are dominant in the valleys such as Çoruh, Gökirmak, Rhododendron spp. Kelkit and Devrez which are located backward section of the region. The most arid part of the region is the Yusufeli district and its vicinity Western Black sea subregion: Coastal mountain ranges, deeply in the Çoruh valley. During the summer period the northern slopes dissected river valleys such as Gökirmak, Devrez and backward of the
Recommended publications
  • Armenia, Republic of | Grove
    Grove Art Online Armenia, Republic of [Hayasdan; Hayq; anc. Pers. Armina] Lucy Der Manuelian, Armen Zarian, Vrej Nersessian, Nonna S. Stepanyan, Murray L. Eiland and Dickran Kouymjian https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T004089 Published online: 2003 updated bibliography, 26 May 2010 Country in the southern part of the Transcaucasian region; its capital is Erevan. Present-day Armenia is bounded by Georgia to the north, Iran to the south-east, Azerbaijan to the east and Turkey to the west. From 1920 to 1991 Armenia was a Soviet Socialist Republic within the USSR, but historically its land encompassed a much greater area including parts of all present-day bordering countries (see fig.). At its greatest extent it occupied the plateau covering most of what is now central and eastern Turkey (c. 300,000 sq. km) bounded on the north by the Pontic Range and on the south by the Taurus and Kurdistan mountains. During the 11th century another Armenian state was formed to the west of Historic Armenia on the Cilician plain in south-east Asia Minor, bounded by the Taurus Mountains on the west and the Amanus (Nur) Mountains on the east. Its strategic location between East and West made Historic or Greater Armenia an important country to control, and for centuries it was a battlefield in the struggle for power between surrounding empires. Periods of domination and division have alternated with centuries of independence, during which the country was divided into one or more kingdoms. Page 1 of 47 PRINTED FROM Oxford Art Online. © Oxford University Press, 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Going with the Flow of the Ancient Rivers Tracing the Early Mesopotamian Civilizatons
    GOING WITH THE FLOW OF THE ANCIENT RIVERS TRACING THE EARLY MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATONS Private tours of the most important archaeological projects Friday, August 23rd - Friday, September 6th (14 Nights, 15 Days) A journey filled with history, nature, and the legend of the rushing waters of the Orontes, Euphrates and the Tigris’s quieter flow... Antioch, Zeugma, Göbekli Tepe, Tur Abdin and the colourful, authentic bazaars of the Southeast of Turkey. Antioch, city of the artistic and faithful. Zeugma, the world’s largest mosaic museum, surpasses even the Bardo of Tunis and the Antakya Museum in the ancient city of Antioch. A great mystery lies behind Göbeklitepe. What makes it unique is not the size or beauty of the monuments, but the date when they were built, roughly twelve thousand years ago! The bustling and colourful markets are where one experiences the heart and soul of the Southeast cities which lie between the Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. The trade routes from the east, west and north that pass that intersect these cities have determined the history of the region’s civilization and its cultural development. Day 1 Istanbul Special category hotel Guests are met by a Peten Travels tour manager at the Atatürk Airport and then transferred to their hotel. That evening will be spent meeting your fellow travellers along with your guides while enjoying a drink and sit down dinner. (D) Day 2 Fly to Antioch Savon Hotel (special category) Travelling distance: 30 km~19 miles After breakfast we take the morning flight to Antioch (Antakya) where we will spend three nights.
    [Show full text]
  • Climatic Preferences and Distribution of 6 Evolutionary Lineages of Typhlops Vermicularis Merrem, 1820 in Turkey Using Ecological Niche Modeling
    Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2015) 39: 235-243 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Research Article doi:10.3906/zoo-1311-9 Climatic preferences and distribution of 6 evolutionary lineages of Typhlops vermicularis Merrem, 1820 in Turkey using ecological niche modeling 1, 2 2 Serkan GÜL *, Yusuf KUMLUTAŞ , Çetin ILGAZ 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, Izmir, Turkey Received: 04.11.2013 Accepted: 16.07.2014 Published Online: 27.02.2015 Printed: 27.03.2015 Abstract: According to evolutionary biologists, ecology is a very important factor in speciation. Ecology may be effective at driving adaptive divergence between lineages in different environments and climatic conditions. Because Anatolia has major mountain belts, paleogeographic characteristics, and unique climatic traits, it plays an important role in speciation and shows a barrier effect for many terrestrial species. In this study, we investigated the climatic preferences of 6 isolated evolutionary lineages of Typhlops vermicularis in Anatolia using ecological niche modeling. Our results revealed that both glacial (Last Glacial Maximum) and interglacial (Last Interglacial) modeling, as well as current modeling, showed the most important climatic variables that potentially limit the spread of 6 major lineages of T. vermicularis throughout all of Anatolia. In addition, our results revealed that 6 lineages of T. vermicularis could be adapted to different climatic conditions. Finally, our study demonstrates the unique climatic importance of Anatolia as a center for the local diversification of T. vermicularis. Key words: Climate, ecological niche modeling, Last Glacial Maximum, Last Interglacial, Reptilia, Turkey, Typhlops vermicularis 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The National Biological Diversity Strategy and Action Plan 2007
    THE NATIONAL BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN 2007 The National Biological Diversity Strategy and Action Plan Prepared by Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and Forestry General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks Department of Nature Conservation National Focal Point of Convention on Biological Diversity ISBN: 978-605-393-030-3 © All rights reserved by Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and Forestry Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and Forestry General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks Department of Nature Conservation National Focal Point of Convention on Biological Diversity Söğütözü Cad. 14/E 14. Kat Beştepe/Ankara Phone: 0312 207 60 61-62 Fax: 0312 207 58 91 Web: www.cbd.gov.tr Web: www.cevreorman.gov.tr Graphic design Abdullah Dalkılıç Press Tasarım Ofset 1st Press / Ankara 2008 Phone: 0312 384 75 04 Living resources, which are important in terms of food and agriculture and which are steadily decreasing, are counted today among the important advantages a country may possess. The arable lands and water resources of the world are rapidly becoming polluted and disappearing. Scientists think that mankind will in the near future be faced with a serious shortage of water and food. In the light of these developments, the biological diversity of a country is becoming a major strength, especially in terms of genetic resources. As a country that has vital resources for people’s food security. Turkey is one of the fortunate countries of the world from the viewpoint of biological diversity. This considerable wealth both offers our country economic opportunities and imposes upon it the responsibility to establish a conservation- utilization balance.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mountain Ecology of the Taurus Mountains and Its Effects on Nomadism
    TÜCAUM 30. Yıl Uluslararası Coğrafya Sempozyumu International Geography Symposium on the 30th Anniversary of TUCAUM 3-6 Ekim 2018 /3-6 October 2018, Ankara The Mountain Ecology of the Taurus Mountains and Its Effects on Nomadism Toros dağlarının ekolojisi ve nomadizm üzerindeki etkileri İbrahim Atalay*1, Sevda Altunbaş2, Ashfak Ahmad Khan1 and Mücahit Coşkun1 1Department of Geography, Karabük University, Karabük, Turkey 2Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey Abstract: In Taurus Mountains, orobiome and/or mountain environment is defined as the area covered by upper part of forest or oro-Mediterranean forest starting 1200m elevation and above the native timberline in terms of ecological conditions. Turkey, which is found in the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt, contains oro-forests and subalpine pasture areas. Taurus Mountains extending in the southern part of Mediterranean geographical region abruptly rise from the Mediterranean coast and climb up to 3500 m of elevation. Karstic topographic forms notably karstic depressions and plateau surfaces are common between the elevation of 1800 and 2200 m in Taurus Mountains. The south facing slopes of Taurus Mountains have been deeply dissected by the rivers flowing into Mediterranean Sea. Oro-mediterranean climate which is characterized with cool and seldom orographic rainfall summers and snowy and cold winters prevaisl. The southern high slopes of the Taurus Mountains get humid air mass coming from Mediterranean Sea leading fog and rainfall during summers and this situation creates humid conditions which is favourable for the growth of productive forest and herbaceous vegetation. Most of the Taurus Mountains are mainly composed of limestone belonging to Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Eocene periods.
    [Show full text]
  • HATAY GUIDE for Investors
    HATAY GUIDE For Investors www.dogaka.gov.tr Hatay Awaits Your Investments CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION ...............................................2 PROMINENT SECTORS IN HATAY PROVINCE..................4 AGRICULTURE ................................................................5 INDUSTRY.....................................................................10 CULTURE AND TOURISM ............................................25 ENERGY.......................................................................32 LOGISTICS....................................................................36 FOREIGN TRADE............................................................38 ONGOING PUBLIC INVESTMENTS IN HATAY ................41 WHY HATAY?.................................................................46 INCENTIVES AND SUPPORTS ......................................50 3 GENERAL INFORMATION General One of the earliest settlement areas in human history, Hatay is a province of fellow Information ship and tolerance, where different cultures and beliefs have existed from the past to the present and which hosted many civilizations. Earliest findings related to humans in the region date back to 100.000s B.C. Hatay remained within the boundaries of Syria with the agreement signed between Turkey and France in 1921, later and in 1938 State of Hatay was founded and in 23 July 1939 the state joined Turkey. Hatay is located in Southern Turkey, on the eastern shores of Gulf of Iskenderun. It is surrounded by the Mediterranean in the west, Syria in the south and east,
    [Show full text]
  • Harbor Settlement Patterns of the Second Millennium Bc in Cilicia and the Amuq
    HARBOR SETTLEMENT PATTERNS OF THE SECOND MILLENNIUM BC IN CILICIA AND THE AMUQ A Master’s Thesis by SEVİLAY ZEYNEP ORUÇ Department of Archaeology İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Ankara January 2013 To my family HARBOR SETTLEMENT PATTERNS OF THE SECOND MILLENNIUM BC IN CILICIA AND THE AMUQ The Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences of İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University by SEVİLAY ZEYNEP ORUÇ In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY İHSAN DOĞRAMACI BILKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA January 2013 I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in Archaeology. --------------------------------- Dr. Marie-Henriette Gates Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in Archaeology. --------------------------------- Dr. İlknur Özgen Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in Archaeology. --------------------------------- Dr. Ekin Kozal Examining Committee Member Approval of the Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences --------------------------------- Dr. Erdal Erel Director ABSTRACT HARBOR SETTLEMENT PATTERNS OF THE SECOND MILLENNIUM BC IN CILICIA AND THE AMUQ Oruç, Sevilay Zeynep M.A., Department of Archaeology Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marie-Henriette Gates January 2013 This thesis is a study on harbor settlement patterns in the northeastern Mediterranean of the second millennium BC based on geo-archaeological evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • Research Article
    NESciences, 2018, 3(2): 159-168 - RESEARCH ARTICLE - Analysing Sea Surface Temperature Change in Gulf of Iskenderun from 1982 to 2015 Mehmet Ugur Gucel, Abdulla Sakalli* Iskenderun Technical University, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Meydan Mah. 512 Sk. Iskenderun, Hatay Abstract Climate change is one of the major challenge for Earth Systems in this century. Since the Industrial revolution, energy demands of countries has been rapidly increased which also causes an accelerated burning fossil fuels and increased greenhouse gases emission (GHG) into the atmosphere. Sea surface temperature (SST) is a pointer of the water temperature, which mainly related to sea surface layer and also plays an important role for keeping the energy balance between atmosphere and marine ecosystems. Various studies show that surface temperature of the inner seas surface temperature is affected by anthropogenic climate change. Gulf of Iskenderun is located in the southeast Mediterranean region of Turkey. The Gulf is important mainly for its industrial facilities and thermal power stations of Turkey. Due to the Suez Canal and strait of Gibraltar the gulf has also very important meaning for migration of the alien species into the Mediterranean Sea. To investigate the sea surface temperature (SST) change in the Gulf of Iskenderun over the period of 1982-2015 we used remote sensed data, which have 4x4 km high spatial and daily temporal resolution. This data collected from Copernicus Marine Services which based on satellites Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Pathfinder Version 5.2 (PFV52). In the study period, the highest SST is determined in a JJA (June-July- August) season.
    [Show full text]
  • In Pursuit of Herds Or Land? Nomads, Peasants and Pastoral Economies in Anatolia from a Regional Perspective 1600-1645
    IN PURSUIT OF HERDS OR LAND? NOMADS, PEASANTS AND PASTORAL ECONOMIES IN ANATOLIA FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE 1600-1645 by ONUR USTA A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies School of History and Cultures University of Birmingham November 2016 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The documentary evidence used in this dissertation has been drawn from the Ottoman court records and it is complemented by the data derıved from the fiscal registers. This dissertation adopted a case-study approach to allow a deeper insight into the complexities of the rural history of Ottoman Anatolia in the first half of the seventeenth century. These complexities are more related to the methodological approaches which are based on the adaptation of the purported theories about ‘the general crisis of the seventeenth century’ to Ottoman history. Such misinterpretations put the contention that a set of social, economic and ecological challenges associated with the Little Ice Age put a lot of serious strains on the Ottoman state and society during the seventeenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ROLE of MEMORY in the HISTORIOGRAPHY of HATAY By
    THE ROLE OF MEMORY IN THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF HATAY by Esra DEMİRCİ AKYOL Submitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Sabancı University 2008 © Esra DEMİRCİ AKYOL 2008 All Rights Reserved 2 ABSTRACT Key Words: Hatay, Annexation, Memory, Oral History This thesis challenges the notion that historical events can be presented in a single way. The possibility,instead, of multiple historical narratives as a result of variations in ethnic and religious backgrounds is put forward via an ethnographic study conducted in Hatay,in 2007.Historically speaking, Hatay’s annexation to Turkey in 1939 is the end point in a series of events beginning as far back as World War I. French occupation of the region by the aftermath of World War I, and years of control by the French mandate regime were effective on shaping the ethno-religiously diverse groups of the city. Claims of Turks, French and Arabs on the region were accompanied by diplomatic relations at the state level. In the course of these events, the people in Hatay developed unique strategies to engineer the best outcome for themselves. Thus, every group experienced and stored the past in a different manner. With the aim of revealing such variation in memory and interpretations of the past, ten oral interviews were conducted with a critical reading of sources. Juxtaposition of the memories and the written sources displayed significant differences in representations of the past. In addition to the nature of the transmission of collective memories, present social, economic, and political conditions effected how people reconstructed the past.
    [Show full text]
  • Postcard from the Turkey-Syria Border by Andrew Li, M.D and Salma Shabaik, M.D. Andrew Li, M.D., Is Currently a General Surgery
    Postcard from the Turkey-Syria Border by Andrew Li, M.D and Salma Shabaik, M.D. Andrew Li, M.D., is currently a general surgery resident at Harbor UCLA Medical Center (expected date of graduation 2015). His wife, Salma Shabaik, M.D., is a family medicine attending who spent part of her training at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine (Spring 2012). After hearing about the horrors of violence in Syria, the two decided to get involved in the struggle by volunteering their time and skills to those injured in the conflict. Andrew and Salma visited the Turkey-Syria border in late 2012 and treated war refugees seeking medical care. Here is their postcard from their four-day experience. The Syrian revolution has created a network of grassroots activists from Syria, neighboring countries and the west, that is trying to alleviate the suffering created by the Assad regime. Our journey began on Nov. 8 in Antioch, Turkey with Dr. Ahmed, a 29 year-old Syrian veterinarian, whose last name is being withheld for his safety. He arranges medical care for those near the Turkey-Syria border and coordinates international physician volunteers. We piled our supplies and ourselves into Dr. Ahmed’s tiny Saipa, parked in front of our Turkish hotel. The 45 minute drive south towards the border was stark, flat and dusty. “Look there,” Dr. Ahmed pointed at a small Turkish village tucked at the feet of the austere Nur Mountains. “Five people died there from Syrian shelling.” The rest of the drive was silent. Andrew examines a 19 year-old spinal cord injury patient complaining of nausea and abdominal distention.
    [Show full text]
  • Atalay, Efe Med
    International Symposium on Geography Environment and Culture in the Mediterranean Region ECOREGIONS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA AND THE LAKES REGION OF TURKEY İbrahim ATALAY, Recep EFE Abstract The Mediterranean climate prevailing on the coastal belt of the Mediterranean Sea undergoes to change toward the inner part of the Anatolia in accordance with the increase of altitude, mountain range barriers, the tectonic structure of the region, and tectonic-karstic depressions. Continentality also plays a critical role in the micro-climates that prevail across the various eco-regions. This study is focused the division of ecosystems, depending on climate and topographic effects. Two main eco-regions are established: 1) The Mediterranean zonobiome, and 2) the Mediterranean transitional biome, extending between the Mediterranean zonobiome and 3) Inner Anatolian Continental zonobiome that can be called the zonoecotone. The Mediterranean zonobiome, which covers the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains that abruptly rise on the coastal belt of Mediterranean Sea, is divided into orobiomes, pedobiomes, hydrobiome, etc. In this zonobiome, the main bio-graphical occurrences are the red pine ( Pinus brutia ) and maquis vegetation. The Mediterranean orobiome starts after the Pinus brutia forests and rises up to 2000 meters in altitude on which cedar, Taurus fir and black pine grow. The second orobiome is mountain grass areas containing subalpine grass and some steppe vegetation. The Mediterranean Transitional Region covers the backward section or the northern part of the Taurus Mountains built on a tectonic structure and on tectonic-karstic depressions on which alluvial plains and lakes occur. This region is divided into the bottom of the tectonic depression and the orobiomes with forest and subalpine orobiomes, and hydrobiomes surrounding of the lakes.
    [Show full text]