A study on relations between soil and plant species in alpine zone at Kazdaği National Park, Turkey

This study examines the plant species distribution and cover abundance scales relations with soil and other environmental factors such as elevation, exposure, slope in the alpine region. 10 sample areas were determined for experimental field study in the alpine region. Plant species and their cover abundance scales and 0-5 and 5-15cm soil depth analysis were conducted in the field study. C, N, pH, soil salinity, soil texture, C/N and CaCO3 (%) were determined in soil laboratory analysis. To examine the effect of land use by the local people; sample areas were determined both on used area and non-used area in the alpine region.publisher versio

Inquiring the generative capacity of urban abstraction and mapping for first-semester basic design studio

The development of students’ critical and creative thinking skills is at the core of the first-semester basic design studio. Students’ perceptual experiences of their environment form the key references of abstraction in this beginning phase. This paper inquires studio approach based on abstraction and mapping as tools for intertwining visual reasoning and bodily experiences in the design process. Focusing on the case study of a basic design studio assignment, the authors analyze the structure, application, and products of the “Urban Abstraction and Mapping” project. The study adopted the case-study method as part of qualitative research approach and dwelled on researchers’ first-hand interaction with a phenomenon within its real-life context, ARCH/MIM101 studios. The findings showed that abstraction and mapping strategies based on students’ bodily experiences in urban contexts raised awareness of design as a generative and iterative research process. Students who were able to reveal and reconstruct the relationship between different forms of knowledge through experiential and conceptual levels of the design process managed to develop heuristic 2D and 3D design strategies. The findings of this study provide a ground for discussions on the effectiveness of teaching/learning methods applied in the introductory level of design education

Functional use change in green spaces: a case study of Kırklareli province

Green spaces which are one of the most important public spaces in urban design have an important role on qualified daily urban life. People escape from intense work pressure and traffic jam of metropoles to those urban green areas to take a breath even they cover a small size. In time, people's expectations from green spaces as functional and quantitative needs are changing. This change occurs due to increasing population and as the character of the urban life. This study examines the functional use and quantitative change of urban green spaces of Kirklareli Province from past to present. Kirklareli is a border city to Bulgaria which is located in north-west part of Turkey and this gives a transitional and a multicultural character to the city. The population is about 67360. In the course of time; green space needs have increased by the increasing population. In addition to this, green spaces' functional use change has been identified. According to the results of the study; from the aspect of the green space standards, Kirklareli found above standards with 17.5 m(2) per capita, but on the other hand, sport and playground areas found insufficient. The Oldest and the newest city plans of Kirklareli (1940s and 2012s cadastral plans) have been compared and site surveys implemented as the methodology. In site survey, current green spaces' functional uses as sport or playground are observed and determined and also current quantitative measure of the green spaces are verified. Urban green spaces in Kirklareli Province evaluated through considering world's most populated urban green space standards and Turkey's standards. This study utilizes to compose a substructure of the urban green space. Determined deficiencies and inadequacies of green spaces and functional needs in this study, can guide to further studies and implementations of Kirklareli Municipality.Publisher versio

PEYZAJ MATRİS, YAMA VE KORİDORLARININ VEJETASYON FORMASYONLARINDAKİ FARKLILIKLARA DAYANARAK BELİRLENMESİNE YÖNELİK BİR ARAŞTIRMA: KAZDAĞI MİLLİ PARKI

Bu çalışma kapsamında bir peyzaj mozağini oluşturan; peyzaj matrisi, yama ve koridor unsurları ele alınmıştır. Bu temel unsurları belirlerken de vejetasyon analizi çalışmaları esas alınmıştır. Bilindiği üzere Kazdağı Milli Parkı, peyzaj matrisi olarak doğal bir ormandır. Çalışma alanında 4 farklı peyzaj yaması olarak niteleyebileceğimiz; ormaniçi açıklıklar, yüksek dağ çayırları, yapay yamalar olarak tarım alanları ile (zeytinlikler ve meyvelikler) saf veya karışık halde meşcerelerin hakim olduğu yamalar bulunmaktadır. Ayrıca 2 farklı peyzaj koridoru olarak nitelendirebilceğimiz; akarsu yatakları ile yollar yer almaktadır. Doğal orman matrisi içerisinde yer alan yama ve koridorların belirlenmesinde 2006-2008 yılları arasında saha çalışmaları kapsamında gerçekleştirilen vejetasyon çalışmaları esas alınmıştır. Vejetasyon analizi çalışmaları sonucuna göre belirlenen farklı vejetasyon formasyonları; farklı peyzaj yama ve koridorlarının tespitine imkan sağlamıştır

THE MAJÖR PHASES OF LIFELONGLE ARNINGIN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Yaşamboyu öğrenme, her insanın hayatı boyunca öğrenmesine yönelik oluşturulan plan fikrini kapsamaktadır. Bireysel bir yaklaşım içermektedir. Avrupa eğitim teoristlerinin ataları olan Commenius ve Matthew Arnold da hayat boyu öğrenimin önemini çalışmalarında vurgulamışlardır. Günümüzde araştırmacılar; bireylere çevreye duyarlı davranış alışkanlıkları kazandırabilmek için yaşamboyu öğrenimin çevre eğitimine manipulasyonu ile farklı yaklaşımlar ortaya koymaktadırlar. Bu çalışmada, hayat boyu çevre eğitiminin 3 temel aşamasından bahsedilmektedir. Bunlar okul öncesi dönem, okul dönemi ve profesyonel veya iş hayatındaki çevre eğitim dönemlerini kapsamaktadır. Hayat boyu öğrenmede mesleki eğitimler ve yüksek eğitim sonrası çeşitli kuruluşlar ile ortaklaşa gerçekleştirilen yetişkin eğitimlerine daha fazla önem verilmektedir. Ancak bu durum; çevre eğitiminde, okul öncesi döneme daha fazla önem verilmesiyle karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Çevre eğitiminde çevreye duyarlı davranış alışkanlıklarının kazandırılması açısından en önemli hedef okul öncesi yaş grubudur. Hedefe ulaşmada bu üç dönemi sıraya koyacak olursak; okul öncesi dönem, okul dönemi ve iş yaşamı gelmektedir. Bu üç temel dönemi ele alarak gelişmiş ülkelerdeki çevre eğitimi çalışmaları ve metotları incelenmiştir. Ülkemizde çevre eğitimine yönelik yine üç temel aşamayı içeren çalışmalar tespit edilerek, toplumumuzda çevresel bilinci artırıcı faaliyetler ortaya konmuştur

Leading effect of visual plant characteristics for functional uses of green spaces

Plant materials have the ability to lead the people’s functional use purposes with their visual characteristics. In this study, we examined whether the functional use follows the plant materials’ visual characteristics like a big size tree’s shade use. As visual characteristics of the plants; size, texture, color, and planting design basics are considered. Six urban green spaces determined for this experimental field study in the center of Kırklareli Province, and then a site survey implemented to determine apparent visual characteristics of the plants and matched functional uses with their visual characteristics. Five functional use types determined according to the visual plant characteristics (sitting and resting, pedestrian transition, meeting point, walking and recreational uses). Best representing four photos of each green space’s plant materials are used in photo questionnaires. 89 photo questionnaires were conducted. Five functional use type options indicated in the questionnaire for each green space and one of the options were coinciding with the visual plant characteristics of that green space according to the site survey results. For the analyses of questionnaires; SPSS 17 statistical packages were used. As result; the hypothesis was confirmed by coinciding statistical analyses results with the site survey results

Sustainability challenges for the social-environmental systems across the Asian Drylands Belt

This paper synthesizes the contemporary challenges for the sustainability of the social-environmental system (SES) across a geographically, environmentally, and geopolitically diverse region - the Asian Drylands Belt (ADB). This region includes 18 political entities, covering 10.3% of global land area and 30% of total global drylands. At the present time, the ADB is confronted with a unique set of environmental and socioeconomic changes including water shortage-related environmental challenges and dramatic institutional changes since the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The SES of the ADB is assessed using a conceptual framework rooted in the three pillars of sustainability science: social, economic, and ecological systems. The complex dynamics are explored with biophysical, socioeconomic, institutional, and local context-dependent mechanisms with a focus on institutions and land use and land cover change (LULCC) as important drivers of SES dynamics. This paper also discusses the following five pressing, practical challenges for the sustainability of the ADB SES: (a) reduced water quantity and quality under warming, drying, and escalating extreme events, (b) continued, if not intensifying, geopolitical conflicts, (c) volatile, uncertain, and shifting socioeconomic structures, (d) globalization and cross-country influences, and (e) intensification and shifts in LULCC. To meet the varied challenges across the region, place-based, context-dependent transdisciplinary approaches are needed to focus on the human-environment interactions within and between regional landscapes with explicit consideration of specific forcings and regulatory mechanisms. Future work focused on this region should also assess the role of the following mechanisms that may moderate SES dynamics: socioeconomic regulating mechanisms, biophysical regulating mechanisms, regional and national institutional regulating mechanisms, and localized institutional regulating mechanisms

Sustainability challenges for the social-environmental systems across the Asian Drylands Belt

Abstract This paper synthesizes the contemporary challenges for the sustainability of the social-environmental system (SES) across a geographically, environmentally, and geopolitically diverse region—the Asian Drylands Belt (ADB). This region includes 18 political entities, covering 10.3% of global land area and 30% of total global drylands. At the present time, the ADB is confronted with a unique set of environmental and socioeconomic changes including water shortage-related environmental challenges and dramatic institutional changes since the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The SES of the ADB is assessed using a conceptual framework rooted in the three pillars of sustainability science: social, economic, and ecological systems. The complex dynamics are explored with biophysical, socioeconomic, institutional, and local context-dependent mechanisms with a focus on institutions and land use and land cover change (LULCC) as important drivers of SES dynamics. This paper also discusses the following five pressing, practical challenges for the sustainability of the ADB SES: (a) reduced water quantity and quality under warming, drying, and escalating extreme events, (b) continued, if not intensifying, geopolitical conflicts, (c) volatile, uncertain, and shifting socioeconomic structures, (d) globalization and cross-country influences, and (e) intensification and shifts in LULCC. To meet the varied challenges across the region, place-based, context-dependent transdisciplinary approaches are needed to focus on the human-environment interactions within and between regional landscapes with explicit consideration of specific forcings and regulatory mechanisms. Future work focused on this region should also assess the role of the following mechanisms that may moderate SES dynamics: socioeconomic regulating mechanisms, biophysical regulating mechanisms, regional and national institutional regulating mechanisms, and localized institutional regulating mechanisms.Abstract This paper synthesizes the contemporary challenges for the sustainability of the social-environmental system (SES) across a geographically, environmentally, and geopolitically diverse region—the Asian Drylands Belt (ADB). This region includes 18 political entities, covering 10.3% of global land area and 30% of total global drylands. At the present time, the ADB is confronted with a unique set of environmental and socioeconomic changes including water shortage-related environmental challenges and dramatic institutional changes since the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The SES of the ADB is assessed using a conceptual framework rooted in the three pillars of sustainability science: social, economic, and ecological systems. The complex dynamics are explored with biophysical, socioeconomic, institutional, and local context-dependent mechanisms with a focus on institutions and land use and land cover change (LULCC) as important drivers of SES dynamics. This paper also discusses the following five pressing, practical challenges for the sustainability of the ADB SES: (a) reduced water quantity and quality under warming, drying, and escalating extreme events, (b) continued, if not intensifying, geopolitical conflicts, (c) volatile, uncertain, and shifting socioeconomic structures, (d) globalization and cross-country influences, and (e) intensification and shifts in LULCC. To meet the varied challenges across the region, place-based, context-dependent transdisciplinary approaches are needed to focus on the human-environment interactions within and between regional landscapes with explicit consideration of specific forcings and regulatory mechanisms. Future work focused on this region should also assess the role of the following mechanisms that may moderate SES dynamics: socioeconomic regulating mechanisms, biophysical regulating mechanisms, regional and national institutional regulating mechanisms, and localized institutional regulating mechanisms.Fulbright Global ScholarDevelopment Program of ChinaNational Key ResearchBasic Frontier Science Research Program of the Chinese Academy of SciencesLCLUCGeorge Washington Universityhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100007108NS