The aim of the project is to set up an adaptive and sustainable management system for the Gediz Delta in Turkey, with the possibility of carrying out restoration activities to compensate for the consequences of global changes. It consists of three complementary, closely linked components: improving knowledge, public participation, and site management.
The Gediz Delta was designated as a natural habitat in 1982, as a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI)’ in 1985, and classified as a ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention in 1998. In addition to its ornithological diversity, the delta is home to 14 species of freshwater fish, 35 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 8 species of mammals (Gediz Delta Management Plan, 2007; Arslan et al., 2018). Despite its importance, the Gediz Delta continues to be threatened by changes to natural systems as well as residential and commercial development (Arslan et al., 2022).
The amount of freshwater reaching the delta has decreased considerably over the years with the construction of dams on the Gediz river, agricultural irrigation and reduced rainfall due to climate change. Hydrological changes have had a significant impact on biodiversity and have led to increased salinisation. An innovative large-scale restoration project for the Gediz delta is scheduled for early 2025. This project is working with a multitude of private and public stakeholders to restore an old branch of the Gediz river in order to reduce the increasing salinity of the area and restore temporary wetland habitats. This innovative project will use water cleaned at the wastewater treatment plant to inject fresh water into the system.
Objectives
- To develop a baseline and monitor vegetation cover, herpetofauna, dragonflies, hydrology and heavy metals in the southern Gediz delta.
- Reduce the impact of global changes on the delta’s biodiversity.
- To re-establish a flow in the former branch of the Gediz river.
- Create a seasonal freshwater overflow to create temporary pools in the wetlands.
- Reduce the salinity of the area to promote extensive livestock grazing activities.
- Set up a multi-stakeholder governance platform to promote ecosystem services in the delta.
Actions & methodology
The activities undertaken since 2009 in the framework of this project concern:
- Vegetation/mapping dynamics and monitoring of habitats;
- Amphibians and reptiles (in collaboration with Ege University): inventories of amphibian and reptile species present in the Delta and Capture-Marking-Recapture of several threatened taxa: Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca), the two species of pond turtle (European Emys orbicularis and Balkan Mauremys rivulata), and the two species of newt (Triturus ivanbureschi and Lissotriton vulgaris);
- Monitoring of Greater Flamingo breeding in Turkey (Gediz Delta and Lake Tuz) with aerial survey and photography of Lake Tuz;
- Monitoring the Delta’s potential holding capacity for birds;
- Environmental awareness-raising campaigns;
- Setting up environmental education activities;
- Methodological support for drawing up nature monitoring protocols;
- Concertation with stakeholders concerning the restoration of the site;
- Organising participative seminars to enable discussion and facilitate/trigger local collaborative projects;
- Research on the social networks concerning perceptions of the environment.
Results
We have established that one of the greatest threats to reptiles in the Gediz Delta stems from their deliberate destruction by local people due to the persistence of a deep-seated fear of amphibians and reptiles. Encounters between humans and reptiles often end with the death of the latter. To raise the awareness of the general public and local site users about the species found in the delta, and their benefits, we developed a leaflet that is handed out at the Bird Paradise visitors’ reception centre.
We have contributed to the management of wetlands in the delta by mapping habitats and providing training on the use of the Mar-o-Sel software tool to visualise fluctuations in water levels and salinity, which are among the main factors influencing the flora and fauna of the marshes. The tool was relevant in the Gediz Delta for orienting the water management systems inside the reserve (Bird Paradise) to comply with the objectives of the management plan concerning the evolution of habitats and wildlife holding capacities.
Team
- Project leader: Lisa Ernoul
- Staff involved: Thomas Galewski, Anthony Olivier, Antoine Gazaix, Hugo Fontes, Philippe Lambret, Jane Ballard et Çağdaş Yaşar
- Themes: Management and restoration of Natural and Agricultural ecosystems, Species Conservation & Science-Society Interfaces
- Date of project: Since 2009
Partners
Technical partners
- Ege University (Turkey)
- Doğa Derneği
- Turkish National Parks Service
- Province of Izmir
Financial partners
Publications
- Balkız, Ö.; Özesmi, U.; Pradel, R.; Germain, C.; Sıkı, M.; Amat, J. A.; Rendon-Martos, M.; Bacetti, N. & Béchet, A. 2007. Range of the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus metapopulation in the Mediterranean: new insights from Turkey
Journal of Ornithology 148 : 347-355 - Ernoul, L., 2014. Entre Camargue et Delta de Gediz: réflexions sur les transferts de modèles de gestion intégrée des zones côtières. (Thèse de doctorat). Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence.
- Ernoul, L. & Wardell-Johnson, A. (2015) Environmental discourses: Understanding the implications on ICZM protocol implementation in two Mediterranean deltas. Ocean & Coastal Management. 103 : 97-108.
- Ernoul, L. & Wardell-Johnson, A. (2014) Adapting international conservation strategies to local context: perceptions of biodiversity values and management responsibility in two Mediterranean deltas. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management. 10 (4) : 300-312. DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2014.980849
- Ernoul, L. & Wardell-Johnson A. (2013) Governance in integrated coastal zone management: a social networks analysis of cross-scale collaboration. Environmental Conservation. 40 (03): 231-240.
- Ernoul, L., Sandoz A. & Fellague A. (2012) The evolution of two great Mediterranean Deltas: Remote sensing to visualize the evolution of habitats and land use in the Gediz and Rhone Deltas. Ocean and Coastal Management. 69: 111-117.
- Kizil, D., Ismail, I.B., Olivier, A., Çiçek, K., 2016. A new case of facultative paedomorphosis in smooth newts, Lissotriton vulgaris (caudata: Salamandridae). Amphib. Reptile Conserv. 10, 28–33.
- Arslan, Dilara & Olivier, Anthony & Yaşar, Çağdaş & Ismail, İlhan & Döndüren, Ömer & Ernoul, Lisa & Beck, Nicolas & Çiçek, Kerim. (2018). Distribution and current status of herpetofauna in the Gediz Delta (Western Anatolia, Turkey). Herpetology Notes. 11. 15.
- Arslan, D.; Çiçek, K.; Döndüren, Ö.; Ernoul, L. Threat Ranking to Improve Conservation Planning: An Example from the Gediz Delta, Turkey. Land 2021, 10, 1381. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121381
- Guelmami, Anis & Arslan, Dilara & Ernoul, Lisa. (2022). Assessing the Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Changes 1984-2020 on Wetland Habitats in the Gediz Delta (Turkey). 10.4018/978-1-7998-9289-2.ch002.
