The biology and ecology of the habitat use of the hatay mountain gazella (gazella gazella)

The Hatay Mountain Gazelle (Gazella gazella) is a species distributed only in a limited area in Hatay province in the very south of Turkey. Presumed extinct in Turkey until 2008, this species has been confirmed and re-added to the mammal list. Because it is found only in Hatay, it is now known as the "Hatay Mountain Gazelle." Although it was known to have ranged west of the Euphrates River around Adana, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, and Aleppo, it has become completely extinct in these regions. This study is pioneering in investigating the species' land use, biology, and ecology, considering its fragmented and narrowed habitat structure. The study, conducted around the Kırıkhan district on the Turkey-Syria border, determined the population through inventory counts and examined the biological and ecological effects of climate change. Inventory counts conducted between 2020 and 2023 revealed a steady increase in the population. The number of individuals, which was 1,141 in 2020, reached 1,387 in 2023. The number of offspring increased from 28 in 2020 to 328 in 2023, indicating a significant improvement in reproductive success. However, the fluctuations observed in female numbers are noteworthy for the long-term sustainability of the population. Furthermore, the thesis records the species' birth times annually to reveal the changes in reproductive biology that climate change will have on the species. Changes in land use and shifts in distribution areas, which are among the other behaviors the species will exhibit with climate change, were identified and identified within the scope of the study. Within the scope of the study, other wild animal species in the Hatay Mountain Gazelle, Gazella gazella, distribution area were identified, as well as the natural structure of its distribution area and general information about the area. In conclusion, due to the Hatay Mountain Gazelle's status as an endangered species and Turkey being the northernmost point of its global distribution, the study conducted indicates that the Hatay Mountain Gazelle population is on the rise, while climate change and environmental pressures are affecting its reproductive biology and gender distribution. Therefore, conservation plans should prioritize the protection of females and habitat improvements that will increase the survival of offspring.