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. Introduction Ecology is the scientific study of the interaction between organisms (vegetation and fauna) and their natural environment. Ecology examines the relationships between organisms belonging to both the same and different taxonomic groups and between those organisms and their physical environmental circumstances. In nature there are close relationships between climate, organisms (especially vegetation), and soil, topography and parent materials. Ecosystems are discrete units that consists of living and non-living elements parts; the specific spatial unit where all these interact and form stable systems. Geographers are interested in the ecology and ecosystem studies in order to establish and understanding of the divisions of the natural environments, considering biotic and abiotic factors. Ecosystem study is very important in the assessment of bio-geographical conditions, and to put forward an understanding of the positive potentials and problems of the natural environment. This research contributes valuable data and knowledge for decision makers and the local authorities for the planning of agricultural, forest, water management, and land use, and other related activities. The other aim of this study is to illuminate the ecological properties of Turkey's Mediterranean regions and its mountainous hinterland and to take a comparative look at other countries in the Mediterranean region. Methods and Materials In order to establish the ecosystem or ecoregion of the study area, biome criteria, such as zonobiome, zonoecotone, orobiome are used. It is commonly known that biomes of mixed community of plants and animals (a biotic community) occupy any major geographical area on a continental scale. Each biome is characterized by a similarity of vegetation International Symposium on Geography Environment and Culture in the Mediterranean Region structure or physiognomy rather than by similarity of species composition, and is this factor is usually related to climate. Within a particular biome the plants and animals are regarded as being well adopted to each other and to broadly similar environmental conditions, especially climate. Both climax vegetation and sereal communities are represented. A group of biomes in which plant and animal communities exhibit similar adaptations form a biome type . A zonobiome is characterized by main climatic regions like equatorial, Mediterranean, subequatorial, temperate, and cold climatic regions. Zonoecotone is the transitional region extending between two main climatic zones. A zonoecotone is an area of ecological tension over which one type of vegetation is gradually replaced by another, e.g., deciduous forests by steppes. For example the northern part of the Mediterranean region is the transitional region between the Mediterranean climate and Inner Anatolian continental climate. For that reason the Mediterranean Transitional Region contains both Mediterranean vegetation such as Pinus brutia and maquis vegetation, and the Inner Anatolian region, dry forest and steppe vegetation. Orobiomes. Owing to the presence of mountains, the zonobiome can be divided vertically as well as horizontally, and this has to be considered three dimensions. Mountains differ climatically from the climate of the zones from which they rise and must be considered separately. For example the Taurus Mountains in the Mediterranean region form another biome which is termed an “orobiome” due to the decrease of temperature which means a reduction in the vegetation period with increasing altitude. In the mountain ranges above 1000 meters, cedar, fir and black pine forests appear. Above 2000 meters on these mountain ranges a subalpine meadow region begins. For this reason, the Taurus Mountains can be divided vertically into three zones. Pedobiomes . Exceptional situations within a zonobiome are also presented by areas with extreme types of soil and azonal vegetation. In zonobiome or orobiome a place may contain harmful substances such as salt. Thus, in such areas, the vegetation may differ from that which is typical of the zonobiome. The vegetation of the pedobiomes is influenced to a greater extent by the soil than by the climate. Pedobiomes are designated according to soil type: lithobiomes (stony soil), psammobiomes (sandy soil), halobiomes (salty soil), helobiomes (moor or swamp soils), hydrobiomes (soil covered with water), peniobiomes (soils poor of deficient in nutriments), etc. For example sand deposits occurring from place- to-place along the coastal belt of Mediterranean Sea support only the growth of psammophylls such as stone pine ( Pinus pinea ). In the present study, climatic data was obtained from the Meteorology Service of Turkey. Information on parent material, soil, and vegetation was gathered through the authors’ field study. The criteria used in dividing ecosystem were taken from Atalay's Ecoregions of Turkey (2002). In the introduction of the ecosystem, firstly the abiotic factors i.e. parent material, climate, soil and topography are examined and then the relationships between the vegetation cover and abiotic factors are assessed. I. The Mediterranean Zonobiome This zonobiome which corresponds to a Mediterranean climate prevails in the regions of SW part of Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean. The Mediterranean climatic region begins at the Biga Peninsula in the NW, to the extends Aegean region in the west and the Mediterranean region in the south of Turkey. An pure Mediterranean climate prevails in the coastal belts of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Zonobiome in the study area encompasses the southern part of the Taurus Mountains. It begins at the sea level and goes to the highest parts of the mountains. The relative altitude between the sea level and the upper part of the mountains is more than 2000 meters. A. Subregions of Mediterranean Zonobiome. Altitude, special soil, hydrologic and parent material conditions is responsible for the dividing into different ecosystem and/or habitats in this region. The subregions include the Lower Subregion, the Mediterranean Mountain Forest Subregion, and the Mediterranean Mountain Grass Steppe Subregion. International Symposium on Geography Environment and Culture in the Mediterranean Region 1. The Lower Subregion of the Mediterranean Zonobiome. This subregion covers the coastal belt of the Mediterranean region. It begins at the sea level and continues up to 800-1200 meters on the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains. This subregion is the main area for the occurrence of red pine forests. a. The General Ecological Properties of the Mediterranean Zonobiome. The general ecological properties of the Mediterranean zonobiome include parent materials, the topography, the climate, the soil, and vegetation. Parent Materials. In terms of parent materials, the Taurus Mountains having a typical orogenic belt within the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic range contain mostly carbonate rocks with ophiolitic series containing ultrabasic rocks such as serpentine-peridotite. Very thick mesozoic comprehensive limestones which are very rich in karstic landforms such as polje or karstic plain, doline, sinkhole are found. The Tertiary sedimentary rocks mostly composed of soft limestone, marly and clayey stones, sandstone and conglomerate are widespread along the eastern coastal belt and tectonic corridors. Travertine deposits overlaying the Miocene sediment are common on the northern part of Antalya Gulf. Topography. In terms of topography, the Taurus Mountains, covering almost all part of Turkey’s Mediterranean region rise abruptly along the cost of the sea, and their summits exceed 3000 meters in altitude. The karstic land of the Taurus Mountains

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