Murat Türkeş

Large scale moisture flux characteristics of the mediterranean basin and their relationships with drier and wetter climate conditions

Large scale moisture flux analysis was carried out for the Mediterranean Basin in order to increase our understanding of the larger scale atmospheric controls on moisture flux convergence that are related to drier and wetter conditions. The seasonal moisture budget (precipitation minus evaporation) was calculated using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction—National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data for the period 1949–2012. Results of the analysis show that the displacements of prevailing atmospheric action centres located over the subtropical mid-east Atlantic (i.e. Azores high) and the north-east Atlantic (i.e. sub-polar or Iceland low) to the north and to south, respectively, generally determine the wet or dry conditions over the Mediterranean Basin. In winter, the eddy fluxes originating from the mid-Atlantic propagate over Europe providing wet conditions in western and central Europe. The contribution of eddies to the moisture budget weaken in summer for the Mediterranean Basin, because of weaker and less frequent frontal activities in general.

Sand in My Eyes Fled Effect: An Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Psychological, cultural, religious and environmental factors affect human decisions and sometimes cause irrational behaviours. Even this is a common truth, traditional economics claims human is rational and many economic theories based on this idea. Behavioural Finance and Behavioural Economics go against this main assertion and postulates human has bounded rationality.

Assessing the vulnerability of a forest ecosystem to climate change and variability in the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey: future evaluation

This study evaluates the multifactorial spatial modelling used to assess vulnerability of the Düzlerçamı (Antalya) forest ecosystem to climate change. This was done to produce data, to develop tools to support decision-making and the management of vulnerable Mediterranean forest ecosystems affected by climate change, and to increase the ability of these forest ecosystems to adapt to global change. Based on regionally averaged future climate assessments and projected climate indicators, both the study site and the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey will probably become associated with a drier, hotter, more continental and more water-deficient climate. This analysis holds true for all future scenarios, with the exception of RCP4.5 for the period from 2015 to 2030. However, the present dry-sub humid climate dominating this sub-region and the study area shows a potential for change towards more dry climatology and for it to become semiarid between 2031 and 2050 according to the RCP8.5 high emission scenario. All the observed and estimated results and assessments summarized in this study show clearly that the densest forest ecosystem in the southern part of the study site, characterized by mainly Mediterranean coniferous and some mixed forest and maquis vegetation, will very likely be influenced by medium and high degrees of vulnerability to future environmental degradation, climate change and variability.

Assessing vulnerability of a forest ecosystem to climate change and variability in the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey

Climate change is a real, pressing and significant global problem. The concept of ‘climate change vulnerability’ helps us to better comprehend the cause/effect relationships behind climate change and its impact on human societies, socioeconomic sectors, and physiographical and ecological systems. In this study, multifactorial spatial modelling evaluated the vulnerability of a Mediterranean forest ecosystem to climate change and variability with regard to land degradation. This produced data and developed tools to support better decision-making and management. As a result, the geographical distribution of Environmental Vulnerability Areas (EVAs) of the forest ecosystem is the estimated Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) values. These revealed that, at current levels of environmental degradation, physical, geographical, policy enforcement, and socioeconomic conditions, the area with a “very low” degree of vulnerability covered mainly the town, its surrounding settlements and agricultural lands found principally over the low, flat travertine plateau and the plains to the east and southeast of the district. The spatial magnitude of the EVAs of the forest ecosystem under current environmental degradation was also determined. This revealed that the EVAs classed as “very low” accounted for 21% of the area of the forest ecosystem, those classed as “low” for 36%, those classed as “medium” for 20%, and those classed as “high” for 24%.