Before and after
Good forest practices in Turkey
Turkey has been working to improve the management and conservation of forest landscape sites for many years, to reverse the trend in the destruction of green spaces and forests. Mediterranean forests and woodlands are among the most vulnerable forest ecosystems on earth and they are increasingly exposed to risks related to drastic land use changes and climate change. Preventing deforestation is key to protecting, managing and restoring Mediterranean forest landscapes of high ecological value in the face of global change. Over the last 14 years, major forestry activities in Turkey have included afforestation, combating erosion, improvement of degraded forest areas and pastures. As we can see in these before and after photos, Turkey’s efforts in reforestation have contributed to the integrity and resilience of Mediterranean landscapes.
Nesat Erkan, Forestry Faculty, Bursa Technical University – nesaterkan@yahoo.com
Osman Yöntem, VI Regional Directorate of Nature Protection and National Parks, Burdur, Turkey – osmanyontem@gmail.com
and Selin Devranoglu, WWF Turkey, Focal Point for the Ermenek-Konia Medforval site – selin.devranoglu@gmail.com
Photo: 1980-2015 Boyabat-Sinop © Hikmet Kaya, Aykut Ince (Turkish General Directorate of Forestry)
4 April 2020