IMPACT OF LAND USE CHANGES ON AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF KEMALPASA-IZMIR

摘要

Differentiating elements of developed and developing societies are basically population, industrialisation, energy and ecological environment. This phenomenon, which is based on the four essential elements, is the key of a life where all creatures in the life cycle and their sustainable interactions exist and their negative issues are predictable. In this project, how the decisions, which were taken in order to meet growing energy needs of increasing population, residence, new working areas as a result of growing industrialisation between 1975-2013 years, have affected irrigating agriculture fields and natural habitat are researched. The Kemalpasa plain in Izmir province was chosen to be the research area as this area contains fertile agricultural fields and the environment in this area is under threat of growing industrialisation in recent years. Most of the lands in the region were determined to be unsuitable for non-agricultural activities (LUCC Ⅰ-Ⅳ) in terms of land use capability. Due to microclimatic features of the region, cherry cultivation owning high income for agricultural economy of the region is intensively performed as well and this region has the earliest harvested cherry in the local region. Land use of planted agriculture fields, residential zones, industrial zones, agricultural zones and natural vegetation were detected, and their change with respect to time was examined. By this way, the effects of growing industrialisation in time on soil, agricultural activities taking place on soil and ecological environment were presented.