Manyas Lake (Kuş Lake) (783)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Manyas Gölü (Kuş Gölü)
Central coordinates: Latitude: 40.1833, Longitude: 27.9500
Elevation (m): 18 to 18
Area of KBA (km2): 226.88555
Protected area coverage (%): 82.94
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow nutrient-rich freshwater lake (average depth 3 m) fed by groundwater and four streams. Small deltas have formed where the latter enter the lake, comprising extensive marshes and tree-lined riverbanks. Narrow belts of reed Phragmites fringe much of the lake. Water is abstracted for factory use and for irrigation. Cattle- and sheep-grazing is common along the lake shores.
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: This is an important site for breeding and wintering waterbirds; migrating Pelecanus onocrotalus often roost at the lake.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 16000 ha [in 1997/2000 IBA inventory] to 21800 ha (Kiliç & Eken 2004).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%) | fisheries/aquaculture (10%) | urban/industrial/transport (80%) | water management (80%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 95 | |
| Forest | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Artificially high water-levels have resulted in the loss of feeding marshes. Nesting trees in the National Park have also begun to die as a result of prolonged inundation. Agricultural, industrial and household pollution enters the lake in large quantities. Due to over-fishing, disease, pollution and possibly the effects of the changing water regime, fish catches have declined drastically. Fish migration into the lake is now impossible following the construction of a regulator.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Herbicides and pesticides | Ongoing |