Southern Marmara Region Research Articles

Climate Change Impacts on Precipitation Dynamics in the Southern Marmara Region of Turkey

Understanding the dynamics of precipitation patterns is crucial for effective water management strategies, especially in regions vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This study investigates the projected changes in annual and seasonal precipitation across the Southern Marmara Region of Turkey by comparing the averages of the reference period (1971-2000) with those of the future period (2061-2090). Employing multiple climate models (GFDL, HADGEM, and MPI) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), the analysis includes Mann-Kendall trend tests and Sen's slope method to determine trends in precipitation patterns. Key findings reveal significant variability in precipitation projections among different models and scenarios, with implications for water resource management, agriculture, and ecosystem resilience in provinces such as Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Bursa, Bilecik, and Yalova. According to the annual rainfall change rates relative to the reference period, Balıkesir province stands out as the most resilient province against climate change with average rates of 8.81% and 7.09% under the HADGEM and MPI model simulations, respectively. Regarding seasonal variations, Bilecik province is expected to experience a significant decrease in rainfall, reaching up to -53.78% under the MPI RCP8.5 scenario. In terms of within-period changes in annual rainfall values, the strongest declining trend was identified with Z=-2.03 in Bilecik province under the MPI RCP8.5 scenario conditions by the Mann-Kendall test. On the other hand, for seasonal variations, Bursa province demonstrates the most robust decreasing trend under the GFDL RCP4.5 conditions (Z=-2.89). The study emphasizes the importance of considering spatially varying precipitation patterns and potential shifts in atmospheric circulation for sustainable water resource management amidst climate variability and change in the Southern Marmara region. These findings provide critical insights for policymakers and stakeholders involved in developing adaptive strategies to address the challenges posed by future climate scenarios.

The efficacy of finger puppets, distraction cards and kaleidoscope for reducing anxiety in children undergoing day surgery

AimThis study was conducted to determine the efficacy of finger puppets, distraction cards and kaleidoscope for reducing anxiety in children aged 6–12 years who undergoing day surgery in Turkey. MethodsThe study was conducted using the “pre-post test unmatched group model”, one of the quasi-experimental methods. The study was conducted between April 2023 and January 2024 with children aged 6–12 years who were admitted to the pediatric clinic of a hospital for day surgery in the Southern Marmara region of Turkey. A total of 85 children (including 20 children in the control group, 22 children in the finger puppet intervention group, 21 children in the distraction cards intervention group, and 22 children in the kaleidoscope intervention group) who were hospitalized in the pediatric clinic. ResultsIt was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-intervention the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale Child Form (m-YPAS) sub-dimension and total mean scores of the children in the kaleidoscope, finger puppet and distraction cards groups, while there was no difference in the control group children. ConclusionKaleidoscope, finger puppet and distraction cards interventions were found to be effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in children and contributed to the national and world literature. It is recommended that further studies be conducted on the effectiveness of the three methods and that other variables that may affect the child's anxiety be addressed. Contribution to nursing practiceThis finding can be interpreted as significant and positive in demonstrating that anxiety induced by surgical procedures in children can be effectively managed with non-pharmacological methods.

Dairy Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies Towards The Effects of Climate Change in Southern Marmara Region of Turkey

Aims: The study aims to determine dairy farmers' perceptions of climate-related risks, their adaptation strategies and factors affecting their decisions about adaptation strategies in Southern Marmara Region of Turkey. Material and methods: Data was collected from 379 dairy farmers by proportional sampling method. The survey was performed between October and December 2023. Descriptive statistics and probit model were used in the evaluation of the data. Results: Most dairy farmers (70.7%) had a high perception for heavy storms. Changing feed ration seasonally was the most widespread adaptation strategy employed by dairy farmers. It was followed by diversification of animal production activities, livestock insurance and diverseness of feed crops. Among these adaptation strategies, changing feed ration seasonally was the highest choosen adaptation strategy in the study area whereas the diverseness of feed crops was the least choosen adaptation strategy. The probit model results showed that the dairy farmers' age and household size had an adverse the impact on their decisions about all adaptation strategies. Discussion: These results of this study stated that most dairy farmers perceived the rise in temperatures and decline in rainfall as noticeable changes in climate. Few dairy farmers used advanced agricultural applications for dealing with the negative impacts of climatic change, and many dairy farmers continued use to simple adaptation measures. Conclusions:As a result, the present study findings can shed light to policy/decision makers in agricultural research, to practices regarding the climate change impact in dairy farming, and to further studies in the literature.

Turizm Odaklı Stratejik Mekansal Planlama ve Bölgesel Kalkınma: TR22 Bölgesi Örneği

Spatial planning is an important tool used to decide the distribution of resources and activities at various scales and areas. Spatial planning is an important aspect focusing on physical planning in various sectors besides tourism. Although spatial planning and the tourism sector may seem like separate concepts at first glance, they are largely related. Analysis and strategic approaches in spatial planning are very important for tourism planning. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze the internal and external dynamics well (SWOT) and to bring strategic solution proposals (TOWS) for these dynamics while doing strategic spatial planning in the regional context. In order to analyze the current situation of tourism, it is necessary to consider both the upper scale (national and regional) and local scales (sub-regional, province and districts) together. This study aims to reveal the Role of SWOT and TOWS Analysis in Creating a Tourism Oriented Spatial Development Strategy / Regional Plan by determining the main problems and comprehensively analyzing the Southern Marmara Region (TR22), sub-region, province, and district scales.

A new species of Pseudorientalia (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from midwestern Trkiye with notes on Pseudorientalia natolica (Kster, 1853).

The members of the genus Pseudorientalia Radoman, 1983 are small hydrobiid species with characteristic features of the penis and female genitalia. The type locality of the genus is the southern Marmara region, northwestern Trkiye. In this study, sampling was carried out in the upper Sakarya River Basin, western-middle Anatolia to obtain hydrobiid specimens, which yielded a new Pseudorientalia. The shell, penis, and female genitalia of the new species are described. The measurement of some shell characters is compared with the other representatives of the genus from Trkiye, northern Greece, and some Aegean islands: Samos, Chios and Lesvos. In addition, notes on Pseudorientalia natolica are also given from examination of the type specimens.

Examining Teachers’ Opinions on Foreign Language Instruction in Preschool Education

This study aimed to determine the applications and problems on foreign language teaching process at pre-school level according to teachers’ opinions. In the study, case study, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed. The participants of the study consisted of 15 teachers working at pre-schools in a province located in the Southern Marmara Region of Türkiye. Data was collected by questionnaire technique. A questionary form prepared by the researchers for teachers was employed as data collection tool. Content analysis method was used in the analysis of the obtained data. As a result of the study, it was determined by teachers’ opinions that teaching English at pre-school period was effective and necessary. Teachers stated that they used games and dramas, coloring activities, cut-paste craft activities and flash cards while teaching English. Moreover, they indicated that the native language barriers, classroom management problems, low readiness level of the students, difficulties in teaching pronunciation, lack of experience for teaching English at pre-school level and lack of materials were among the problems teachers encountered. On the other hand, teachers express their positive opinions for English curriculum in terms of objectives, appropriateness for student level, improving English language skill and appropriateness of Turkish pre-school curriculum. On the contrary, teachers expressed that the curriculum did not focus on communication skill, it was not students-centered but topic centered and challenging for students. Teachers suggested that providing a better learning, developing new methods and techniques and materials, providing family support and trainings for teachers would make English teaching proves more effective.

First Record of Meloidogyne javanica (Treub, 1885) (Chitwood, 1949) in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growing Areas in the Southern Marmara Region

First Record of Meloidogyne javanica (Treub, 1885) (Chitwood, 1949) in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growing Areas in the Southern Marmara Region
 ABSTRACT
 The estimated loss of the annual agricultural production due to plant parasitic nematodes, which are among the important soil-borne pathogens, is estimated to be approximately 118 billion US dollars. Root-knot nematodes are the most important plant parasitic nematode group due to their wide host range and difficulties in control and cause significant quality and yield losses in vegetables including lettuce plant. Root-knot nematodes are causing symptoms such as yellowing, wilting and stunting on lettuce plant. For monitoring lettuce fields for detecting nematode infected areas, surveys were made to the lettuce growing areas of Çanakkale province in the winter months of 2021-2022 and the plants infected with root-knot nematodes were examined and pure nematode cultures were obtained in the laboratory. Species identification was made using morphological methods and morphometric measurements from second-stage infective juvenile and female individuals obtained from pure cultures. As a result, the first record of M. javanica in lettuce growing areas in the Southern Marmara Region was made in this study.
 Keywords: Lettuce, Southern Marmara Region, Root-knot nematode

A new species within the genus Bithynia (Gastropoda: Bithyniidae) from northwestern Türkiye

In Türkiye, the family Bithyniidae is represented by two genera: Bithynia (Leach, 1818) and Pseudobithynia (Glöer & Pešić, 2006). Recent studies have shown that Bithyniidae species have a broad distribution across southeastern Europe, including Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria. In Türkiye, a total of 14 species have been documented so far, with nine belonging to the genus Bithynia and five to Pseudobithynia. We found a new Bithynia species in Kocaçay Stream, situated in the southern Marmara Region. This newly identified species has been compared with all known congeners from nearby ecosystems in Türkiye and neighbouring countries. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C9665C20-F606-4763-8C82-E0DCFB23C7D8

Seismicity of the Southern Marmara Region (Türkiye) Before and After the August 17, 1999 İzmit Earthquake

In the present study seismicity of the Southern Marmara Region before and after the 1999 İzmit earthquake are analyzed and compared. A homogeneous seismicity catalogue that have completeness above the MC=2.9 and covers the time period between 1978 and 2020 is used. Comparison of the spatial mapping of the frequency-magnitude distribution before and after the 1999 İzmit earthquake revealed that b-values demonstrate a general increase after the earthquake indicating a general stress decrease in the region. The shortest computed TL value of about 450 years in the east of city of Bursa vanished after the 1999 earthquake. The computed time variations of b-value have shown an increase from 0.8 to 1.6 between 1978 and 1997 and an anomalous increase from 1.1 to 2.1 between 2000 and 2006. After 2006, b-values have decreased from 2.1 to 0.8, implying that decreased stress after the 1999 İzmit earthquake begun to increase after that year. Since the historical seismicity indicates no large earthquake on the fault segments of the North Anatolian Fault Zone extending along the towns of Geyve, İznik, Gemlik and Bandırma are considered to be most likely faults to host the next destructive earthquakes in the region.

INVESTIGATION of MICROORGANISM CONTAMINATION POINTS in BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENTS WITH CLINICAL SIGNS of FOULBROOD in APIARIES

The goal of this study was to determine whether colonies with clinical signs of foulbrood in apiaries and hive tools, smokers, gloves, feeders and beekeeper's veils used in the same colonies were a reservoir source for microbial infections. For this purpose, samples were taken from colonies with clinical signs of foulbrood and collected from 29 different apiaries in the Southern Marmara region of Türkiye. The samples were brought to the laboratory under appropriate conditions, and agent isolation and identification were performed. Different microorganisms were isolated from the feeder, hive tool, beekeeper smoker, gloves and beekeeper suit samples collected from each apiary. Bacteria isolated from the samples taken from the hives with clinical signs of foulbrood and from the samples taken from the tools and equipment were isolated as the same species or as a mixture. As a result, an intense presence of microorganisms was detected in the hive tool, beekeeper suit, gloves, feeder, and beekeeper’s smoker, used by beekeepers, and it was determined that these materials used in beekeeping were a source of microbial reservoirs.

Güney Marmara Bölgesi’nde Tüketime Sunulan Tahin Helvalarının Kimyasal Kalitesi ve Standartlara Uygunluğu

In this study, three different tahini halva types (plain, cocoa and pistachio) from 15 different brands were obtained from various manufacturers or commercial markets in the Southern Marmara Region provinces of Balikesir, Bilecik, Bursa, and Canakkale. For each manufacturer, samples were obtained from two different lot numbers. The results of chemical analysis in tahini halva samples were as follows; the total amount of sugar was 39.45-43.78%, the total amount of tahini was 51.88-76.84%, the amount of oil was 33.1-38.9%, the amount of peroxide in the extracted oil was 0-3.67 meq/kg, the amount of copper was 5.88-7.98 mg/kg, the amount of iron varied between 6.98 and 22.33 mg/kg, the amount of tin ranged between 0 and 1.12 mg/kg, the amount of lead was 0.019 mg/kg, and the amount of salt was between 0 and 0.96 g/100g. Arsenic was not detected in halva samples. When the fatty acid composition of oils extracted from tahini halva was analyzed using gas chromatography, a profile high in oleic acid (43%) and linoleic acid (40%) was found. When all of these results were taken into consideration, tahini halva from one of the examined enterprises was inconsistent with the Turkish Food Codex Communique on Tahini Halva (2015/28) in terms of the total amount of tahini.

The Mediation Effect of Job Crafting on the Effect of Learning Orientation on Life Satisfaction: A Research on Bank Managers

Günümüzün yoğun rekabetçi iş ortamında yenilikçilik ve öğrenme odaklılık sürdürülebilirlik açısından önemli olabilmektedir. Ayrıca, yaşam tatmini düzeyleri yüksek olan bireyler hem kendilerini hem de çevrelerini daha olumlu değerlendirebilmektedirler. İş zanaatkârlığı ise işgörenlerin yaptıkları değişiklikler aracılığıyla hem bireye hem de örgüte yönelik olumlu sonuçlar elde etmek amacıyla sergilenebilmektedir. Bu doğrultuda çalışmada, öğrenme odaklılığın yaşam tatmini üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi ve bu etki üzerinde iş zanaatkârlığının rolünün incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma amacı çerçevesinde kolayda örnekleme yoluyla, Güney Marmara bölgesindeki Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bursa, Çanakkale ve Yalova illerinde kamu ve özel sektörde çalışan 480 banka yöneticisine anket uygulanarak veriler toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler açıklayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri, korelasyon analizi ve yapısal eşitlik modeli aracılığıyla değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma bulguları kapsamında, öğrenme odaklılığın yaşam tatminini pozitif yönde ve anlamlı olarak etkilediği ve bu etkide iş zanaatkârlığının da kısmi aracılık etkisi tespit edilmiştir.

Investigation of offshore wind characteristics for the northwest of Türkiye region by using multi-criteria decision-making method (MOORA)

The trend towards clean and natural energy sources is inevitable in light of the growing demand for energy in the current age. In line with these needs, the tendency for wind energy is unavoidable, and it is increasing every year. For this reason, in addition to onshore wind energy fields, there is an obligation to use offshore ones. Since it has a high rate of wind energy efficiency, it has become important to install wind power plants on offshore sites in recent years. Although there are no offshore wind power plants in Türkiye yet, studies are ongoing. Data obtained from WindPro software between 1992 and 2022 were used for the analysis of the wind energy potential of the Northwest (i.e. South Marmara) region of Türkiye. To select the most suitable location for offshore wind turbines, the analysis was carried out using the MOORA method, which is one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods. According to the obtained data and the selected criteria, the most suitable places in the Southern Marmara Region were sorted.

Seismicity of the Southern Marmara Region (Türkiye) before and after the August 17, 1999 İzmit earthquake

In the present study seismicity of the Southern Marmara Region before and after the 1999 İzmit earthquake are analyzed and compared. A homogeneous seismicity catalogue that have completeness above the MC=2.9 and covers the time period between 1978 and 2020 is used. Comparison of the spatial mapping of the frequency-magnitude distribution before and after the 1999 İzmit earthquake revealed that b-values demonstrate a general increase after the earthquake indicating a general stress decrease in the region. The shortest computed TL value of about 450 years in the east of city of Bursa vanished after the 1999 earthquake. The computed time variations of b-value have shown an increase from 0.8 to 1.6 between 1978 and 1997 and an anomalous increase from 1.1 to 2.1 between 2000 and 2006. After 2006, b-values have decreased from 2.1 to 0.8, implying that decreased stress after the 1999 İzmit earthquake begun to increase after that year.

Seismotectonics of the southern branch of North Anatolian Fault Zone along Bolu, Bursa, and İzmir cities and Değirmenlik (Milos) island in the Aegean Sea

The segment distribution of the northern branch of North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) is well determined under the Sea of Marmara by intense seismic reflection studies. However, there is no agreement on the number of branches and their positions in the southern Marmara and western Anatolia, even if the area is not covered by the sea. In this paper, we performed morphotectonic studies with the help of the high-resolution satellite images, seismicity, and focal mechanism solutions of significant earthquakes to determine the segment distribution of the active faults accurately. Thus, the distinction of middle and southern branches of NAFZ in the southern Marmara region is established and the route of southern branch of NAFZ from Bolu to Değirmenlik (Milos) island via Bursa, Balıkesir, and İzmir is documented in detail. Besides, our results demonstrate that the “bend model” suggested by previous studies to explain the active faulting pattern in southern Marmara and western Anatolia is not working together with the proposed “İzmir-Balıkesir Transfer Zone” concept.

When did the North Anatolian fault reach southern Marmara, Turkey?

AbstractWe dated syntectonic calcites on fault planes from the southern branch of the western North Anatolian fault (NAF) in northern Turkey using U-Th geochronology. We selected strike-slip faults that are kinematically related to the current regional strain field. The isotopic ages cluster around different periods during the past ~700 k.y. The most prominent cluster peak of 510.5 ± 9.5 ka (1σ) is consistent with the maximum cumulative strike-slip offset data and tectonic plate motions measured by GPS data, highlighting the fact that the present configuration of the NAF in the southern Marmara region started at ca. 500 ka or earlier. These new isotopic ages, combined with previous considerations of regional tectonics, reveal that faulting along the western NAF initiated primarily in the southern Marmara region at least a few hundred thousand years earlier than the timing suggested for the northern branch of the western NAF. This study presents an innovative approach to constrain the timing of initiation of currently active fault segments along the NAF in southern Marmara. U-Th geochronology of fault-hosted calcite thus has a wide application in determining absolute ages of fault episodes in wider shear zones along plate boundaries.

Occurrence of leek yellow stripe virus and onion yellow dwarf virus from edible Allium plants in the south Marmara region of Turkey.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-03067-1.

Zeytin Ağacı Budama Artık Potansiyelinin Hesaplanmasına Yönelik Katsayının Belirlenmesi

As a result of pruning operations in olive orchards, large amounts of biomass material are produced every year. In this study, it was aimed to determine the pruning residual coefficients in olive varieties grown in Southern Marmara Region of Turkey. Amount of pruning residuals and its energy potential due to olive cultivation of the region was determined.. The coefficients were compared with the values obtained from different countries. Possible uses of the residual biomass were also investigated. The study material consisted of young (0-25 years), full-yield (25-50 years) and old (over 50 years) trees of Ayvalık, Gemlik and Domat, widely grown olive varieties in the Southern Marmara Region. The experiment used a randomized plot design sampling 5 trees for each age and variety. The average coefficients of determination for pruning residues were calculated as 33.62 kg tree-1year-1 and 5668.63 kg ha-1year-1. Energy potential from pruning residues were determined to be 5.16 PJ for Southern Marmara Development Region.

The uppermost Pleistocene–Holocene mud drape across the Marmara Sea: Quantification of detrital supply from southern Marmara rivers

The Marmara Sea (area 11,350 km2; volume 3378 km3; central basins >1100 m deep) straddles the North Anatolian Transform Fault separating the Eurasian and Aegean-Anatolian tectonic plates. Along with the shallow straits of Dardanelles and Bosphorus (depths ~63 m and ~40 m, respectively), the Marmara Sea forms the only marine connection between the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. During Pleistocene glacial stages, the modern straits were subaerial valleys and the modern Marmara basin was occupied by the landlocked Propontis Lake. Previous researchers attributed major portions of a widely distributed uppermost Pleistocene–Holocene mud blanket (locally >10–25 m thick; volume 43–47 km3) to transport of suspended load through one or both of the straits, as either the Aegean Sea (at ~13.8 cal ka) or the Neoeuxine Lake (today's Black Sea, at ~11.1 cal ka) began to spill into the Marmara basin. To test these suggestions, the thicknesses and volume of the mud blanket were determined from >5000 line-km of airgun, sparker and boomer profiles and > 100 cores, and compared with the contemporary supply from local rivers to decide, by difference, if the straits might have had a significant role. Volume calculations for the detrital supply from rivers rely on (1) decades of daily water- and sediment-discharge data from gauging stations, acquired before 20th century dam construction and, independently, (2) the BQART model which uses a variety of hydrological, geomorphic, geological and climate data. These calculations demonstrate that >85–90% of the detritus in the offshore mud blanket was supplied by steep rivers (Kocasu River and its tributaries) and mountainous streams draining the highlands of the southern Marmara region. Geochemistry of the <38 μm fraction supports this source. Any input through the Dardanelles has been sporadic and limited to perhaps ~5 Gt of suspended load (equivalent to ~5.2 km3 of porous mud when deposited) because of changing directions and rates of flow since the Last Glacial Maximum. Resedimentation through mass wasting and transgressive shoreface erosion appear to be minor compared with river supply. The isolated nature of the Marmara basin and its supply from mostly a single watershed afford an opportunity to verify the reliability of this type of hindcast analysis, based upon sediment-discharge data and catchment models – analysis which cannot be completed with a comparable level of certainty along open marine coastlines elsewhere.

Antimicrobialsusceptibilityof bacteria isolated from goats with subclinical mastitis in the Southern Marmara region of Turkey

The mastitis of dairy goats is a disease of the economic importance worldwide and is mostly associated with bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to isolate the bacteriae causing subclinical mastitis, and determine to the susceptibility of some clinical isolates against several antimicrobial agents frequently used to control bacterial subclinical mastitis in dairy goats in the Southern Marmara Region. A total of 68 Saanen goats were used for this investigation and subclinical mastitis was determined by using California Mastitis Test. As a result of bacteriological analysis of milk samples, 30 different bacteria species have been identified and non-aureus staphylococci found to be the predominant bacteria species with the rate of 22.1%. The species with the highest isolation rate among the isolates were Escherichia coli (18.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.7%), Streptococcus agalactiae (14.2%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (7.9%). The antimicrobial susceptibility of the high isolation rate species including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus uberis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Mannheimia haemolytica to twelve antibiotics were determined by disc diffusion method. Bacterial strains analyzed showed highest sensitivity to ofloxacin (87.9%) and followed by cefuroxime (85.8%) and cefazolin (83.6%). In conclusion, subclinical mastitis still remains a problem in dairy goats, and for the elimination of subclinical mastitis, besides protective measures, determination of the bacteriae causing mastitis and their antibiotic sensitivities should be priority.