The land degradation problem and its effects on ecology in the densely populated region of Turkey

Abstract

Bursa province is situated between latitudes of 39degrees 35'-40degrees 40'N and longitudes of 28degrees 10'-30degrees 00' E in the northwest of Turkey, and has a very fertile plain in its northern part. The province has 1.104.301 ha area. The hilly topography occupies 35% of the province, which lies east to west direction. The plain also comprises 17% of the region that is misused by the industrialization and urbanization. Land degradation has been expanding rapidly last two decades in the Bursa province. The increase of human activities such as deforestation, cultivation, industrialization, urbanization, and pollution of the surface water resources has accelerated the land degradation. Especially, demographic changes and migration have led to great urbanization and industrial development of the province that affected the agricultural lands negatively. The increase in urban areas has been occurred mainly in the agricultural lands, which have land capability classes I, II, III, and IV of the plain. The causes of soil degradation and possible measures that could be taken against all these problems have been discussed in this paper.