Acıgöl Lake (763)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Acıgöl
Central coordinates: Latitude: 37.8000, Longitude: 29.8167
Elevation (m): 830 to 920
Area of KBA (km2): 327.45363
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow, stream- and spring-fed saline lake (max. 16,500 ha) of tectonic origin. Freshwater marshes have developed around the springs; the lake supplies irrigation water and largely dries up during summer. The plain to the south-west comprises salt-steppe; the land to the north-east is intensively farmed. The site includes a complex of small freshwater lakes 10 km south-west of Acýgöl. Human activities include stock-grazing, salt extraction and reed-cutting (`Other' land-use).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: The site is important for breeding waterbirds, although numbers have fallen in recent years, possibly due to low water-levels. Tadorna ferruginea occurs throughout the year, and breeds in the surrounding mountains. Acýgöl was formerly important for breeding Otis tarda; it seems certain that a small population survives.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 32,730 ha to 32,739 ha (Eken et al, 2006).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (15%) | energy production and mining (20%) | fisheries/aquaculture | rangeland/pastureland (65%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 30 | |
| Grassland | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: DSÝ plan to drain 13,620 ha of land between Acýgöl and the freshwater lakes, thereby destroying the largest intact salt-steppe ecosystem in the region. No environmental impact assessment has been carried out to date. Salt from the saltpans blows onto adjacent agricultural areas and reportedly damages crops and causes human respiratory problems. In 1996 work began on an industrial complex west of the area, which will use water from artesian wells. The possible effects of this scheme with regard to pollution and the lowering of groundwater levels are unknown.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing |