Page 247 - 7. State Of Environment Report Of Türkiye

Türkiye’s genetic diversity gains importance especially with its plant genetic resources. Because
Türkiye is located at the intersection of the Mediterranean and Near East Gene Centre. These
two regions have a very important role in the emergence of cereals and horticultural crops. The-
re are 5 micro-gene centres in Türkiye, where more than 100 species show wide variation and
are the origin or diversity centres of many important cultivated plants and other economically
important plant species such as medicinal plants. These centres provide very important genetic
resources for the future sustainability of agriculture of a large number of cultivated plant species
in the world. In terms of animal genetic resources, due to its location, many indigenous animal
breeds are considered to have been bred in Anatolia and spread from there to other parts of the
world.

Another important issue in the conservation of biological diversity is the incorporation of the
principles of “sustainable use” into sectoral practices. Sustainable utilization is the establish-
ment of a balance between utilization and conservation, taking into account the self-renewal
and sustainability capacity of natural resources. Thus, both optimum benefit can be obtained
from biological diversity and the continuity of this diversity is guaranteed.
Although the number of plant species in the whole of the European continent is around 12,500,
the number of plant species identified in Türkiye today almost reaches this number. About 3,000
of these are endemic species unique to Türkiye. While the number of species constituting the
fauna and flora of Europe is about 60,000, in Türkiye it is about 80,000.
There are around 150 mammal, 480 bird, 130 reptile and 300 fish species in Türkiye. Of these, 15
mammal species, 46 bird species, 18 reptile species and 5 frog species are in danger of extincti-
on. The total wetland area of Türkiye exceeds 1 million hectares. There are approximately over
250 wetlands. These natural riches and living resources need to be protected. For this purpose,
Türkiye has become a party to various international conventions and efforts to become a party
are continuing. As a result of the deterioration and destruction of the ecosystem, many animals
have become endangered and extinct.
The Convention on Biological Diversity was ratified by Türkiye with Law No. 4177 dated 29 Au-
gust 1996 and entered into force on 14 May 1997. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the
national focal point of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and is responsible for ensuring
inter-agency coordination and cooperation in activities carried out for the conservation and
sustainable use of Türkiye’s biological diversity.

Türkiye has been participating in the meetings of the Conference of the Parties as a country
party since 1998. Within the scope of Article 17 of the Convention, a clearing mechanism has
been established with the addresses www.bcs.gov.tr in Turkish and www.cbd.gov.tr in English in
order to exchange information at national and international level.

Türkiye has three phytogeographic regions, each with its own unique species and natural ecosys-
tems. These are Europe-Siberian, Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean. The diversity in Anatolian
geography and climate has resulted in the formation of many micro-gene centres for species.

In microgene centres, there are species such as wheat, barley, chickpea, lentil, which are the pri-
mary gene centres of Anatolia, as well as species such as apple, pear, sour cherry, cherry, melon,
watermelon, whose original gene centre is Central Asia, but which have diversified and enriched
in Anatolia over time and formed secondary gene centres.

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