Spatial analysis of green cover of İstanbul and its evaluation in terms of ecological design

Green areas play a pivotal role in the life cycles of nearly all organisms, offering significant economic, environmental, cultural, and social benefits and constituting fundamental components of urban landscapes. This study aimed to compile an inventory of woody plant taxa identified through field surveys conducted in 36 green areas categorized into nine distinct types in Istanbul between 2018 and 2023, encompassing religious sites, private areas, hospital gardens, forests, squares, cemeteries, campuses, parks, and historical sites. Additionally, it seeks to assess woody plant species diversity and similarity in selected sample areas while analyzing their spatial distribution. The initial phase of the study focuses on identifying current woody plant taxa and includes analyses of field surveys conducted in the respective areas. A total of 512 woody plant taxa were documented and distributed as follows: 105 in religious sites, 242 in private areas, 139 in hospital gardens, 267 in forests, 119 in squares, 171 in cemeteries, 263 in campuses, 171 in parks, and 220 in historical sites. The subsequent phase of the study evaluated the diversity and similarity of the woody plant species. To this end, species diversity was assessed using the Shannon-Wiener index, a widely recognized metric in the literature, and hierarchical clustering analysis was performed using the Bray-Curtis similarity index. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was employed to examine woody taxa in sample areas, identifying proximal areas with high similarity and distant areas with lower and distinct similarities. In conclusion, Istanbul exhibits robust diversity of woody plants, with the highest species richness observed in forests compared to other locales. Moreover, private areas had a comparatively higher prevalence of exotic woody plant species.