Page 216 - Çevre Şehir ve İklim Dergisi İngilizce - Özel Sayı

Use of Climate-Resilient Plants in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

Drawing on past experiences, certain fundamental practices that enhance
success during land preparation and planting in high-risk areas (such as site
protection, mulching, water harvesting techniques, soil conservation structures,
optimal planting time, irrigation, maintenance, selection of suitable and coated
seedlings, etc.) are considered key solutions for such areas (Acar and Dursun, 2010).
ÇEMGM lists some key considerations that it carefully strives to implement
in field plantation activities in collaboration with stakeholders as follows:
• Protecting the site with wire fencing
The benefits of protecting pastures under grazing pressure and other
human-induced impacts during the initial years, within available means,
were demonstrated in Karaman, Ayrancı. In the pasture activity conducted
here, the area was protected with barbed wire fencing. In the protected
area with a composition of forage-value herbaceous and semi-shrub
plants, the average plant ground cover ratio was measured at 62.5%. In the
uncontrolled pasture adjacent to the project area, the plant-covered area
was found to be approximately 25%, typical of weak pastures (Acar, 2023).
• In areas affected by wind erosion, windbreaks should be established
perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction before plantation
(aiming to mitigate the harmful effects of wind, such as moisture and
fertile topsoil loss, and hindrance of plant development) (Figure 15).

Figure 15: 1964: Planting of saplings between windbreak fences in Konya, Kara-
pınar (left) – 2002: Establishment of windbreak fences before plantation in Iğdır,
Aralık (right). (Archives of Konya Soil, Water, and Desertification Research
Institute Directorate and Iğdır Governorship Provincial Directorate of
Environment and Forestry)
• Mulching to prevent soil moisture and water loss (such as with organic
matter) should be applied wherever possible.

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Special Issue / 2024