AVALANCHE CONTROL ACTIVITIES IN TURKEY

State of Forests in TurkeyREBUPLIC OF TURKEYMINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRYGENERAL DIRECTORATE OF AFFORESTATION AND EROSION CONTROLTurkey has rich biological diversity value for planttypes other than forest trees, non-wood forest productsand fauna resources. The forest area in Turkey hasbeen increased by 1,3 million hectares with theactivities performed in the last 37 years.Our country has topographically mountainous and high slopedland structure. The places where avalanche accurs are highelevated areas. Measures for prevention of avalanche are takenby the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.On of the most impodtant reasons for avalanche is thatthe natural balance is disturbed by human effects.Forests cover an area of 21.5 million ha. in Turkey (27.6 % ofcountry’s land surface). 99.9 % of country’s forests are ownedby the state. Thereabout half of the forests consists of coniferousspecies and the other half consists of broad-leaved species.Besides possessing circa 9000 plant species, including3000 endemic species, and rich fauna resources; Turkey isamong the temperate zone countries which are rich in termsof biological diversity. In Turkey; the distribution of forestecosystems is as follows; rainforests and temperate zone in thenorth, Mediterranean forest ecosystems in the west and southregions, arid-semiarid forest ecosystems having mainly oakspecies in the East-Southeast regions, and transition zone forestecosystems in the coastal and inner regions. Turkey’s forestshave rich biological diversity values in terms of plant speciesother than forest trees, non-wood forest products and faunaresources.Lands Distribution in TurkeyForests%27.6Rangeland and Pasturing Land% 26.4AVALANCHE CONTROLACTIVITIES IN TURKEYFarming Lands% 34Lakes% 1Settlement Areas,Roads andOther Facilities% 11www.agm.gov.trICT +90 312 212 50 00Forest for people, forest for future

The regions under therisk of avalanche areidendified by risk maps.Applications are madeaccording to projectsprepared as per the riskmaps.The permanent solution for avalanche control is theestablishment of multi layered forests. Other facilitiesto prevent avalanche are for the preservation of theforestations until they create closeness and preventavalanche formations.On the Uzungöl watershedin the North-east ofTurkey, the avalanchecontrol activities arecontinued.• Red: Potential risk areas,• Blue: 2010 applicationarea,• Brown: Worked area,• Orange: Potentialof forestation siteUzungöl basin is a natural protected area. It is a tourismbasin where any kind of nature sports are performed.The purpose of the performed avalanche control worksis to protect the existing settlement areas, as well as thenature. These works are performed on 197.5 hectaresland.In order to create permanent establishment on slope areashaving degraded natural vegetation, erosion controland afforestation activities are performed.