Physical geography of Bulanık-Malazgirt Basin (Muş)

Bulanık-Malazgirt (Muş) basin is located in Upper Murat-Van section, in the Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey. The working area is situated between the areas where both temperate and extreme continental climates are seen in the Eastern Anatolian region. The east-west directional length of the basin whose large part is lined off in accordance with watershed is 70-80 km as well as its northern-southern width is 50-60 km. The total area of the basin is nearly 3000 km2, and its average elevation is 1805 m. Bulanık-Malazgirt basin meets one of the widest part of the areas where highlands bound with Alp Orogenic system get near to each other like a bunch in Eastern Anatolia. There are Güzelbaba and Laladağ Mountains in the north of the basin, Akdoğan mountain range and Bilican mountain in its west, as well Yakupağa and Ziyaret mountain range and Süphan mountain in its south. There are also Cemalverdi mountain and volcanic tableland zone in its east. While the research area which stands at a lower place among these highlands has completely geomorphologic and geological characteristics of a basin, it cannot be found overall hydrographical basin characteristics on it. Bulanık-Malazgirt basin ranks number two after the centre of Muş province in terrestrial formation level in Turkey. Geographical location features of the basin mostly causes to this formation. A severe subsidiary climate type, continental as well as oceanic climates, is seen in winter period in Bulanık-Malazgirt basin in addition to an arid, less humid and mesothermal climate.Bulanık-Malazgirt basin included in catchment basin of Euphrates exists in sub-basin of Murat river which is at upper part of this basin. The basin is fertile in terms of its drainage kinds. Murat river subsisted in the basin and its main tributaries have the characteristics that stock water in their beds all the year round. The tributaries in the basin have the feature of "the rivers with simple regime". That the climate of Bulanık-Malazgirt basin shuttles between semi-arid and humid areas has affected the soil formation significantly. As a result of the climate effect, the chestnut and non-calcareous brown soils take extensive space in the basin. The geomorphological characteristics of the research area such as elevation, slope and orography have, also, influenced the soil formation of the basin markedly. This situation has caused lithosolic soils to be prevalent in the basin. The main factors that have effects over the basic characters of the vegetation cover and its dispersion in the Bulanık-Malazgirt basin are the characteristics of climate, topography, lithology and soil. Although the real vegetation cover has to be pertinent to climate, topography and soil conditions, a remarkable part of the basin has a view of steps transformed into dry farming and pasture areas bare of forests. Its real factor is the perennial extreme forest devastations. The problems in Bulanık-Malazgirt basin caused by habitat specialties are misuse of the areas, erosion, seismicity, mass movements, extreme continental climate and extensive stoniness. Besides, the main reasons that precipitates the erosion are specified as destruction of the forests in the basin unconsciously, extreme and subconscious pasturing in the anthropogenic step areas by its own community, and transformation of the pasture areas in the inclined terrains into farming zones. Mass movements are seen in the basin more intensively; hence it significantly menaces the settlements of the area and highway administration. The basin is located in the primary seismic zone. Bulanık-Malazgirt basin has an important potential in terms of tourism with its historical, cultural and natural sightseeing. In this study, the issues caused by the characteristics of the geology, geomorphology, hydrography, climate, soil, vegetation cover and habitat of the Bulanık- Malazgirt basin have been discussed, and solution offers have been determined.