In the third workshop of the “Urban Workshops” organized by Istanbul Medeniyet University, the “BioBlitz” event was held with the theme of sustainable city. Spring observation of the workshop titled “Ecology in the City – BioBlitz: Validebağ Grove” organized under BioBlitz IMU events was conducted by wildlife biologist/ornithologist Nuh KUBILAY, geological engineer Gökhan SAPMAZ, and our University research assistant Ayça ÇELIKBILEK. In the event held in Üsküdar Validebağ Grove on Saturday, April 30th, 2022, a total of 8 hours of observation was made.
In the workshop held in Validebağ Grove, which was registered as a 1st degree natural heritage area and declared as a protected area, the biodiversity of the land was recorded and mapped by identifying the living species in the area. In the spring observation, which was organized as the second part of the BioBlitz events, 235 observations were made and 224 of them were recorded with photographs. 26 different observers and experts from all around the world provided support with 285 definitions to the recorded observations. As a result of the definitions, 72 new species were identified and recorded in the spring observation in addition to the winter observation species. Identification studies continue for the observations whose family and genus have been determined but the species classification has not been made yet.
Approximately 1/3 of the living species observed in the workshop belonged to bird species. While some of these species were observed and recorded with photographs while they were feeding, staging or nesting in the area, some of them were observed through binoculars while migrating over the area. Among the new bird species observed were mostly migratory birds and predators. This also revealed the important contribution of the protected ecosystem to the species richness of the region, which is used as a staging and feeding area by birds, by not interfering with the natural structure of the area. It has been determined that interventions to the area or opening the area to the structural development of the city will create a conflict between human and wildlife, which bears the risk of reducing species diversity along with habitat loss.
It was observed that there is an increase in plant species in the area and, accordingly, insect/spider species in the spring season. It also was determined that the flowering seen in the plants is an important factor for noticing the species by the observers.
During the observations, two invasive species, the green parrot and the red-cheeked turtle, were identified in the area, and the participants were informed about these species and their effects on the habitat. It has been observed that green parrots, which are defined as invasive species in 41 countries- including our country- and also observed in winter observation, are in their breeding period and compete with other species that breed in the tree for nesting holes. The newly added species to the invasive species in the spring observation was the red-cheeked turtle, which was identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species in the world. The turtle observed in the stream in the area was observed as a single individual.
In the observations made during the workshop and in the species identification studies carried out after the workshop, all participants were informed about the observed species, their characteristics and habitats. In addition, information was given about the threats that rapid/unplanned urbanization and climate change will pose on these species and their habitats. Thus, the workshops contributed to the citizens’ understanding of the importance of green spaces and natural heritage areas, which are gradually decreasing in a big metropolitan area like Istanbul, and to the awareness that they share these areas with many living species. It also was aimed to increase the awareness of the citizens by recognizing the living species and to spread the community-based conservation works.
The participants were given a digital participation certificate after the workshop, which was open to the public.
You can follow BioBlitz IMU’s summer observation workshop on sdg.medeniyet.edu.tr.
