University Research and Aid Foundation

With approximately 10,000 wild phanerogamous plants and filicales Turkey has the richest flora in the mild climate belt. Almost a third of its flora (34.4 %) consists of endemic species. Around sixty new species are added to Turkey's rich flora every year as a result of intense researches carried out in this region. Based on data compiled in the past couple of years, it can be said that a new species is added to wild plant species in every 5 day and 12 hours. Apart from rich plant species, their habitats also have a great diversity.

Turkey's unique flora and their habitats, however, have been facing a great threat especially in the past 30 to 40 years and they are rapidly decreasing. Very rare and sensitive habitats such as sand dunes, peat, wetlands, pastures and old wild forests face the threat of being destroyed before adequate researches have been made.

Today nature conservation efforts focus on smaller areas rather than vast regions. This approach allows communication with authorities, development of management plans for conservation and take swift and practical action over the short term. In the longer run, changes in those areas can be monitored more easily. This approach offers Important Plant Areas (IPA) concept as a viable solution.

Important Plant Areas are natural or semi-natural areas with very rich populations of endangered or endemic plant species or have very rich and valuable flora. There are three international criteria used for determination of IPAs, which is a very new concept in the field of conservation of nature in Europe and the rest of the world:

Areas meeting all or at least one of those criteria will be identified along the BTC pipeline route based on scientific data under the Project.

The Project will be carried out by Istanbul University Pharmacology Faculty Pharmaceuticals Botanic Department on behalf of Istanbul University Research and Aid Foundation. The Department carries out scientific research in the field of plants used for medical purposes and ethno-botanic. In order for those researches to be carried out, it has a herbarium consisting of around 80,000 plant samples, which have been dried and stored. The international code of the herbarium is ISTE. Scientific work undertaken by the Department is aimed at gathering information about Turkey's nature and conserving it. It cooperates with voluntary organizations, especially Wildlife Conservation Association. Other scientific work carried out by IU Pharmacology Faculty Pharmaceuticals Botanic Department include:

Examples of experience gained by Istanbul University Research and Aid Foundation:

The project motto is: “We cannot make use of and conserve wealth if we do not have any information about its value. Conservation is essential in order to get information first and then making use and ensuring sustainability based on a conscientious approach." Since it covers a vast area, the research area has been divided into seven zones. Team leaders, who have experience in those fields and work near the pipeline, will supervise the works to be carried out.