ANKARA KENT ÖLÇEĞİNDE OKUL BAHÇELERİNİN BİYOÇEŞİTLİLİĞE KATKISI; ÖZEL ZAFER KOLEJİ KAMPÜS FLORASI
8th INTERNATIONAL CAPPADOCIA SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, Nevşehir, Türkiye, 29 - 31 Ocak 2026, ss.229-236, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: Nevşehir
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.229-236
- Atatürk Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Rapidly increasing anthropogenic pressures and uncontrolled urbanization processes pose a serious threat to the sustainability of urban ecosystems. In this context, school gardens—one of the critical components of urban green infrastructure—are evaluated as strategic ecological niches not only for serving as recreational areas but also for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, microclimate regulation, and the enhancement of environmental literacy. This research was conducted to reveal the floristic composition of the Private Zafer College campus, located within the ecological conditions of Ankara province, and to analyze the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the existing plant taxa using quantitative data.
The research data were acquired through systematic fieldwork carried out during the 2025 vegetation period (July), when plant development is active. As a result of the detailed inventory survey conducted in the study area, a total of 3373 individuals belonging to 90 different plant taxa were identified, establishing a rich biodiversity profile. The vegetation analysis demonstrates that the most dominant species in the area, with a value of 18.95%, is Buxus microphylla (Japanese Boxwood), an evergreen exotic species with high tolerance to urban pollution.
However, the applied functional classification analyses demonstrate that the campus flora does not consist solely of exotic taxa intended for aesthetic purposes. The presence of fruit-bearing species such as Malus domestica (Apple) and Pyrus communis (Pear) reveals the area's "edible landscape" potential and its contribution to food security education. More importantly, the presence of Liquidambar orientalis (Anatolian Sweetgum), a relict and endemic taxon surviving from the Tertiary period to the present day, enhances the phytogeographical significance of the area. Consequently, the obtained findings scientifically validate that when school gardens are addressed through rational planning principles and biophilic design approaches, they can be transformed into biodiversity-based educational arboretums and "living laboratories" that strengthen students' connection with nature and convert theoretical knowledge into practice.