Preliminary Study on Newly Detected Yayliyaka Marshes in the Lake Van Basin, Turkey

Abstract

Yayliyaka Marshes (38 degrees, 49' N; 043 degrees, 23' E) is located between Yayliyaka and Kumluca Villages in the southeast shore of Lake Van. The area did not grab attention of researches because of its distance from the high way. Its length is 8.5 km and has 10-12 km(2) surface area approximately. Review of the ornithological and ecological studies carried out in previous years revealed that no information related to this area exists. As many as 137 bird species belonging to 39 families (2 of them are subspecies) were identified in the study area. Of these, 67 (48.9%) are migrant species (summer migrant), 50 (36.5%) are resident, 19 (13.87%) are winter visitors and 1 (0.73%) is transit migratory These species belong to different IUCN Red List Categories including; 2 (1.46%) species are critically endangered, 4 (2.9%) are endangered, 17 (12.4%) are vulnerable, 16 (11.68%) are near threatened, 88 (64.23%) are least concern, 3 (2.19%) are data deficient and 7 (5.1%) are not evaluated. According to Red Data Book List of Turkey, birds can be categorized as; A. 1.2. 12 (8.76%), A.2. 22 (16.05%), A.3. 38 (27.74%), A.3.1. 21 (15.33%), A.4. 14 (10.22%), A.5. 20 (14.6%), B.3. 3 (2.2%), B.3.1. 1 (0.73%), B.4. 3 (2.2%) and B.5. 3 (2.2%). The most convenient protection method in such big basins is to protect the sections where living things live extensively. Therefore, the detection of Yayliyaka Marshes will provide a significant contribution to basin protection plan.