The importance of xeriscape landscape design and sampling on Etimesgut (Ankara) Yildirim Beyazit park

Starting from the 19th century, the problem of their diction of usable water resources, which holds an important place among environmental problems, became one of the biggest problem of the century we live in. With the increasing water shortage problem, mankind has started to search for sustainable and effective use of water, which is a consumable natural resource. For solving the water problem, some of the professions that plays an active role in the conservation and use of natural resources, Landscape Architecture has started to work on the concept of a water-efficient landscape style, xeriscaping, which is the effective and recyclable use of existing water resources. This landscaping concept is to utilize the existing resources (especially underground and surface water resources) at the highest level, considering the natural ecology of the region. In this study, "xeriscaping" is defined, and planting studies to be carried out in destructed areas are tried to be explained with the concept of xeriscaping that aims the effective and recyclable use of water. In order to create a source for the study, two areas of 1 square meter each have been created in Bağlıca region of Ankara Province Etimesgut district. In one of the areas, classical landscaping has been made, and in the other, xeriscaping has been done. With the weekly schedule follow-up, the irrigation amounts of the test areas were recorded in the charts and the amount of water used was followed. Thus, the difference between the amount of water used in xeriscaping and classical landscaping is clearly demonstrated. The result is scaled with this study area, and the amount of water saving achieved by reducing water use as a result of xeriscaping has been determined. The topographical slope of the study area and its location in the landslide area also gave an idea about the selection of the arid species in such areas. In this study, it is revealed that soil losses can also be reduced by the help of arid plant species and low water usage. Keywords: Xeriscape, beneficial landscape, water-wise landscaping, water efficient landscaping, earth kind landscaping, water smart landscape