Modelling of Expert Knowledge in Geographic Information Systems-based Planning of the Tuz Lake Special Environmental Protection Area, Turkey

Abstract

This paper puts forward a methodology for environmental planning using a geographic information systems-based medium. It explains how the method has been employed in the decision-making process of a land-use plan for the Tuz Lake Special Environmental Protection Area. The methodology is based upon a modelling of expert knowledge in which the opinions of an interdisciplinary group of experts is integrated and continuously refined in the determination of protection zones. The results from this model are then compared with the results of a biological diversity project carried out in the special environmental protection area using a different method. The final decisions on the limits of the protection zones are made using the results of both independent studies.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Ş. Önder Kıraç, former President of EPASA, for his encouragement in the writing of this paper; and Sezer Göktan, Head of the Research Directorate at EPASA, for her contributions and ideas during the modelling process. In addition, the author wishes to thank Assistant Prof. Dr Orhan Mergen for his comments on the sections relating to the biological diversity project; as well as the experts at EPASA, in particular Urban Planner Ayşe Ünal, for their assistance in all stages of the planning process.

Notes

1. ‘Tuz’ literally means ‘salt’ in Turkish.

2. Turkey signed this revision to the protocol in 2002, and it came into effect with the publication in the official gazette on 22 August 2002, No. 24854.

3. The Agency was first established under the Turkish Prime Ministry in 1989 (Decree No. 383). In 1991 the Agency became an affiliated organization of the Ministry of the Environment, and of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2003 (EPASA, 2008a).

4. Only in the State of Utah in the United States can an area with similar features be found. However, as far as natural assets and species are concerned, Tuz Lake is a unique environment.

5. Public administrations, non-governmental organizations (produced with the support of public administrations and/or universities), and topographical maps.

6. From both digital data importing and digitizing from hard-copy maps.

7. The opinions of experts were from the perspective of nature protection, and any previous background information of the SEPA was not considered. Each expert was provided with forms that listed both the map layers and each of the different type of areas, as well as maps.

8. For the rating of each areal object and the weighting for each map layer, importance was indicated in a range of 1–5, with 1 being least important and 5 being most important.

9. For the interim results, all of the data in the 20 vector map layers are transformed into 10 m × 10 m spatial resolution raster maps. The habitat map layer was converted into a 15 m × 15 m pixel raster map, and layers for (SPEC1, SPEC2, and SPEC2) were converted into 20 m × 20 m pixel raster maps—whereby SPEC1 means species of global conservation concern; SPEC2 means species with an unfavourable European conservation status, and with more than one-half of the global breeding or wintering population concentrated in Europe; and SPEC3 stands for species with an unfavourable European conservation status, but with less than one-half of the global breeding or wintering population within Europe.

10. Accordingly, the five categories in this map are most, highly, moderately, least, and not valuable, in turn.

11. The experts were provided with the ratings and weightings of the previous experts, together with the map layers and the results of the interim model, through official channels. In order to increase local knowledge in the process, around one-half of the members of the group, made up of academicians and non-governmental organization members, were selected either for their involvement in studies concerning the SEPA or because of their residence in the locality in question.

12. The commissioning of these people was carried out by EPASA through official channels.

13. For the rating of each areal object, importance was indicated in a range of 1–5, with 1 being least important and 5 being most important.

14. Accordingly, the four categories in this map are most, highly, moderately, and least valuable, in turn.

15. Translated from Turkish by the author.

16. In the biological diversity project, EUNIS mapping was carried out using data from 1987 and 2007, and the respective habitats were compared in terms of spatial changes.

17. The buffers around human activities, including municipal settlements, rural settlements and industry (as well as their projected development limits according to future population estimates), were determined taking into account the differentiating affects of these activities observed during the field studies.