Göksu Delta (768)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Göksu Deltası
Central coordinates: Latitude: 36.3000, Longitude: 33.9833
Area of KBA (km2): 216.12567
Protected area coverage (%): 54.97
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The majority of the delta is used intensively by man and comprises agricultural land, settlements, wetlands, sand-dunes and beaches. Akgöl lake is a permanent nutrient-rich freshwater lake supporting rich marsh vegetation (including extensive Potamogeton, Scirpus, Typha and Phragmites beds). Saltmarsh surrounds the major lakes; the dunes are of particular conservation interest due to their intact and dynamic nature.
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 of major importance for a range of breeding waterbirds, including the largest numbers of Marmaronetta angustirostris known in Turkey. It is also important for wintering raptors and waterbirds, and as a stop-over site for large numbers of Pelecanus onocrotalus and Ciconia ciconia. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla (wintering) and Larus audouinii. 332 bird species have been recorded, 90 are thought to breed.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (50%) | fisheries/aquaculture (10%) | nature conservation and research (10%) | not utilised (20%) | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Planned dam and reservoir construction on the Göksu river will stop sediment inputs to the delta. Large areas of dune and marsh have been illegally converted to agriculture. A new drainage and irrigation project will lead to further intensification, increased nutrient and agrochemical inputs, and changes in the hydrological regime. Industrial discharges may adversely affect fisheries; illegal trawling is common. From 1990 to 1998 DHKD and others ran a project aimed at developing an integrated management plan.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |