Wildfire in Turkey: Fire management challenges at an ancient crossroads of nature and culture

Abstract

Millennia of extensive grazing, agriculture, and timber harvesting have altered Turkey’s native vegetation and modified fire regimes. The degree to which this is so is a topic for debate among policy-makers, managers, and scientists - with implications for understanding the potential impacts of land use and climate change on future forest management. While rapid urbanization, modern agribusiness, intensive forest management, and fire suppression continue to dominate the Turkish landscape, the dynamics of land use and climate change raise questions about the sustainability of future landscapes. How should and how will policy and management evolve to deal with expected increases in wildfires and insect and disease problems? How will these disturbances affect the land’s ability to provide adequate supplies of food, productive soil, clean air, and water as well as increasing demand for outdoor recreation? And what is the role of research and development in informing policy and management changes?

Citation

Guney, Coskun Okan; Ryan, Kevin C.; Guney, Aylin; Hood, Sharon M. 2019. Wildfire in Turkey: Fire management challenges at an ancient crossroads of nature and culture. Wildfire. 28.3: 21-28.