Satellite view of the central Anatolian deciduous forests, Turkey Photograph by USGS   Western Asia: Central Turkey Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   39,200 square miles (101,400 square kilometers) -- about the size of Virginia Vulnerable

· A Turkish High
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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A Turkish High

Birds such as avocets and cranes that migrate across Turkey find a welcome home in the Central Anatolian Deciduous Forests. Lakes and ponds dot the countryside, providing habitat and breeding grounds for waterfowl such as white pelicans. Throughout the high plateaus and mountains of this ecoregion, the rugged landscape is dappled with brilliant yellow patches of Turkey oak trees in the fall. Forests of European black pines and Cilician fir trees contain abundant animals, including the European marbeled polecat. High in the mountains, alpine meadows are home to the Turkish chamois.

Special Features

This high plateau surrounded by mountains in central Turkey has historically been an important meeting place and corridor for animals moving between Europe and Asia. In general, Asian animal types predominate and historically include the Anatolian leopard, Asiatic lion, and Asiatic wild dog. This ecoregion is classified as an "Important Bird Area" by Birdlife International because it provides critical habitat for many threatened and restricted-range species. Dominant tree species here include the cherry, hazelnut, and walnut.

	Anatolian leopards once freely inhabited this region, but centuries of persecution and the combination of increased human populations and decreased natural habitat have confined them to only a few small reserves.

Wild Side

In the Central Anatolian Deciduous Forests ecoregion, Anatolian leopards once rested under the leaves of oak trees. The skies above are patrolled by a variety of raptors. The lammergeier, a very distinct and majestic vulture, drops large bones from the air onto hard rocks to crack the bones open and feed on the nutritious marrow inside. On rugged mountain slopes, small goat-like animals called Turkish chamois nibble on tender grasses and shoots. In a nearby pond, Eurasian beavers construct elaborate lodges and dams. Wetlands throughout this ecoregion are filled with birds such as common terns, greater sand plovers, and white-fronted geese. At night, bats called western barbastrelles fill the skies as they forage, while European marbled polecats prowl the forest floor in search of rodents. Hidden under an oriental sweet-gum leaf, a forest dormouse might be nursing her young.

Cause for Concern

Most of the wetland areas in this ecoregion are threatened by irrigation, conversion to agriculture, and pollution. In addition, the damming of rivers and irrigation practices damage critical habitat in some areas. Other threats include logging, road construction, and the illegal export of wild plant bulbs and other native plant and animal species.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.