The effects of karstic areas on agriculture and forestry in the Western Mediterranean Region of Türkiye

Karst landscapes, composed of limestone, present distinct habitats and/or karst biomes in terms of landforms, land use, land capability classification, forest growth and regeneration, soil formation, water sources, and settlements. At the end of the Alpine orogenic period, the Taurus Mountains region rose by more than 3000 m and was dissected along fault lines.Large basins were formed as a result, and some of the tectonic depressions were occupied by lakes in which marl materials accumulated in the Korkuteli, Elmalı, and Bucak depressions. In the Taurus Mountains, the bottoms of karst depressions where clayey calcareous lake sediments and terra-rosa soils are found correspond to areas where cereals, fruits, and vegetables were produced and where settlements were established. Most greenhouses and citrus orchards have been established on karst depressions containing Mediterranean soils along the Mediterranean coast. In sloping karst areas, red Mediterranean soil (alfisol and luvisol) is found in cracks and between layers rather than on the surface. Karst areas are of particular importance from a forestry perspective. In karstic lands, the seeds of cedar trees, in particular, germinate easily in the upper parts of cracks containing soil. After one vegetation period, the seedlings' roots grow to more than 1 m in length. For this reason, the karstic areas of the Taurus Mountains are covered in productive forests of Taurus cedar (Cedrus libani), black pine (Pinus nigra), and Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia). Reforestation and afforestation activities in karst areas involve scattering cedar seeds in karst regions. Conversely, maquis vegetation is common in the understory of Calabrian pine forests, particularly in areas where Calabrian pines have been cleared or destroyed. Maquis vegetation regenerates with root suckers along limestone cracks. The main aim of this article is to shed light on the relationship between agriculture and forestry in the western part of the Taurus Mountains.