Öner Demirel

A study of the Kazdagi (Mt. Ida) National Park: an ecological approach to the management of tourism.

In the field of tourism, where environmental resources are the primary attraction, ecotourism is one of the sustainable approaches now considered as an alternative when considering todays increasing environmental problems. Indeed, according to the World Tourism Organisation, ecotourism is the fastest growing market within the tourist industry. The purpose of this study is to determine tourism activities sensitive to the environment, to help tourism in Turkey and neighbouring countries, and to help spread ecotourism by protecting biological species. The Kazdagi (Mt. Ida) area in Turkey is used as an example and case study.

Determining the tourism potential of the Altındere Valley National Park (Trabzon/Turkey) with respect to its conservation value

This study was conducted to determine the tourism potential of Altındere Valley National Park with respect to its conservation and utilization. With its natural values, Altındere Valley National Park is one of the internationally prominent areas of potential for the recreational and touristic facilities it offers. A mathematical method – criterion referenced method – was applied within this study, which was done to portray the touristic potential (resulting from the touristic and recreational utilization of the national park area and recreational zone) of the national park, which was visited by an average of 200,000 local and foreign guests. According to this method, the conservation and utilization values that appear on two opposite axes were examined in accordance with the natural resource values of the area, and conservation and utilization values for each criterion were determined. Depending on the data, the general exploitable touristic potential of the area was specified. A survey study was conducted on groups from various disciplines and local & foreign tourists visiting the area in specifying the touristic potential of the National Park. Eleven criteria were defined concerning the area and a criterion reference was prepared for each criterion. Then, conservation and utilization values for each criterion and exploitable touristic potential were mathematically indicated. The fact that the attained values were reduced to a percentage basis provides the opportunity to compare the researched area to similar fields that use the same method. Within the scope of the method, several suggestions were made using the information obtained in the evaluation of the data for every other source value.

A study of an ecologically based recreation and tourism planning approach: a case study on Trabzon Çalköy high plateau in Turkey

The Çalköy high plateau settlement, located in a pristine landscape, is thought to have considerable potential for recreation and nature tourism. This study focused primarily on the natural and cultural values of the area and their prospective utility for recreation and tourism. Additionally, the behaviours and activities of local people in terms of recreation and those of visitors in terms of tourism were examined and their environmental impacts were assessed. Interviews were conducted with four different groups comprising visitors, local people, local administrators and public authorities. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis was employed to determine the key aspects that could be used to inform the planning of local, ecologically based recreation and tourism. The method enables stakeholders and local people to give their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the area along with opportunities and threats. These factors were then applied to a TOWS (Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Strengths) matrix to identify those features that need to be strategically enhanced or ameliorated in the planning context. The result of the study, according to the SWOT/TOWS analysis, is that Çalköy village pasture is one of the suggested places for high plateau tourism. Çal village plateau has exposed a variety of current and future challenges. There will be an increase in tourism activities in Çalköy village.

Ecology-based tourism potential with regard to alternative tourism activities in Altındere Valley (Trabzon - Maçka).

The present study was conducted in areas covering the Yazlık Village settlement of Maçka District, parts of Altındere and Coşandere Villages, and surrounding fields and plateau settlements, which are all located within Altındere Valley, Trabzon province. The purpose of this study is to determine the use potential of priority area for tourism with a consideration of sustainable use principles, which will serve to protect the ecological structure of the area and its surroundings. With this purpose in mind, a methodological design has been established in order to detect the most suitable regions for tourism activities which can be carried out in the rural areas with protected natural resources. In the research study, ‘V-Wert’ method was developed and used in order to identify the utilization of the research area and its surroundings with respect to ecology-based tourism and alternative tourism activities. In the study that was carried out, an activity value was calculated for the activities that will emerge as a result of ecology-based tourism planning and the determination of tourism potential, in the scope of the methodology, and then was added to the formula as a multiplier. A specific tourism potential map was created through V-Wert method. When tourism potential evaluation was carried out for plan- squares in regard to climate, transportation, relief, forest and waterside, and activity values, the ratios obtained were, respectively, 9.7% for ‘very good’; 9.11% for ‘good’; 21.176% for ‘average’; 40.3% for ‘weak’; and 19.7% for ‘very weak’ areas.

Noise Pollution and Human Health in Trabzon Parks

Abstract Since the 1980s, rapid and unplanned urbanization has caused environmental pollution. It is accepted that noise pollution has a major impact on health, such as physical, physiological, psychological and performance-related effects, all over the world. This paper provides an evaluation of noise pollution in three urban parks in the city of Trabzon, located in the north-eastern part of Turkey. Equivalent noise point levels were measured during a 3-minute spread at each park. Measured values were compared with national legislation (Law: 60) allowed limits, and the parks were thus classified as either “acoustically polluted or unpolluted.” Urban parks in Trabzon’s city center, surrounded by roads with heavy traffic and intense commercial activities, do not satisfy any of the standards used. The most noise-polluted parks in Trabzon were the Meydan Park, Atapark and Fatih Park with measured Leq of dB (A) Meydan park (63.74), dB (A) Atapark (64.15) and dB (A) Fatih park (64.67). This paper examines the opportunity of using plant material (Syringa vulgaris, Viburnum lantana and Acer pseudoplatanus) to minimize noise to acceptable levels in the three urban parks located inside Trabzon’s city center. At the end of this examination, it was concluded that is possible to reduce noise to acceptable levels in all three parks, by using green barriers decorated with plant material. In this way, the noise level was reduced, which will have a positive effect on human health.

Pollution caused by peoples’ use for socio-economic purposes (agricultural, recreation and tourism) in the Gölcük Plain Settlement at Bozdağ Plateau (Ödemiş-İzmir/Turkey): a case study

Mountainous areas, which form the largest geography of our country and are called reserves of resources owing to their difficulty of accessibility, have been increasingly under threat of exploitation and overuse in recent years. The area in question from among the mountainous areas, which are sensitive ecosystems with their environmental components, is the Bozdağ mass located in Gölcük Plateau Settlement, which has been subject to intensive construction and use. This study is intended to reveal the current uses of Gölcük Plateau (agricultural, recreation, and tourism) and determine the sources and effects of pollution as a result of these uses and aims at revealing how the permanent residents of Gölcük Plateau Settlement on Bozdağ Plateau, which is a center of attraction with respect of recreation and tourism activities, and those who go there only in certain periods, use the environment for tourism and recreational purposes, and determine their positive and negative impacts on environment through SWOT analysis.

Ecology-based tourism potential of Altindere Valley (Trabzon-Turkey) in regards to the natural, historical and cultural factors

ABSTRACT The study was carried out in the Altindere Valley, which is an area appropriate for tourism activities with natural, historical and cultural values through all four seasons, with Yazlik Village in the centre and including the surrounding sites Cosandere village, Altindere village, hamlets (The Hamlets) and plateau areas. In this study, the goal is to set forth the ecological-based tourism potential in line with the concepts of intactness; conservation-use balance; and sustainability at natural, historical and cultural sites through a determined planning approach. In this respect, assessments have been made on the study area on the basis of the ‘Ecological Evaluation Method’, which has been developed for urban areas. Through the determination of quotients, classification and quantitative assessment of unweighted values were found for natural and cultural elements that show percentage (%) dispersion at the area (slope, exposition, soil, forest, vegetation, existing areas use, historical and cultural structure). ‘Weighted values’ were calculated by multiplying the determined factor weights and the unweighted inside grid values of the factors. With the results of grid values obtained, 10.58% Very Good, 48.82% Good, 19.7% Average, 8.82% Weak, and 12.05% Very Weak, ‘Ecological Based Tourism Potential Areas According to Natural, Historical and Cultural Factors’ have been identified.

An Examination of Tabriz Gardens in Iranian Garden Art

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the place of historic gardens in the city of Tabriz vis-a-vis Iranian garden arts. It provides information on the historic gardens of Tabriz, which are no longer in existence, for example, ‘Saheb Abad’ Garden, ‘North’ Garden, ‘Sefa’ Garden, ‘Amir Kabir’ Garden, ‘Saheb Divan’Garden and ‘Fath Abad’ Garden, as well as four historical maps belonging to the Qajar era in the city of Tabriz. In this research, the factors influencing the design of El-Goli Garden were studied, which can be grouped into three major categories: physical, biological and cultural. After a brief study of the above factors in the city of Tabriz and its different microclimates, the types of similarities that exist relating to Iranian garden art were determined.

The Evaluation of Landscape Equipment Components in Terms of Ergonomics

Abstract The main principle of the Landscape architecture is to create a physical environment compatible with human beings. All elements (the accessory elements) ergonomic-anthropometric norms should be taken into consideration while evaluating the physical environment. Accessory elements are compatible with the characteristic of human size. Health centers were selected as the study area of the current paper, bearing in mind the idea that accessory elements should be created in accordance. With the demands and needs of the users, neglecting mere aesthetics, to decrease the negative effect of Hospital gardens upon human beings. In this paper, fitted landscape elements at Karadeniz Technical University-Applied Health and Research Center- Farabi Hospital were analyzed in detail, their compatibility with anthropometric dimensions was assessed. It was observed that most of the landscape elements did not meet the extreme conditions, revealing the importance of anthropometry in the discipline of landscape architecture. The elements that are not ergonomically suitable were detected and suggestions were made to solve accompanying problems.

İran bahçe sanatının ve tasarım özelliklerinin araştırılması

Dunyanin farkli cografyalarinda bahce tasarimi ve uygulamalari, eskiden beri caglara ve zamana gore toplumlarin ve medeniyetlerin urunu olarak suregelen bir sanattir. Iran’da bahce sanati, uzun gecmise sahiptir ve tum donemlerde ve ozellikle Islam’dan sonra buyuk ilgi gormustur. Iran Bahceleri hakkinda dunya uzerinde farkli dillerde bircok yazili kaynak olmasina ragmen, maalesef Turkiye’de Iran Bahcelerinin tarihsel gelisimini, tasarimlarini ve tasarim kurallarini bilimsel olarak anlatan kaynak eser eksikligi bulunmaktadir. Bu calisma ile Iran Bahce Sanatini tarihi surecinde, tasarim degisiklikleri acisindan incelemek ve Iran Bahcelerini bicimlendiren asil ogeleri ortaya koymak amaclanmistir.