Ecological Assessment of Current and Past Land Uses in Bursa

Abstract

In Turkey, it is observed that there is an overgrowth of population, resolutions on land usage have deteriorating effects on natural ecological balance and consequently environmental problems reached threatening levels for all life forms. It is important to remove the impacts of urbanization, which consume irreplaceable natural resources, through planning methods and techniques. Examination of the current land usage of Bursa Nilüfer Creek Başköy – Kestel Section and its subbasins reveal that location organization was radically changed due to industrialization, and functional areas such as settlements and industrial areas, located on first class agricultural lands and on rock formation with geologically high permeability, create pollutions on the natural resources forming the basin, over acceptable parameters of international standards, as a result of governmental decisions.In this context, it is seen that Bursa Nilüfer Çayı Başköy - Kestel section and its subbasins have been facing an intense urbanization for approximately twenty years and a great pollution pressure due to wrong land uses. Therefore, the pollution seen in the research area was considered with a 20-year period and findings were evaluated, assessment were made to see the type and dimension of ecological risks according to international parameters. In this context, it was aimed to establish what kind of environmental problems are caused by the changes in land usage at the research area, and the significance of ecological analysis, to emphasize the importance of planning in the paper.