Wetland Restoration

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Objectives of the project: 

·         Creating a natural lab for students in the middle of the faculty

·         Protecting wetland, grassland, forest, rock and river habitats in the campus

·         Supporting education and conservation programs with national and international funds

·         Providing recreational possibilities for students, personnel and guests of Kafkas University

Having approximately 10 km2 area, Kafkas University campus’s important part is like an oasis in the midst of agricultural and urban lands for living beings. Especially the part situated between new science-literature faculty and rectorate and includes passing Kars stream is a very important natural area where many living beings lives in grassland, grove, pond, reed beds, rocky and river habitats. Such that at this area, 105 bird species observed only in three weeks in spring season of the project. This number is almost quarter of the all bird species in Turkey and some of the species are nationally rare. This area is very important stopover area for especially migrating birds.   Many Universities in Europe and U.S.A. have strongly protected biological research areas.

On these areas, biology students having education, different living being’s biology has been researching by ecological methods, many environmental research including long term effects of global warming has been conducting and study results published in books and prestigious scientific journals. Changing this natural place in Kafkas University to a biological research park provides a practical and cost-effective field research area, serves as a natural lab for biodiversity/ecology studies and being first in Eastern Turkey, it brings worldwide prestige for the university. Additionally this kind of nature Park promotes love of nature and environmental. consciousness of the staff, students and guests of Kafkas University, also makes it possible to being alone in nature and sport (jogging, walking, canoe, tur kayagi) in a natural place.

 

 

 

Unfortunately the area is threatened by several problems like illegal grazing, unauthorized entrances to campus, loose dogs, grass cutting and diesel pollution. The wall which was made in summer by the University solved first 2 problems but the area is still not healthy as ecological and ecological restoration is required. Besides from solving these problems, using towers on the sides of the area as bird watching towers, creating a walkway with banks and platform along the fence which protects the area and publishing a guide which describes the ecological importance of park and its living beings, with the help of teachers and students of faculty makes this spot an important ecological education center. 
 

Biodiversity and ecological restoration projects at Kafkas University Nature Park makes it possible to gain research and conservation funds from U.S.A. and E.U. like ERASMUS. Maybe the most important part is, Kafkas University Nature Park will show the University’s modern, scientific and conservationist approach to all Turkey and world.

 

Wetland Restoration Objectives 
  1. Improving surface area and hydrologic function
  2. Increasing amphibian species and their numbers
  3. Increasing avian species and their numbers
  4. Increasing mammal species and their numbers
 Success criteria 
  1. Joining rate of new species to ecosystem
  2. Biological production amount of invertebrate and plants
  3. Amount of microbial functions
  4. Ecological community composition
  5. Ecosystems resistance to climate and other effects
  6. Healing rate of the ecosystem

Some possible research projects at Kafkas University Nature Park 

  1. Nature parks mammals
  2. Nature parks reptiles and amphibians
  3. Nature parks fishes
  4. Nature parks insects
  5. Nature parks aquatic invertebrates
  6. Nature parks planktons
  7. Nature parks plants
  8. Behavior ecology of foxes
  9. Breeding behavior of birds
  10. Rehabilitation of raptors 

 
 

By Alexander Pushkin

"I rode along a wide valley, surrounded by hills. Soon I saw Kars, standing out white on one of them. My Turk kept pointing it out to me, repeating '"Kars, Kars!'" and put his horse into a gallop. I followed him tormented by anxiety: it was in Kars that my fate would be decided."

Alexander Pushkin, "A Journey to Arzrum", 1829 

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