Ecological and environmental assessment of Erzincan Districts within the scope of the biodiversity-friendly city approach

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Askan G., Yilmaz H.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, cilt.198, sa.1001, ss.1-27, 2026 (SCI-Expanded)

Özet

This study was conducted between 2022

and 2024 to develop strategies for the inventory, conservation,

and sustainable management of biological

diversity in urban areas of Erzincan province, encompassing

six districts and one town. It also seeks to

promote the use of natural plant species to create

climate-resilient urban ecosystems. Field surveys,

drone imaging, and plant species identification were

conducted across 70 open green spaces. The Shannon–

Wiener diversity index and Simpson diversity

index, together with the Biodiversity-Friendly City

Criteria, were applied to the Erzincan case. A total

of 105 plant taxa, including 36,799 individuals, were

identified, with 56% being natural and 44% exotic.

Kemaliye had the highest species diversity index

and while Çayirli had the lowest. The plants consisted

of 54% edible-leaf broadleaf trees, 19% conifers,

and the remaining being edible shrubs, small

trees, and vines. Biodiversity assessments revealed

that Kemaliye had the highest diversity index, and

Çayirli the lowest. Districts were analyzed using the “Bio-friendly Settlement” criteria, with all districts,

including Çağlayan, Çayirli, Kemah, Kemaliye,

Refahiye, Tercan, and Üzümlü, showing high biodiversity

characteristics. The average Bio-friendly

score for the districts was 90.7 points. The Shannon–

Wiener diversity index indicated that Kemaliye

exhibited the highest biodiversity with a high evenness

value (E = 0.896), whereas Çayirli showed the

lowest diversity; this pattern was consistently supported

by the Simpson diversity index results. In

conclusion, the study stresses the importance of

implementing conservation measures to enhance

ecological sustainability in Erzincan, which also

holds significant potential for agricultural landscapes

and tourism. The high Bio-friendly scores

of these districts underscore the need for strategies

supporting ecological balance and biodiversity

preservation.