Turkey has many different types of trees and biodiversity, but unfortunately, we are losing them one by one.
Forests are significant for nature because trees provide clean and fresh air; trees absorb and store carbon. Therefore, this slows down climate change. Carbon accumulation causes many harmful events, such as global warming. In addition, another reason is that trees prevent soil erosion. Because of soil erosion, habitats can’t progress. Moreover, many plants and animals shelter in forests. Plants and animals maintain the balance of nature.
In recent years, there have been many forest fires and destruction in Turkey, and there are many different reasons.
Why Is There Forest Destruction in Turkey?
One of the biggest reasons is forest fires. Forest fires can be caused by careless human activities, such as throwing cigarette butts and starting campfires. Also, climate change causes natural disasters, such as lightning strikes, drought, and prolonged warmth. Moreover, forests are sometimes intentionally burned because some people want to establish new buildings, like tourist hotels. In addition, another factor is electric lines, as sparks can be a reason for forest fires.
Another significant reason is tree cutting. Forests are damaged to establish cultivated areas, build greenhouses, or construct new houses. Some people in Turkey only think about becoming rich and don’t care about anything except money. Therefore, they engage in harmful activities.
Some examples from regions in Turkey: in the Mediterranean region, forests are damaged by wildfires. One of the reasons for this is extreme drought. In the Black Sea region, mining and HES projects damage forests. In the Aegean and Marmara regions, forests are destroyed to establish settlements and farming.
THEIR EFFECTS ON BIODIVERSITY
Unfortunately, biodiversity decreases because of deforestation. Many animals die in burned forests, or they are forced to escape. However, when they escape, they often can’t find food, water, or shelter. For example, in the summer of 2021, major forest fires occurred in Muğla and Antalya. As a result, thousands of red pine trees were burned, and Caretta sea turtles, squirrels, wild boars, and butterflies lost their lives.
Therefore, most species are becoming extinct. As a result, it takes a long time for forests to recover.
Photo Credits
Featured Image: https://www.scope3.co/the-link-between-deforestation-net-zero-and-scope-3-emissions/
Photo 1: https://www.scope3.co/the-link-between-deforestation-net-zero-and-scope-3-emissions/