EVALUATION OF WOODY PLANT SPECIES IN RECREATION AREAS IN INDUSTRIAL CITIES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF ECOLOGICAL TOLERANCE CRITERIA: THE CASE OF ALIAĞA (İZMİR) THE CASE OF ALIAĞA (İZMİR)

Abstract

Migration from rural areas to urban areas has rapidly increased urbanization. Industrialization is among the main reasons for these migration movements and urbanization due to the employment opportunities it provides. Industrialization is quite effective on the sustainability of urban open-green areas due to basic abiotic ecological factors such as pollution and drought it creates in the urban environment. Therefore, it has become very essential to pay attention to ecological tolerance criteria in the selection of plant materials to be used in landscape design and planning studies to be carried out in recreation areas in industrial cities. Within the scope of the study, woody ornamental plant species in urban recreation areas in Aliağa, an important industrial city of Türkiye and a district of İzmir province, were examined within the scope of ecological tolerance criteria. Plant species in 5 different recreation areas with different usage types in the city were examined and identified on-site. A total of 67 different woody ornamental plant species were determined in the areas and the ecological demands of these plants were evaluated according to the ecological conditions of Aliağa. The water consumption of woody ornamental plant species in 5 different recreation areas was 44.11% medium and 13.25% high.