Journal of Environmental Biology

The bird species of Kumasir lake (Kahramanmaras-Turkey) and a view of environmental ethics on sustainable wetland management

S. Inac*¹, O. Gorucu² and A.H. Pinar³

^1,2Faculty of Forestry, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University - 46100, Kahramanmaras, Turkey

³Islahiye Vocational High School, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University - 27800, Gaziantep,Turkey

(Received: February 10, 2007; Revised received: June 10, 2007; Accepted: June 21, 2007)

Abstract:  Kumasir lake is located next to towns of Donuklu and Fatih, nine km west of Kahramanmaras city center, the region of east Mediterranean, Turkey. This lake is of crucial importance from the point of native and immigrant birds. We located 17 bird species in this area during our observations carried out in the spring and autumn of 2005-2006. These were  Ciconia ciconia L., Anas platyrhynchos L., Accipiter nisus L., Accipiter brevipes L., Fulica atra L., Columba palumbus L., Merops apiaster L., Upupa epops L., Alauda arvensis L., Motacilla flava L., Turdus merula L., Acrocephalus scirpaceus L., Regulus regulus L., Garrulus glandarius L., Corvus corax L., Fringilla coelebs L., Hirundo rustica L.. Among observed 17 species; 6 of them were immigrant and remaining 11 of them were native birds. Kumasir lake is surrounded by  wetland of Amik and Gavur lake. Since it was greatly dried, it was  transformed to farmland. Consequently, the birds lost most of their nests and settlements. However, not taken in the care of environmental ethic values, the wastewaters of the villages drain to lake reservoir; herbicides and insecticides used for agriculture are polluting the water, reeds have been burned, the lake’s reeds are getting dry by the irrigation for the farmland. So, the wetland ecosystem is being affected negatively by these factors. On the other hand, the birds are exposed to illegal and unlawful hunting. For this reasons, this lake must be taken into a management regime of sustainable wetland (protection profiting balance) and used techniques of participation planning via the process of sustainable natural resources and planning.

Key words:   Birds, Kahramanmaras, Kumasir lake, Wetland, Environmental ethics

PDF of full length paper is available with author (sinac@ksu.edu.tr)

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