Unraveling landscape connectivity: The impact of mega-projects on Istanbul's Northern Forests and conservation pathways
Küçük Resim Yok
Tarih
2025
Yazarlar
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
Elsevier Gmbh
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
Özet
Natura 2000 and the Emerald Network are crucial for habitat protection across Europe. Istanbul's Northern Forests are a key part of the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN). The rapid expansion of large-scale infrastructure projects, such as Istanbul Airport (IA), the Northern Marmara Motorway (NMM), and Kanal Istanbul (KI), in Northern Forests, has severely weakened landscape connectivity and threatened biodiversity in this vital region. This study assesses mega-project impacts on structural and functional connectivity using directional graph analysis from 2000 to 2020, identifying 2010 as a turning point due to the initiation of these projects. Results show a significant decrease in connectivity metrics, such as a 26.8% reduction in structural corridors and substantial decreases in corridor length and node degree, particularly in the NW, N, and W directions identified as high-impact areas. These areas, located near IA, NMM, and KI, exhibit critical losses in ecological corridors and stepping stones. Potential corridors also diminished markedly in length and density, indicating reduced functional connectivity. It was observed that these declines accelerated in 2020 and might accelerate in the 2020-KI periods, especially after the construction of mega-projects started in 2013 and afterward. The study emphasizes the need to reframe landscapes as habitable spaces for ecological sustainability and outlines specific policy recommendations, including the establishment of a legal framework that defines ecological network components and connectivity types, as well as short-, medium-, and long-term ecological restoration strategies. These measures aim to mitigate the impacts of rapid infrastructure development and ensure the long-term protection of Istanbul's Northern Forests within the broader ecological network.
Açıklama
Anahtar Kelimeler
Ecological corridors, Istanbul, Landscape connectivity, Mega-projects, Minimum cumulative resistance model, MSPA analysis, Northern forests
Kaynak
Journal For Nature Conservation
WoS Q Değeri
Q2
Scopus Q Değeri
Q2
Cilt
87
