Description
Of the world’s seven continents, Asia is the largest. Its physical landscapes, political units, and ethnic groups are both wide-ranging and many. Southwest, South and Middle Asia are highly populated regions which, as a whole, cover an extremely large area of varied geography. In total, this domain is unique in its plant diversity and large vegetation zones with different communities and biomes. It is rich in endemics, with specific and intraspecific diversity of fruit trees and medicinal plants, including a number of rare, high value, species. At the same time, much of the land in the region is too dry or too rugged, with many geographical extremes. Overgrazing, oil and mineral extraction, and poaching are the major threats in the area. This two-volume project focuses on the dynamic biodiversity of the region with in-depth analysis on phytosociology, plants, animals and agroecology. There are also chapters that explore new applications as well as approaches to overcome problems associated with climate change. Much of the research and analysis are presented here for the first time. We believe this work is a valuable resource for professionals and researchers working in the fields of plant diversity and vegetation, animal diversity and animal populations, and geo-diversity and sustainable land use, among others. The first volume guides our readers to West Asia and the Caucasus region, while volume two focuses on issues unique to South and Middle Asia. 1 Karen F. Beazley Opening Chapter Professor School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Management Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. Karen.Beazley@dal.ca Changes in Human Population Density and Protected Areas in Terrestrial Global Biodiversity Hotspots,1995-2015 with focus on Southwest, South and Central Asia. 2 Mazin B. Qumsiyeh, Mohammed A. Abusarhan Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, Bethlehem University, Palestine Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation in Palestine 3 Marina Temina Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel Lichen diversity of the Negev desert (Israel) – effect of microclimate 4 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay, Celal Yarci, Ersin Ycel, Hamdi Gray Kutbay, Mahir Kk Ege University, Turkey Endangered swamp forests in Turkey – An ecological inventory, prospects and challenges 5 H. Baris Tecimen, Orhan Sevgi, Ali Kavgaci Turkey Forest fires and sustainability in Mediterranean ecosystems 6 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay, Italian Ege University, Turkey Role and function of Quercus coccifera (=Q. calliprinos) in the light of climate change scenarios in the Mediterranean Basin 7 Volkan Altay, Celal Yarci, Mustafa Keskin, Zeki severoglu, Munir Ozturk Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey Urban plant geography – A case study from Istanbul 8 Nazli Turkmen Ankara University, Turkey Turkey’s Wild Orchids 9 Munir Ozturk, Dogan Gkmen, Volkan Altay Ege University, Turkey Population dynamics of Potentilla in Turkey 10 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay Ege University, Turkey Plant Diversity and Ecology of the Grassland from West Anatolia 11 Khawar Jabran, Munir Ozturk, Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Volkan Altay Ege University, Turkey Agrodiversity in Turkey: Case study on Rice 12 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay Ege University, Turkey Potential economic importance of weeds in agricultural areas of Turkey 13 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay, Eren Akiek Ege University, Turkey Potential economic importance of trees and shrubs of Turkey 14 Meltem Sesli, E. Dilsat Yegenoglu, Yakut Gevreki, Funda Ata Turkey Tobacco’s Journey from America to Anatolia: Brief History of a Successful Adaptation 15 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay Ege University, Turkey Economically Important Aquatic Plants of West Asia 16 Munir Ozturk, Volkan Altay Ege University, Turkey Herbal cosmetics of West Asia 17 Emre ZSAHIN, Ilker EROGLU Namik Kemal University, Turkey Spatiotemporal Change of Anthropogenic Biomes (Anthromes) of Turkey 18 Dogan Kantarci Turkey An analysis of climate change in Southwest Anatolia 19 Kiraz ERCIYAS-YAVUZ1, Ahmet KARATAS2, Varol TOK3 (Assoc. Prof, email: kiraze@omu.edu.tr) (Prof. Dr, email: rousettus@hotmail.com) (Prof. Dr, email: cvtok@comu.edu.tr) Ondokuz Mayis University, Ornithological Research Center, Kurupelit Atakum Samsun, Turkey Nigde mer Halis Demir University, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Biology Department, Nigde, Turkey anakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Biology Department, anakkale, Turkey The Vertebrate Biodiversity of the West Asia 20 Ahmet KARATAS: S. Cevher ZEREN: Halit FILIZ: Cemal Varol TOK: Kiraz Erciyas YAVUZ, Nigde . H.Univer., Faculty of Science and Arts, Dept.of Biology, Nigde rousettus@hotmail.com Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ankara scozeren@gmail.com Mugla Sitki Koman University, Faculty of Fisheries, Marine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Mugla e-posta: halit.filiz@mu.edu.tr anakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, anakkale cvtok44@gmail.com Ornithological Research Center, Ondokuz Mayis University, 55139 Kurupelit Samsun. http://ornitolojiarmer.omu.edu.tr Invertebrates from Turkey 21 Nodar Elizbarashvili, Nino Sulkhanishvili, Rusudan Elizbarashvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia Main Problems of the Sustainable Development of the South Caucasus and Processes of Transformation of Landscapes (Ecosystems) Biodiversity 22 T. Urushadze, G. Kvesitadze, T. Kvrivishvili, T. Sadunishvili, L. Kutateladze, N. Gagelidze, G. Tsereteli, R. Kakhadze, N. Zakariashvili, E. Bakradze Georgia The soils of Georgia and Peculiarities of its Biodiversity 23 T. Basilashvili, Bakur Beritashvili, Naili Kapanadze Georgia Forest cover for the safety of biosphere and environment 24 Davit Sartania, Dali Nikolaishvili Georgia Agrodiversity and Sustainable Development 25 Sayyara Ibadullayeva, Tubukhanim Gasimzade Institute of Botany of ANAS, Baku, Azerbaijan Flora and Plant Cover of Azerbaijan Republic 26 Zeynal Akparov, Afig Mammadov Institute of Genetic Resources of ANAS, Baku, Azerbaijan Agrobiodiversity of Azerbaijan 27 Starodubtsev V.M., Basarab R.M., Bogdanets V.A. National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Land Cover Change in River Deltas of The Black Sea South-Eastern Coast 28 Elman Yusifov Institute of Zoology of ANAS, Baku, Azerbaijan Animal biodiversity of Azerbaijan 29 Vitaliy N. BURIK Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia Fish Fauna of an Average Watercourse Amur
