Landscape character analysis evaluation and landscape management of Edirne Tunca River basin

Nowadays, LC/LU and climate change are causing changes in landscapes, resulting in loss and fragmentation of ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to define landscapes and determine their interactions with natural and anthropogenic processes over time. In this context, defining and characterizing landscapes, examining the ongoing processes on the landscape, determining the effects of LC/LU and climate change affecting these processes, determining landscape sensitivities within the scope of landscape processes and creation of landscape protection and development strategies has been determined as the aim of the study. Within the scope of the determined purpose, the method of the study was examined in three stages. In the first stage; the boundaries of the study area were determined and a landscape database was created by preparing the natural and cultural landscape inventory. The second stage, landscape character analysis, landscape function analysis and landscape sensitivity analysis were conducted. Landscape character analysis helped to identify landscape character types and areas. Landscape function analysis evaluated the water, erosion, habitat, biodiversity function and historical/cultural status of the basin. Soil and Water Assessment (SWAT) model was used to evaluate the water (surface runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration) and erosion functions of the study area. In determining habitat function, spot analysis was used to show changes in habitat and landscape metrics were evaluated. In predicting future LC/LU change, the CA-Markov Chain method was used to estimate future LC/LU maps (2050, 2070) by evaluating the transition probabilities of past (2000, 2010) and current (2020) land cover classes. RCP8.5 scenario outputs of the HADGEM2-ES model, one of the global climate models, were evaluated to determine the impact of climate change on basin processes. Future water and erosion functions were predicted by evaluating the data obtained within the scope of future LC/LU and climate change with the SWAT model. Landscape sensitivity analysis, assessment of present and future function processes and landscape sensitivity status for 2020, 2050 and 2070 were determined at the level of micro-basins. In the third stage, landscape guidelines for agriculture, forestry and settlement sectors were developed by considering landscape sensitivities. As a result, it has been revealed that landscape character analysis and landscape management based studies at the basin scale are an effective tool for assessing the landscape sensitivity of each micro-basin and developing landscape protection, restoration and management strategies and sectoral guidelines for agriculture, forestry and settlement.