Conservation Biology Volume 27, Number 6, December 2013 Featur ed Paper… ©Münir Hançer
Sep 09, 2014
Conservation Biology
Volume 27, Number 6, December 2013Featured
Paper…
©Münir Hançer
a photo essay…
Effect of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity
Across Turkish Provinces
Contributed Paper by Burak K. Pekin
Conservation Biology December 2013
Mark Burgman, Editor-in-Chief
www.conbio.org
Published by Wiley
©DKM Archive
Researchers surveying butterflies in Central TurkeyResearchers surveying butterflies in Central Turkey
In addition to being highly sensitive to environmental
change, butterflies are also highly representative
of biodiversity at large spatial scales. They are
thus a good indicator group with which to
assess regional biodiversity losses.
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
A sub-adult female polar bear on a frozen lake along the shore of Hudson Bay. Small bears like this are usually wary of adult males which can be predatory.
Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear ConservationConservation Letters
Wiskott’s Marbled White (Melanargia wiskotti) is endemic to the Mediterranean
Region of Turkey where it is threatened by agricultural intensification and urban
development.
©Fatih Köleli
Thirty-seven of Turkey's 373 species have a near threatened
(NT), vulnerable (VU), endangered (EN), or critically
endangered (CR) classification…
Accordingly, I calculated threatened butterfly richness
for each province as the number of species with an NT, VU, EN, or CE classification.
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
7 - 52
53 - 97
98 - 143
144 - 188
189 - 234
All species
0 - 3
4 - 6
7 - 9
10 - 12
13 - 15
Threatened species
Butterfly species richness across Turkish Provinces
©Burak Pekin
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
A four month old cub caught in the Beaufort Sea with its mother. Studies showing reduced body condition, declining reproduction, and lower survival have been correlated with reduced availability of sea ice.
Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear ConservationConservation Letters
Once considered too dry to farm, the
habitat of the endangered
Levantine Silver-line (Apharitis cilissa) has
been largely converted into
irrigated commercial farmland following
construction of several large dams in southeastern Turkey.
©Ali Atahan
My results revealed substantial differences in butterfly
composition among Turkish provinces within the same geographic region...The
compositional differences between provinces in the same
region were largely explained by their area of natural land cover and agricultural chemical use.
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
©Burak Pekin
Traditional agricultural lands in Turkey are often scattered across small fertile valleys
nestled within a largely mountainous landscape..
The strength of the effect of pesticide use on the relative
number of threatened butterfly species was more
than twice that of natural land cover and precipitation seasonality (Table 1)…
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
…threatened butterfly richness decreased most strongly with pesticide use and increased nearly as strongly with natural land cover
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
A typical ringed seal pup kill site in the Beaufort Sea in spring. Ringed seal females give birth to pups under snow along the ridged ice and polar bears hunt these areas for vulnerable pups and their mothers.
Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear ConservationConservation Letters
©Burak Pekin
Mixed-use landscapes that include human habitation, orchards,
agricultural fields, grazing pastures, and natural vegetation cover are
common features of traditional Turkish villages.
My results also suggest that agricultural intensification, reflected in pesticide use, poses as great of a
threat to butterfly conservation as loss of natural land cover in Turkey
because threatened butterfly species (both total richness and relative
number of species) decreased most strongly as pesticide use increased.
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
…increased availability and widespread use of agricultural
chemicals and other industrialized farming techniques are likely to
make traditional farming practices obsolete. The loss of traditional agriculture and the associated
migration of rural populations to cities pose an imminent threat to the cultural as well as biological diversity
of Turkish landscapes.
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
PHOTO: A sub-adult polar bear wandering the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the return of winter. Delayed freeze-up is causing increased risk of starvation in the population.
©Burak Pekin
Village homes in rugged southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border
Mitigating agricultural intensification in Turkey is important for conserving the biodiversity of Turkey and Europe as a whole because Turkey harbors
many of Europe's rare species.
(Pekin, 2013)
Effects of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity Across Turkish ProvincesConservation Biology
Villagers haying a meadow of wild flowers by hand scythe. Such meadows provide important habitat for butterflies and other wildlife.
©Hilary and Geof Welch
Livestock like sheep play an important role in traditional agriculture in Turkey
© Mark Day
PHOTO: Adult males play fighting along the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada. Without access to food while on land, adult males can be social and play fighting is thought to allow skill development for future competition for mates or food.
©Burak Pekin
Coastal communities in western Turkey often support both agriculture and tourism related activities.
PHOTO: A sub-adult polar bear wandering the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the return of winter. Delayed freeze-up is causing increased risk of starvation in the population.
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Effect of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity
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©Münir Hançer