The aim of this study is to reveal the resource values that the rural areas host, and with a very disciplined approach, to discuss opportunities to benefit from those values in terms of ecotourism practices specific to Papart Valley. As a first step in this study, we took an inventory of natural and cultural assets of Papart Valley in Eastern Black Sea Region, Artvin province. Then, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted with the participation of all stakeholders and the current situation was analyzed in terms of ecotourism practices. In light of SWOT results, along with observed natural resource assets in the region, the traditional wooden houses were seen to have potential in terms of ecotourism and it was detected that there were a large number of wooden homes and home plans suitable for both the settlement of the local people and accommodation of guests. On the other hand, it was determined that there was a lack of information for sufficient protection and care of wooden houses, and despite their potential, there was a lack of regulations and positive attitudes towards accomodation businesses in traditional wooden houses. In order to eliminate these deficiencies, proposals for the protection of traditional building stock were developed, by first determining the causes of material degradation in the wooden houses. Also, to emphasize the worth and importance of these structures, dendrochronology studies were conducted in order to determine the antiquity of the structures and potentially to make them more attractive for eco-tourism.

Forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean Basin experience frequent forest fires, and the risk of hazards to people and assets is expected to increase in the face of climate change. Turkey is one of the countries in the Mediterranean Basin that has faced extreme forest fires in recent years. Forest firefighters are key actors at the forefront of fighting forest fires, and their effectiveness is largely related to in-service training. This study investigates the differences in in-service training and knowledge competencies of forest firefighters working in five fire-sensitive regions in Turkey. The results of the study are based on a survey of 975 forest firefighters. Sociodemographic data are presented as frequency, mean, and percentages. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was used to determine the differences in the perceptions of forest firefighters in the five fire-sensitive regions. It was determined that 89.74% of forest firefighters participated in in-service training, and the participation in in-service training was highest in 1st degree fire sensitive regions. Turkish forest firefighters have a strong perception that in-service training is sufficient in terms of number and content, their knowledge and experience deficiencies are eliminated, and their capacities are increased.

In the Kozak Basin, which is the most important pine nut production and trade center in Turkey, there has been a significant decrease in production recently. In this study, the perspectives of the farmers in this area were investigated, specifically about reasons for the decrease in yields. For this purpose, a face-to-face survey was conducted with 378 pine nut farmers from the Kozak Basin. It was determined that the average age of the farmers is high, their educational achievement level is low, they generally also work in alternative sectors and almost all of them grow pine nuts in their own pine groves. The farmers’ perception of cooperatives was found to be negative. In general, the local people continue to produce pine nuts in their own pine groves, but nearly half of the participants also worked in other sectors to maintain their standard of living. Farmers attribute the low yield in the Kozak Basin to both abiotic and biotic factors. Mining activities, which are increasing, are seen as a threat to the future of production in the area. Also, there is a growing perception of biotic harm, especially from Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis. Climate change and air pollution are other prominent factors.

Decades of ethnobotanical observations have shown that knowledge varies significantly according to the identity attributes of participants, such as their religion, occupation, status, income level, geographic origin, and gender. Ethnobiology shares the imperative of all social science disciplines in tailoring gender-responsive methodologies and operating epistemologies. Particularly, researcher identity, performance, and preference for kinds of knowledge may have significant consequences. Here, we present a study centered around an extra effort to engage women's knowledge of sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa ) in Turkey. In Turkey's Black Sea, Marmara, and Aegean regions, we conducted 142 extended ethnobotanical interviews with chestnut-utilizing participants using three distinct protocols: gender-unaddressed, men-only, and women-only. Based on participant contributions, we developed and analyzed a dataset which accounted for total reported uses, chestnut material typologies, direct and indirect plant traits, as well as unique and cultural reports. We compared the findings from these distinct protocols using Correspondence Analysis and two-way Analysis of Variance. Our results show that the knowledge reported by women-only was significantly more diverse than knowledge reported under men-only and gender-unaddressed protocols. This significant difference was most readily attributed to the higher frequency of unique and cultural knowledge shared during women-only interviews. Also, considering the routinely mixed-gender conditions under the gender-unaddressed protocol, our findings suggest that male presence, in any form, can mute, or render inadmissible, women's ethnobotanical testimony. These findings challenge the community consensus model of ethnobotanical knowledge and field methodologies that do not account for in-field gender dynamics. In conclusion, we articulate a way to amplify insights from intersectionality theory using ethnobotanical approaches.

Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’nin kestane üretim ve ticaret potansiyeli ortaya konulmuş ve kestaneden faydalanmanın sosyoekonomik boyutu bölgesel farklılıklar temelinde karşılaştırmalı olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Kestane, odun hammaddesi ve odun dışı orman ürünü olarak faydalanmanın geniş bir coğrafyada gerçekleştiği, önemli bir gelir ve besin kaynağı niteliği taşımaktadır. Kestaneden faydalanma, yüzyıllardır kuşaktan kuşağa geçerek günümüze taşınan geleneksel ekolojik bilginin ve kadim bir kültürün oluşmasını sağlamıştır. Anadolu’da farklı ekolojik özelliklere sahip coğrafi bölgelerde geniş bir yayılış gösteren kestanenin odunu ve meyvesinden faydalanmanın yarattığı ekonomik değer farklı kestane yönetim yaklaşımlarının uygulanması sonucunu doğurmuştur. Türkiye dünya kestane üretiminde Çin’den sonra ikinci sırada yer almaktadır. Türkiye’nin kestane üretim miktarının değişkenlik gösterdiği beş farklı dönem söz konusudur. Türkiye’de kestane üretiminde Aydın, İzmir, Sinop, Kastamonu ve Bartın illeri öne çıkmaktadır. Kestane, yurt içi üretimin yurt içi talebi karşılaması açısından yüksek bir yeterlilik derecesi göstermektedir. Kestane konusunda giderek artan düzeyde coğrafi işaret korumasından yararlanıldığı görülmektedir. Aydın Kestanesi, Buldan Kestanesi, Simav Kestanesi, Sinop Kestane Balı, Düzce Kestane Balı ve Şile Kestane Balı coğrafi işaret tescili alan ürünlerdir. Ayrıca, Türkiye’de Avrupa Birliği nezdinde tescil süreçleri tamamlanmış coğrafi işaretli ürünlerinden biri Aydın Kestanesi’dir.