Wild rodents (n=330) were trapped around the villages of Altındere and Coşandere (Maçka, Trabzon Province), Ayder, Ortan, and Yolkiyi (Çamlıhemşin, Rize Province), and Bozdağ (Ödemiş, İzmir Province) in northeastern and western Turkey during April 2004. Samples were tested for arenavirus, hantavirus, and cowpox virus (family Poxviridae, genus Orthopoxvirus, CPXV) antibodies by using immunofluorescence assays (IFAs). Antibodies against arenaviruses were found in eight of 330 (2.4%) rodents. Arenavirus-sero-positive animals were found from all study sites. Antibodies to Puumala virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus, PUUV) were detected in four of 65 Microtus voles tested. Of the PUUV-IFA-positive voles, one Microtus guentheri lydius was caught from Izmir, and one Microtus roberti and two Microtus rossiaemeridionalis were captured near Trabzon. All 264 Apodemus spp. mice tested negative for antibodies to Saaremaa virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus, SAAV); the single Dryomys nitedula tested n...

Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) are sites of global importance for biodiversity conservation. Their selection is based on standard criteria applied through a bottom-up, iterative process involving local stakeholders. This article presents the results of a study that applied the KBA methodology in Turkey. The KBA method uses four criteria: (1) globally threatened species; (2) restricted-range species; (3) congregations of species that concentrate at particular sites during some stage in their life cycle; and (4) biome-restricted species assemblages. In Turkey, we applied these criteria to 10,214 species of eight taxonomic groups: plants, dragonflies, butterflies, freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. We identified 313 KBAs in Turkey, 303 of which trigger the KBA criteria for one or more taxonomic groups at the global scale. The remaining 10 sites trigger the KBA criteria at the regional scale only. These 303 globally important KBAs in Turkey cover 20,456,884 hectares, 26% of the country. Turkey’s natural landscapes, holding globally important biodiversity, are under immense threat and declining rapidly, both in quality and quantity. The nationwide threat assessment of KBAs revealed that dams, irrigation and drainage projects (i.e. water policies) form the main threat to Turkey’s biodiversity. Irrigation and drainage projects affect 225 KBAs and dams have an effect on at least 185 sites. KBAs raise attractive possibilities as being core areas where ecologically responsible governance models can be demonstrated, building on scientific and indigenous knowledge.

Miniopterus schreibersii is a polytypic bat species, with one of the widest distribution ranges among the mammals. We studied the genetic differentia