Beyşehir Lake (765)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Beyşehir Gölü
Central coordinates: Latitude: 37.7667, Longitude: 31.5167
Elevation (m): 1120 to 1525
Area of KBA (km2): 931.15341
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The largest freshwater lake in Turkey (max. depth 10 m), 75 km west of Konya. Fluctuating water-levels give a surface area of between 60,000 and 73,000 ha; the lake is fed by mountain streams and several springs. To the north is the Kýzýldað Cedrus forest; to the east the land is under agriculture. Three of the 30 islands are inhabited, others are farmed, the majority are deserted. Narrow reedbeds (Phragmites) fringe the shores with extensive tracts in bays in the east and south-west. Human activities include reed-cutting (`Other' land-use).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. 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 large numbers of wintering wildfowl. Breeding colonies of Phalacrocorax carbo, Pelecanus crispus, Nycticorax nycticorax and Egretta garzetta were formerly present on the islands.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (15%) | water management (80%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 95 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Water-levels have fallen considerably in recent years, mainly as a result of abstraction˜DSÝ intends to increase the amount of water abstracted for irrigation schemes. The lake is polluted by untreated industrial discharges, waste from nearby villages and agricultural run-off. Holiday-home construction and associated sand extraction have begun on the shores west of Bey°ehir. Fish diversity declined following the 1978 introduction of pike-perch Stizostedion lucioperca, and out-of-season fishing is a problem.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) | Ongoing |