Mustafa Sari

Change detection of land cover and land use using remote sensing and GIS: a case study in Kemer, Turkey

Suitable climate conditions as well as rare natural and cultural resources in the Mediterranean region of Turkey have made it a centre of attraction for two conflicting interests: agricultural production and tourism activity. In recent years, the natural appeal of the area and economic interests have dominated tourism over agriculture, forestry and wildlife and led to significant urban sprawl. The objective of this study was to investigate the dimensions of the land cover/use conversion of a quiet, small village (Kemer) into an internationally popular touristic destination. In the scope of this study, land cover and land use changes were analysed over approximately 30 years using Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data (1975), and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data (1987, 1995 and 2003) by image classification techniques. In the land use hierarchy, the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) methodology was used as a base. Data organization and collection stages were achieved in a geographical information system (GIS) environment. Finally, the results indicate that, from 1975 to 2003, permanent crops decreased by 75% and most of these areas were structured. Throughout the same years a 55% decrease was determined to arise in heterogeneous agricultural areas. From 1975 to 2003, there had been no serious change in forests. The main reason for this is the accommodation of the Olympos‐Bey Mountains national park in the region.

Formation, distribution and chemical properties of saline and alkaline soils of the çukurova Region, southern Turkey

Abstract The salinity and alkalinity changes over the last 30 years in the cukurova Region were studied using LANDSAT images, field trials and data obtained from earlier studies. Three categories of reclaimed land were determined for the region as follows: 1. Totally reclaimed soils, including the Bajadas, River Terraces and Bottom Lands. 2. Partially reclaimed soils, in the Delta and Saline Marshy areas. 3. Soils with increased salinity, in the Sand Dunes and the Salinity Marshy areas.

Catenary soil relationships in the Çukurova Region, southern Turkey

Abstract A catenary sequence from the north to the south of the Cukurova Region was studied using pedo-geomorphological criteria. The catena studied is typical for the Mediterranean coastal areas covering surfaces — geomorphic units — formed by neotectonic activity and the following processes related to pedology. Each geomorphic unit was determined to comprise soils at different stages of development. However a trend showing increase of age with increasing elevation was found from the south to the north of the region. Soils occurring on Fluvio-Marine Terraces are Mollisols and Alfisols; on the Bajadas are Vertisols, Entisols and Inceptisols; on the River Terraces are Entisols; on the Bottom Lands are Entisols, Vertisols, Inceptisols; on the Delta are Vertisols, and Inceptisols; on the Coastal sand Dunes are Entisols; and on the Uplands are Entisols and Mollisols.

Monitoring changes in land cover/use by CORINE methodology using aerial photographs and IKONOS satellite images: a case study for Kemer, Antalya, Turkey

Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are effective tools for acquiring fast and accurate information about the Earths resources and for providing a medium for the efficient flow of information. Moreover, these systems are particularly suitable for determining land use types and monitoring their variation through time. In this study, changes in land cover and land use types in the last 23 years were determined for the town of Kemer (in the province of Antalya) by means of remote sensing and GIS. Kemer is located within the western Mediterranean region of Turkey and is of national and international importance due to its natural, cultural, historical and tourism significance. Stereoscopic interpretation of aerial photographs and visual interpretation of high resolution IKONOS images were conducted and land cover type changes over 23 years were determined using the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) methodology. In this context, eight different land cover types were examined: and their changes were analysed using data from 1981, 1992 and 2004. Results indicate that urban land use increased approximately 10 times, from 86.3 ha to 931.0 ha, and tourism and secondary residence land use increased nearly 140 times, from 5.3 ha to 715.8 ha. In contrast, decreases of 65.8% in complex cultivation patterns, 37.2% in coastal dunes and beaches, and 2.1% in permanent crops were observed. This land use change reflects the large scale net loss of natural resources in the area and this trend does not suggest sustainable natural resource management. Over the last quarter of a century, the most significant reason for changes in land use in the Kemer area appears to be caused by the pressure from the tourism and secondary residence sectors.

Relationship between spectral reflectance and water stress conditions of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon L.)

Abstract Remotely sensed data is an important tool for precision crop management. Satellite imaging systems and related‐hand held instruments are frequently proposed for detection of crop stress caused by water, soil compaction and lack of nutrients, etc. This study was conducted to investigate how Bermuda grass reflectance changes with the onset of water stress. Four different irrigation treatments were examined: 100% (I1), 75% (I2), 50% (I3) and 25% (I4) of the evaporation measured in the Class A Pan. A non‐irrigated plot was used as a control treatment (I5). Spectral reflectance data were collected using a hand‐held spectroradiometer which measured in the blue, green, red and near‐infrared. Soil water content was monitored by a neutron probe. Water‐stressed Bermuda grass (treatments I4 and I5) had lower spectral reflectance in near‐infrared and higher reflectance in red wavebands than the other treatments. The results were statistically tested using one‐way analysis of variance and Duncans multiple range test. Highly significant relationships were found between different irrigation treatments and near infrared wavelengths (P <0.01, R 2 =0.94) and between the irrigation treatments and the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) (P < 0.01, R 2 = 0.80). Results indicate that different water stress on Bermuda grass could be determined by using spectral reflectance, especially NDVI and near‐infrared reflectance regions. Analysis of experimental data indicated that it is possible to use remotely sensed data to develop maps of water stress conditions of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon).

Determination of seasonal variations in solar energy utilization by the leaves of Washington navel orange trees (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck).

Definition of both quality and quantity of energy consumption of crops by recently developed remote sensing methods has been an important factor in the control of sustainable bioenergy production in terms of food security. This study was conducted to find the critical physiological stages of orange trees from their energy supply and energy balances using remote sensing methods. The relationships between absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and chlorophyll content (chl) of the leaves at different growth stages were investigated. Canopy reflectance by hand‐held spectroradiometer and total chl analysis at the laboratory were measured simultaneously from the random samples taken from four different parts of orange trees in orchards, each orchard being at a different age group. Reflectance measurements were conducted between 450 nm and 900 nm wavelength at four different bands (three visible bands and one near‐infrared band) at the four basic physiological periods of orange trees. Reflectance values measured in the field were converted to APAR (W m−2) and the chl values were determined in mg ml−1. According to the statistical analysis, there was a strong relationship between APAR at the bands of 450–520 nm (blue) and 630–690 nm (red) and the chlorophyll content ( p⩽0.01; R 2 = 0.750 at blue wavelength and R2 = 0.770 at red wavelength) in June (fruit setting stage). These results showed that the relationships between chl and APAR values were very strong despite low levels of APAR at this stage, in comparison to the other ones. Amongst all the stages, APAR values were the highest in November. Another important result was that Washington navel trees unexpectedly had the highest APAR during the dormancy stage. These results suggested that the relationships between PAR utilization and chlorophyll content were important for tree health and indirect yield of per annum plants such as citrus. The values obtained from the leaves of orange trees at different physiological periods were more important than those relationships for the trees of different ages.