The first national assessment of established non-native species in Türkiye
Diğer yayınlar > Diğer · 2025
Yazarlar: Ali Serhan Tarkan, Sercan Yapıcı, Irmak KURTUL, Dagmara Błońska, Lorenzo Vilizzi, Hayrunisa Bas, Shahid Farooq, Ceray Aldemir, Tuğba Ucma Uysal, Daniela Giannetto, Gokcen Bilge, Mülkibar Çiftçioğlu, Elnaz Najafi-Majd, Lale Aktay-Sözüer, Cüneyt Kaya, Esra Bayçelebi, İlker AYDIN, Phillip Haubrock, Elizabeta Briski, Ismael Soto
Diğer, Uluslararası, 2025,
Özet
The ecological and socio-economic impacts of non-native species underscore the importance of maintaining accurate national lists to support biosecurity and management strategies. Türkiye's most recent national list highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining up-to-date records. To advance Türkiye’s national assessment of non-native species, we present the first comprehensive list of established non-native species in the country, documenting 268 species from 157 families across diverse taxonomic groups. Marine species (n = 199) dominated the list, with notable contributions from Chordata, Mollusca, and Arthropoda, followed by Terrestrial (41), Freshwater (24), Terrestrial/Freshwater (3) and Freshwater/Marine (1). Our spatial analysis revealed considerable regional variation, with urban and coastal areas exhibiting higher rates of species establishment likely facilitated by human-mediated pathways. We also identify Türkiye’s role as a crucial hub for the spread of non-native species across the country’s borders. Further, we show that 17% of non-native species have known ecological or economic impacts, emphasizing the need for targeted impact assessments, monitoring, and proactive management. By providing a detailed and up-to-date inventory of established non-native species and their impacts, this study offers a critical foundation for strengthening biosecurity policies, guiding targeted monitoring efforts, and fostering coordinated management responses at local, national, and international scales to safeguard Türkiye’s biodiversity.