AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE GUIDELINE: BARTIN-ARIT STREAM WATERSHED

Abstract

This study evaluates the agricultural lands in Bartin-Arit Stream watershed in terms of their agricultural convenience based on water and erosion process analysis. Moving from the water and soil protection functions of landscape, agricultural landscape guides were created. In the first phase, Arit Stream watershed was divided into microbasins using hydrologic data. In the second phase, landscape units were determined. In the third and fourth phase, areas that are sensitive in terms of water and erosion processes were identified, respectively. In the fifth phase, the existing agricultural uses were evaluated within the context of the convenience of landscape units. In the last phase, development centres in plant production sector were identified. In the field of study which includes a total number of 99 landscape units, the number of areas convenient for plant production was 25 whilst the number of areas not convenient for plant production was 74. Only 30% of the area were used for agricultural purposes. Of all the agricultural lands in Arit Stream watershed, 13.4% are 1st degree sensitive areas with high water and soil protection function. It is necessary to adopt a planning and management understanding in these areas in which protection measures are kept at the highest levels.