Abstract:
In this study, Türkiye's biodiversity and the threats and dangers it faces are briefly presented. In
Türkiye, which has continental characteristics from a bioecological point of view, there are 11 707
plant taxa, and one third of them consist of endemic plant species that form natural populations only in
Türkiye. The Oriental Amber Tree (Liquidambar orientalis) in Köyceğiz is one of the rare examples
in the world where an endemic plant species forms a forest structure as a forest tree. It also shows
continental characteristics in terms of animal groups. In Türkiye, where not all invertebrate groups
have been identified yet, we can give the number of invertebrate species as 70-80 thousand. In the
vertebrate group, the number of fish species is the highest with 928. In Türkiye, 39 species of
amphibians, 124 species of reptiles and 170 species of mammals have been described. In addition, the
number of 525 bird species described in Anatolia is higher than in any other European country except
Russia. It was found that 70 of these bird species were encountered only by chance, at most twice.
Subtracting this number gives a total of 455 bird species commonly encountered in Türkiye. In
Türkiye, which has such a rich biodiversity, a large part of these biological elements is threatened by
environmental degradation. Wetlands, forest areas, land degradation, the threat of desertification,
especially the negative effects of erosion and climate change caused by the release of various gases are
threatened. To prevent these negative impacts, efforts are also being made to emphasise environmental
education, the role of city museums and the importance of raising awareness about the environment.