07.06.2014 Views

Ramsar Sites of Turkey - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Ramsar Sites of Turkey - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Ramsar Sites of Turkey - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

strepera), pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), red-crested pochard (Netta rufina),<br />

ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), greater<br />

sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), comm<strong>on</strong> pranticole (Glareola pratincola), spurwinged<br />

lapwing (Vanellus spinosus), gull-billed tern (Sterna nilotica), little tern (Sterna<br />

albifr<strong>on</strong>s), whiskered tern (Chlid<strong>on</strong>ias hybridus), great-crested grebe (Podiceps<br />

cristatus), little bittern (Ixobrychus minutes), graylag goose (Anser anser), comm<strong>on</strong> teal<br />

(Anas crecca), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), garganey (Anas querquedula), comm<strong>on</strong><br />

pochard (Aythya ferina), Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), tern (Sterna hirundo), black-bellied<br />

sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), slander billed gull<br />

(Larus genei) and black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) are the other important<br />

bird species brooding in the site.<br />

In the last records from the regi<strong>on</strong>, almost 1500 pairs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> flamingos are known to brood<br />

<strong>on</strong> the islands in Lake Yay in 1970.<br />

Some bird clusters reach large numbers during migrati<strong>on</strong> seas<strong>on</strong>. The total bird number<br />

exceeds half a milli<strong>on</strong> in September and Octobers, the gathering period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> birds.<br />

About 185.000 flamingos were counted in Lake Yay in September 1997. This is the<br />

highest number observed outright so far.<br />

Mammals<br />

21 mammal species are recorded in Sultan Marshes. Lesser mole rat (Nannospalax<br />

leucod<strong>on</strong>) and European marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) am<strong>on</strong>g these species are<br />

listed in IUCN Red List vulnerable category;; gray dwarf hamster (Cricetulus migratorius)<br />

is categorized as least c<strong>on</strong>cern/threatened in the same list.<br />

CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS<br />

Past and Present Land Use<br />

Though there are no known historically and archeologically significant places and<br />

remnants within the boundaries <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> site, people inhabiting in the<br />

envir<strong>on</strong>ments <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sultan Marshes has used it for settlement, grazing and agricultural<br />

activities for ages. Young sedge <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fshoots are used as fodder and old sedge plants as the<br />

ro<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> material <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> houses. Local people have organized a sustainable management system<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> their own understanding c<strong>on</strong>cerning the ecosystems they live in and use. The land use<br />

in the site, however, began to change as a result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the interventi<strong>on</strong>s started in 1950<br />

under the Land Reform. Following the land registry and cadastre works in 1968-1972,<br />

local people were given the competency to use, c<strong>on</strong>trol and manage their own lands. The<br />

competency <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> determining and c<strong>on</strong>trolling the land use methods <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lands in Sultan<br />

Marshes have been handed over to the state authority when the site was given a legal<br />

protecti<strong>on</strong> status in 1971.<br />

NATURAL RESOURCE USE<br />

57 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the people living in Sultan Marshes and immediates own agriculture lands<br />

and 66.1 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> them are occupied with livestock producti<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Agriculture<br />

12

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!