Evaluating urbanization, fragmentation and land use/land cover change pattern in Istanbul city, Turkey from 1971 TO 2002 | Zendy

Çakir G. | Zendy; Ün C. | Zendy; Baskent E. Z. | Zendy; Köse S. | Zendy; Sivrikaya F. | Zendy; Keleş S. | Zendy

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Evaluating urbanization, fragmentation and land use/land cover change pattern in Istanbul city, Turkey from 1971 TO 2002

Author(s) -

Çakir G.,

Ün C.,

Baskent E. Z.,

Köse S.,

Sivrikaya F.,

Keleş S.

Publication year - 2008

Publication title -

land degradation and development

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403

H-Index - 81

eISSN - 1099-145X

pISSN - 1085-3278

DOI - 10.1002/ldr.859

Subject(s) - urbanization , geography , reforestation , land cover , land use , biodiversity , sustainability , population , environmental resource management , ecosystem services , fragmentation (computing) , ecosystem , physical geography , forestry , ecology , environmental science , demography , sociology , biology

Spatiotemporal analysis of landscape dynamics is crucial in formulating an appropriate set of actions in landscape management. This paper presents a large scale analysis of the spatiotemporal structure of Istanbul, a highly urbanized city in Turkey, from 1971 to 2002 using forest cover type maps analysed with geographical information systems (GIS) and a spatial statistics programme. The quantitative evidence indicated that increasing population and expanding urbanization caused drastic changes to the temporal and spatial dynamics of land use/land cover pattern in Istanbul. There was a net increase of 5387·3 ha in total forested areas (1·0 per cent) due to mainly reforestation activities even though the population increased three times over a 31‐year period. Increase in number of patches and decrease in mean patch size together demonstrated that the landscape developed into a more fragmented structure that would negatively affect biodiversity and the resilience of the ecosystems. In conclusion, plain increase in forest areas may not always be a favourable situation. The quality, composition and the configuration of forest landscape should also be analysed to present the dynamics of ecosystem in terms of ecological and economical sustainability over a longer time and larger area. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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