Landscape, demographic developments, biodiversity, and sustainable land use strategy: a case study on karaburun peninsula izmir, turkey

The variability of natural characteristics, social and historical aspects, and land use in Karaburun Peninsula led us to choose it in order to determine the possible impacts on the biodiversity and landscape fragmentation. More than 50% of the area is covered with forests and maquis. Mainly, remotely sensed data together with ancillary data-maps, statistics, and local information were used to refine interpretation and the assignment of the study area into the categories of the CORINE Land Cover Nomenclature. Several ground control points using global positioning systems were determined during field observations. Distribution characteristics of dominant plant communities and accompanying taxa were recorded by using GPS. The objective of this pilot study was to contribute to landscape management for environmental security based on ecological indicators. Attempts have been made to provide guidelines for the inhabitants of the peninsula towards sustainable development on socio-ecological basis.

Keywords: Karaburun Peninsula; land use; CORINE LC classification; environmental security