Using GIS-based multicriteria decision support system for planning road networks with visual quality constraints: a case study of protected areas in Ankara, Turkey.

Protected areas are important zones due to their natural and cultural assets and their biodiversity preservation functions. Ecotourism activities in these areas have gained great importance for visitors in recent decades. Road networks established in protected areas have ecotourism-related functions, such as providing visitors with continuous access to/within these areas and offering visual richness to visitors while cruising on the roads.

Assessment of ecological passages along road networks within the Mediterranean forest using GIS-based multi criteria evaluation approach.

Major roads cause barrier effect and fragmentation on wildlife habitats that are suitable places for feeding, mating, socializing, and hiding. Due to wildlife collisions (Wc), human-wildlife conflicts result in lost lives and loss of biodiversity. Geographical information system (GIS)-based multi criteria evaluation (MCE) methods have been successfully used in short-term planning of road networks considering wild animals.

Analyzing riparian forest cover changes along the Firniz River in the Mediterranean City of Kahramanmaras in Turkey.

Riparian forests adjacent to surface water are important transitional zones which maintain and enrich biodiversity and ensure the sustainability in a forest ecosystem. Also, riparian forests maintain water quality, reduce sediment delivery, enhance habitat areas for aquatic life and wildlife, and provide ecological corridors between the upland and the downstream. However, the riparian ecosystems have been degraded mainly due to human development, forest operations, and agricultural activities.

A GIS-based decision support system for determining the shortest and safest route to forest fires: a case study in Mediterranean Region of Turkey.

The ability of firefighting vehicles and staff to reach a fire area as quickly as possible is critical in fighting against forest fires. In this study, a Geographical Information System-based decision support system was developed to assist fire managers in determining the fastest and the safest or more reliable access routes from firefighting headquarters to fire areas. The decision support system was tested in the Kahramanmaras Forestry Regional Directoratein the Mediterranean region of Turkey.

Monitoring the local distribution of striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena L.) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey (Hatay) by using GIS and remote sensing technologies.

Striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena L.) are one of the large carnivores whose numbers have rapidly decreased in Turkey. To monitor and assess the distribution of striped hyenas in Mediterranean region of Turkey, geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies were implemented.

Using the Remote Sensing and GIS Technology for Erosion Risk Mapping of Kartalkaya Dam Watershed in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

The soil erosion is the most serious environmental problem in watershed areas in Turkey. The main factors affecting the amount of soil erosion include vegetation cover, topography, soil, and climate. In order to describe the areas with high soil erosion risks and to develop adequate erosion prevention measures in the watersheds of dams, erosion risk maps should be generated considering these factors.

Multidirectional Scanning Model, MUSCLE, to Vectorize Raster Images with Straight Lines.

This paper presents a new model, MUSCLE (Multidirectional Scanning for Line Extraction), for automatic vectorization of raster images with straight lines. The algorithm of the model implements the line thinning and the simple neighborhood methods to perform vectorization. The model allows users to define specified criteria which are crucial for acquiring the vectorization process.

Using LiDAR technology in forestry activities.

Managing natural resources in wide-scale areas can be highly time and resource consuming task which requires significant amount of data collection in the field and reduction of the data in the office to provide the necessary information. High performance LiDAR remote sensing technology has recently become an effective tool for use in applications of natural resources. In the field of forestry, the LiDAR measurements of the forested areas can provide high-quality data on three-dimensional characterizations of forest structures.

Application of GeoWEPP for Determining Sediment Yield and Runoff in the Orcan Creek Watershed in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

The geo-spatial interface of the WEPP model called GeoWEPP uses digital geo-referenced information integrated with the most common GIS tools to predict sedimentyield and runoff. The model determines where and when the sediment yield and runoffoccurs and locates possible deposition places. In this study, the sediment yield and runofffrom Orcan Creek watershed in Kahramanmaras region was estimated by using GeoWEPPmodel.

Using ASTER Imagery in Land Use/cover Classification of Eastern Mediterranean Landscapes According to CORINE Land Cover Project.

The satellite imagery has been effectively utilized for classifying land covertypes and detecting land cover conditions. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emissionand Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor imagery has been widely used in classificationprocess of land cover. However, atmospheric corrections have to be made by preprocessingsatellite sensor imagery since the electromagnetic radiation signals received by the satellitesensors can be scattered and absorbed by the atmospheric gases and aerosols.