Nuray (Emir) Akbulut

Distribution and status of the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis L.) in Turkey

A survey of all the major potential habitats in western Turkey showed that medicinal leeches, Hirudo medicinalis L., are widely distributed over the country and are not rare. They occur in practically all suitable habitats and the only region where they were found to be absent is that of the large river deltas in the south of the country (Çukurova deltas, Göksu delta). There may be zoogeographic reasons for this (Taurus mountains barrier). The application of a semi-quantitative survey method using collecting efficiency (number of leeches collected per hour by a single person) allowed a rapid assessment to be made of its status in a large number of wetlands. Leech density varied considerably from wetland to wetland, and the results enabled a ranking of the Turkish wetlands to be made according to their importance for medicinal leeches. Taking both the leech density and the size of leech habitats into account, the largest populations were identified on the Black Sea coast (Kizilirmak delta, Yeşilirmak delta and Karagöl Marshes near Sinop) and in inner and south-west Anatolia (Eber Gölü, Karamik and Sultan Marshes). Commercial exploitation for the pharmaceutical industry and for other purposes takes place at only a few places and does not appear to affect the population seriously. However, many populations are threatened by the draining of their habitats.

Chapter 17 – Rivers of Turkey

Publisher Summary Geologically, Turkey is a part of the Alpine belt that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Himalayan Mountains. This belt started to form in the early Tertiary when the Arabian, African, and Indian plates collided with the Eurasian plate. Since the late Tertiary, Turkey has been moving toward the Eurasian plate whose resistance splits Turkey along a northwest direction, forming east west extending horst-graben structures in the west. The geomorphologic evolution of Turkey includes pre- and post-Miocene phases that constrained the paleo- and neotectonic phases. The Central Anatolian Plateau owes its present morphology mainly to erosional processes before the Miocene, whereas the rest of the country continues to evolve by ongoing uplift processes. The evolution of river basins and development of major river valleys are a result of these geological processes. Turkey, because of its complex geologic, geomorphic, and climatic settings, has many rivers that enter the surrounding seas and neighboring countries of Iraq, Iran, and Armenia. Overall, 26 main drainage basins, including 4 endorheic basins lacking an outflow to the sea, occur in Turkey. This chapter focuses on 16 catchments, although the Terek and Kura Rivers are covered only marginally because of limited available information. It also briefly describes the endorheic basins and presents the general characterization of the Turkish river basins.

The study of heavy metal pollution and accumulation in water, sediment, and fish tissue in Kızılırmak River Basin in Turkey

The accumulation of heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, Co, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Br were determined in water, sediment, muscle, and gill of three fish species (Leuciscus cephalus, Capoetatinca, Capoeta capoeta) which were collected in Kızılırmak River Basin (Delice River). The metal concentration showed a general trend of Br>Zn> Pb>Cr>Cu>Hg>Co in water and Cr>Zn>Pb> Cu>Co>Hg>Br in sediment samples while Zn> Cu>Pb>Br>Cr>Hg>Co were in muscle and Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Br>Hg>Co were in the gill tissue.

Phenology of the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis L., in north-western Turkey

The seasonal occurrence of medicinal leeches was studied at two lakes in the Black Sea coastland of north-western Turkey. The number of leeches attracted by a collector per hour was taken as an indicator for population density. Leeches were most abundant in May/June, and were almost absent during the cold season (November – March). Leeches with a weight of less than 1 g occurred principally between July and October with a peak in July. It is thought that these individuals represent newly hatched leeches. Although both study areas are close to each other, significant differences were found in respect to mean leech size and the seasonal frequency of leeches (both total number and certain age classes). It is suggested that leech biology is greatly dependent on factors such as microclimate and the availability of hosts, and no general conclusions on phenology can be drawn. There is therefore no scientific basis for restricting commercial leech collecting to certain months of the year.

The plankton composition of Lake Mogan in Central Anatolia

Abstract The trophic status of Lake Mogan a shallow, alluvial lake in Central Anatolia, was assessed during a nine-month survey in 1994, including community structure and seasonal distribution of planktonic organisms. Bacillariophyta were dominant among the phytoplankton, followed by Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Cryptophyta, Euglenophyta and Dinophyta. Among the zooplankton, Arctodiaptomus bacillifer, Diaphanosoma lacustris and Keratella quadrata were the dominant species. Rotifers were most abundant in spring, Cladocera in summer and copepods in autumn. A rapid increase in zooplankton density correlated with a rise in temperature of 8°C and an increase in the chlorophyll concentration during summer. A total of 21 species of Rotifera, 6 species of Cladocera and 2 species of Copepoda have been identified, in addition to 90 species (from 8 genera) of phytoplanktonic organisms.

Records of species of Lecane Nitzsch, 1827 new for the Turkish rotifer fauna (Ploima, Lecanidae)

Two hundred and thirty three rotifer species are known from Turkey (DUMONT & DE RIDDER 1987, SEGERS et al. 1992, ALTINDAĞ et al. 2005, AKBULUT & YILDIZ 2005). During a study of the Çamkoru Pond in Ankara province between 2002 and 2003, we were able to obtain three species new to Turkey. We collected them with a 45 μm plankton net. The material was fixed in 4% formalin and analysed under a stereomicroscope and a compound microscope. A camera lucida was used for drawings. SEM was performed using a JEOL JSM-60 60 LV and a POLARON SC 502 SPUTTER COATER to gold cover.

On the Rotifera fauna of Inner Anatolia

Abstract The Rotifera fauna of ten different lakes in Central Anatolia was studied between April 1998 and October 1999 at monthly intervals. A total of 46 species in 20 genera was recorded, of which Brachionus bidentata, B. leydigii, B. variabilis, Cephalodella plicata, C. gracilis, Elosa worallii, Erignatha sagittoides and Lecane rhenana are new to the Turkish fauna.