List of ecoregions in Turkey

Last updated

The following is a list of ecoregions in Turkey as maintained by One Earth. [1] [2] Alternatively part of Turkey is included by the European Environment Agency: Black Sea Biogeographic Region, Anatolian Biogeographic Region and Mediterranean Biogeographic Region.

Contents

Topographic map of Turkey with the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean to the south Turkey topo.jpg
Topographic map of Turkey with the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean to the south

The geography of Turkey is roughly rectangular, being more than 1,600 km (990 mi) east-west and 800 km (500 mi) north-south. Turkey's 783,562 km2 (302,535 sq mi) of land is divided into two parts by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles; European Turkey makes up only 3% of the country, with the rest being in Asia and often known as Anatolia.

The country has varied topography with fertile coastal plains contrasting with mountainous regions in the centre and eastern part of the country. The climate of Turkey also varies, with the weather systems found near the coasts contrasting with those prevailing in the interior. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The interior of the country has a continental climate with severe weather on the Anatolian plateau in winter and hot, dry summers. These large differences in climate are reflected in an extremely diverse wildlife. [3]

Because it is mountainous the country has a lot of biomes. [4] The ecoregions of Turkey include the important [5] terrestrial Eastern Anatolian deciduous forests and Southern Anatolian montane conifer and deciduous forests. There are also small areas of bottomland forest. [6] Turkey includes portions of three biodiversity hotspots: the Mediterranean Basin, the Caucasus, and the Irano-Anatolian. [5]

Terrestrial

Turkey is in the Palearctic realm. Ecoregions are sorted by biome (bioregion).

Biomes of Turkey
Zagros Mountain Forests & East Anatolian Steppe Bioregion Black Sea, Caucasus-Anatolian Mixed Forests & Steppe Bioregion Aegean Sea & East Mediterranean Mixed Forests Bioregion Balkan Mixed Forests Ecoregion Turkey biomes.png
Biomes of TurkeyZagros Mountain Forests & East Anatolian Steppe Bioregion Black Sea, Caucasus-Anatolian Mixed Forests & Steppe Bioregion Aegean Sea & East Mediterranean Mixed Forests Bioregion Balkan Mixed Forests Ecoregion

Dinaric Mountains & Balkan Mixed Forests Bioregion

Black Sea, Caucasus-Anatolian Mixed Forests & Steppe Bioregion

Aegean Sea & East Mediterranean Mixed Forests Bioregion

Zagros Mountain Forests & East Anatolian Steppe Bioregion

Freshwater

[11]

Marine

[12]

References

  1. "Western Eurasia | Realm & Subrealms". One Earth. 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  2. "Central Eurasia | Realm & Subrealms". One Earth. 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  3. Muminjanov, H.; Karagöz, A. (2018). Biodiversity of Turkey: Contribution of Genetic Resources to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. Ankara: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN   978-92-5-130959-9.
  4. "Chapter 8 ~ Biomes and Ecozones | Humans and the Environment". courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  5. 1 2 "Animals and Plants Unique to Turkey". lntreasures.com. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  6. Efe, Asuman; Alptekin, Ünal (1989). "ÖNEMLİ BİR SUBASAR ORMANI:HACIOSMAN (AN IMPORTANT BOTTOMLAND FOREST IN TURKEY)". forestist.org. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  7. "Zagros Mountain Forests & East Anatolian Steppe (PA27)". One Earth. 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  8. "Black Sea, Caucasus-Anatolian Mixed Forests & Steppe (PA17)". One Earth. 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  9. "Aegean Sea & East Mediterranean Mixed Forests (PA18)". One Earth. 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  10. "Balkan Mixed Forests". One Earth. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  11. "Interactive map". www.feow.org. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  12. "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas | Publications | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. p. 578. Retrieved 2025-03-11.