Organization Legal Name: The Research Association of Rural Environment and Forestry (RAREF)

Project Title (as stated in the grant agreement): Publication In Regard to Determination and Prevention of Economic, Social, Cultural and Technical Reasons Which May Give Harm to High-Mountain Ecosystems in the East Black Sea Region

Implementation Partners for this Project: Regional Directorate of Forest in Trabzon and Artvin and Forest Faculties established in the same cities respectively in addition to the East Black Sea Forest Research Institution located in Trabzon

Project Dates (as stated in the grant agreement): The effective date of this Grant is April 25. The termination date is 28 February

Reporting Period: April 2005 to April 2006

Date of Report (month/year): May 2006

Responsible Person for Reporting: Dr. Yücel ÇAĞLAR

Provide any opening remarks that may assist in the review of this report.

Examination of posters, booklets, calendars and postcards will be useful while reviewing this report. Please consider attachment 1 for this reason. This project has been processed only by means of volunteer human resources of our Association.

• What was (were) the initial objective (s) of this project?
• The first target of such this project was to carry the phenomenon of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” on to the agenda of the public, in particular to the management of forests and then realization of activities which would contribute to setting up a conceptual framework with scientific approach. Moreover, the basic components which give negative impact to “high-mountain forest ecosystems” in the East Black Sea Region have not been identified yet and there haven’t been settled down any protective measures either. The proposed project was so oriented to contribute to fill that kind of gap. Another objective of the project was to publish and extend the expected output to the forestry management and public interest.
• The scope of the Project covered rural settlements and forest management units located inside or around the “high-mountain forest ecosystems”. It was objected to execute the project by considering two components, namely, research and publishing/extension.

It was planned to select certain pilot areas in the course of implementation of the Project, by taking economic, social and cultural circumstances as well as structural features of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” into consideration. It was aimed to organize inquiries by making use of such techniques as face-to-face interview and questionnaire etc. with local stakeholders: Extension activities were also planned cover local workshops and publications prepared in harmony with cultural characteristics of the target groups in terms of framework, content and wording.

2. Did the objectives of your project change during implementation? If so, please explain why and how.

• Generally the objectives of the project did not change. However, face to face interviews with local stakeholders during July and August of 2005 could not be realized according to foresighted content as indicated in the project. The reason for that is of the insufficient collaboration and lack of interest of the student groups and local associations which were pre-accepted as helping agents in the terms of the project. For that reason, extra publications had to be prepared, like calendars and postcards and widespread delivery of these additional publications has succeeded.

3. How was your project successful in achieving the expected objectives?

The project was successful at a great level in achieving the expected objectives. In order to put forward what became obvious by means of this project, we can say;

• the high mountain forest ecosystems do have special structural characteristics,

• they show distinct variations and developments as compared to other forest ecosystems,

• the factors that cause harm on these ecosystems are different as compared to other ecosystems,

• the level of knowledge on this subject is significantly low both in the faculties and in the state implementing units of forestry,

• local people are not aware of the ecological importance of the high mountain forest ecosystems.

Within the project new opinions and proposals were produced to get over all these negativeness.

4. Did your team experience any disappointments or failures during implementation?  If so, please explain and comment on how the team addressed these disappointments and/or failures.

The project team failed to predict the degree of the low level of knowledge and interest of the faculties of forestry. In addition to this, the team also failed to predict the low level of interest of the student groups and local societies, both of which were predicted to participate and hence to develop their capacities while taking part in training activities for local people in the content of the field studies of the project.

5. Describe any positive or negative lessons learned from this project that would be useful to share with other organizations interested in implementing a similar project.

While planning and implementing a project like this, the following points can be helpful for non-local organizations. They should;

• develop mechanisms for a good and direct contact with local people,

• put more clear objectives, content and principles while establishing cooperation with the local volunteer organizations and state organizations having similar objectives. These topics should be clearly stated in mutual protocols which are necessary to be signed by the top authorities of the both sides,

• show effort, in order to utilize the local press, local radio stations, and local TV channels in a more effective way.

• know the traditions, the culture and the language of local people

6. Describe any follow-up activities related to this project.

It is objected to;

• give support to KTÜ ( Blacksea Technical University), Artvin Forestry Faculty and Eastern Black Sea Region Directorate of Forest Research for their research and educational activities on the high mountain forests,

• give presentations about the subject, in the panels, symposiums and congresses that will be held in the locality,

• be in activity, in order to give information about the project to the members of the association,

• prepare a publication for guiding organizations that produce and widespread information, such as universities and research institutions: It should be very important to emphasize that, during the project it is observed that the subject has never been taken into agenda of in any of the faculties, research institutions, implementing state institutions and concerned volunteer organizations. In addition, it is also observed that these parties also have not a satisfying understanding about the problems of these ecosystems. Also, during the project implementation, our Association demanded case study materials about similar projects in Caucasian Region from WWF-CEPF Caucasian Office for translate them in Turkish for use in the Annual to be distributed in the project area, however, there was no such material. Because of all of these reasons, it is very necessary to prepare a guiding publication especialy for organizations that produce and widespread information, such as universities and research institutions.

• prepare publications of the presentations and scientific discussions made in the workshops which were gathered in Artvin and Trabzon.
• prepare an English-Georgian international publication to be distributed in Caucasian region. The research paper in our Association’s “ The Rural Environment Annual” about the “high-mountain forest ecosystems” in the project area, including the results and evaluation of the questioneer, will be enlarged by taking the project results and observations of the panel discussions. This will be printed and distributed as a “case study” material throughout the Caucasian Region to interested research institutions, universities, organizations and local volunteer organizations.

7. Please provide any additional information, if you consider that it is essential for the comprehensive understanding of your completed project.

No additional information.

8. Please, provide justification describing and confirming sustainability of project results.

• Submission of the results of the questioners carried out in the project, and opinions and suggestions of our Association to the General Directorate of Forestry,
• the support of the two forestry faculties in the region and Artvin Regional Directorate of Forestry for the project,
• people interest in the posters, books, calendars and postcards more than expected and further demand on them,
• intensive participation to the workshops in Artvin and Trabzon

show that the project was successful in maintaining the interest and attention for the protection and improvement of the high mountain forest ecosystems and sustainability of research and educational activities on the subject in future.

 Here indicate the main purpose of the project : ………

The first target of this project is to bring the phenomenon of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” on to the agenda of the public, in particular to the management of forests and then realization of activities which would contribute to set up a conceptual framework with scientific approach. The scope of the Project covers rural settlements and forest management units located inside or around the “high-mountain forest ecosystems”.  

Planned and Implemented Activities for achieving of the project outputs

The most important success of the project is that the structural characteristics, administrative (protection, utilization, improvement) problems (technical, legal, administrative, etc) of high-mountain forest ecosystems have come into the question of the forestry agenda of Turkey. The most important assistance coming by this success was provided with the cooperation of the faculties of forestry and provincial directorates of forestry in the area.

Were there any unexpected positive or negative situations affected on the project implementation?

Student communities and local voluntary organizations, which were anticipated to participate the project’s field work, were not provided expected assistance. This was an unexpected and negative development. On the other hand, two faculties of forestry and provincial directorates of forestry provided positive assistance to the Project.

Describe any lessons learned during the various phases of the project:

a) Project Design Process: (aspects of the project design that contributed to its success/failure)

The following aspects will provide positive assistance to projects:

• Project executives who are outside the province should design the project with the collaboration of concerned sectors of local people on the subject.
• Formal protocols should be signed between the project executives and cooperating organizations.
• If the executives are voluntary organizations they should include their voluntary members to the project more efficiently
• They should utilize more from professionals when preparing visual materials, more from experts and consultants when producing scientific information

b) Project Execution: (aspects of the project execution that contributed to its success/failure)

“High-mountain forest ecosystems ” in Turkey have vital significance due to their structural characteristics and economic, social, cultural and ecological functions. This significance is relatively wider in Eastern Blacksea Region than in any other region. The fact that the issue has almost never been held on the agenda increased the interest of concerned parties and consequently this gave rise to increase their support for the project.

On the other hand, as the Project holder, our Association’s respect and self-disciplined work provided a higher level of support of local governmental organizations than expected. Support of internationally known reliable organizations, like CEPF and WWF, increased the Project’s adoption and regarding among local people and organizations.

c) Other / Additional Comments

No other comments

Provide details of any additional donors who supported this project and any funding source.

No other financial support has been provided to the project from any organization. Only Faculty of Forestry of Blacksea Technical University and Artvin Provincial Directorate of Forestry permitted to use their conference halls in the workshops and educations for free. Provincial Directorates of Forestry in Artvin, Rize, Trabzon and Giresun helped distribution of posters, booklets, calendars and postcards to the local people directly. Since no additional financial support was received the following table was not filled.

*Additional funding should be reported using the following categories:

A Project co-financing (Other donors contribute to the direct costs of this project)

NOT APPLICABLE

B Complementary funding (Other donors contribute to partner organizations that are working on a project linked with this project)

NOT APPLICABLE

C Grantee and Partner leveraging (Other donors contribute to your organization or a partner organization as a direct result of successes with this project.)

NOT APPLICABLE

D Regional/Portfolio leveraging (Other donors make large investments in a region because of successes related to this project.)

NOT APPLICABLE

You can use this point for your additional information (which will help us to know / understand all details of the project implementation process), comments, and / or recommendations.

This project aimed exposing necessity of coming into agenda of definitions, structural characteristics, damaging processes, developing techniques for sustainable managing of “high-mountain forest ecosystems”. The outputs of this project showed that the subject should be taken into consideration more seriously in Turkey. Especially, the content of forestry engineering education in faculties should update according to this issue. In addition, public institutions, who are the investors of infrastructures (road, building, bridge, etc) to be done in “high-mountain forest ecosystems”, should execute educational programs related to the subject. These two necessities were declared to both faculties of forestry and related public institutions.

On the other hand, the project exposed the necessity of taking measurements against damaging factors in the provinces of high-mountain forest ecosystems in Turkey: human activities during four-five months each year; such as stock-raising, highland activities, grass harvest and energy needs. To fulfill this necessity, “sustainable management of high-mountain forest action plans” should be prepared by participation of all the parties who affect the region’s high-mountain forests directly or indirectly. Furthermore, this action plans should be implemented again in a participatory manner.

Final suggestion is that the content of the regional development plan which aims economic, social and cultural development in Eastern Blacksea Region should cover protection and sustainable management of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” sufficiently. In this way, more lasting results can be achieved.  

It is natural to see that ecosystems have an increasing variety in a country like Turkey where ecological conditions horizontally and vertically vary so much. This is a fact which should not be omitted in case of forest ecosystems either. However, a very limited approach in classification of forest ecosystems governs in Turkey. Then, the information developed in respect to different forest ecosystems seems not so detailed.

“High-mountain forest ecosystems” are involved in such a category that shows insufficient level of information from the standpoint of structural characteristics, process of variation and the methods of management respectively. However, “high-mountain forest ecosystems”, beside their unique specific structural features, are said to be as important as other ecosystems which are under protection for any reasons or being managed to get economical benefit from in terms of their functions. Whereas, “high-mountain forest ecosystems” are not regarded as a special type of ecosystems, not in progress to apply peculiar methods, not either subjected to legitimate and institutional arrangements apart from a limited action to define those as “protected forests” which functions to prevent avalanche, slope failure etc. Furthermore, such current protective measures are not taken since “economically valuable” crops are not produced in due course.

On the other hand, dispersed type of settlements as well as stockbreeding and particularly highland activities cause to deterioration to certain degree of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” resulting in deficiency to re-generate themselves. It is clear that the difficulties in relation to “high-mountain forest ecosystems” which have distinguished structural features in addition to their particular functions should be overcome.

The Research Association of Rural Environment and Forestry initiated a project in the year 2005 in order to contribute to that topic. Within the scope of the project, namely, “Publication In Regard to Determination and Prevention of Economic, Social, Cultural and Technical Reasons Which May Give Harm to High-Mountain Ecosystems in the East Black Sea Region”, an inquiry was forwarded to forest engineers respectively in the Forest Regional Directorates located in Giresun, Trabzon and Artvin, Faculties of Forestry in the Blacksea Technical University (KTÜ) and the Caucasus University (KÜ) in Artvin, the Provicial Directorates of Environment and Forest successively in Giresun, Trabzon, Rize and Artvin, and finally the East Blacksea Forest Research Institute in the year 2005.

In reference to the outcome of the inquiry;

• The “high-mountain forest ecosystems” fact has not been settled as a conceptual issue in Turkish forestry. In other words, “high-mountain forest ecosystems” are neither a field of question nor a matter of interest to yield a shared cultural basis.
• It is a requirement to manage “high-mountain forest ecosystems” aiming at protection of nature and wildlife. Considering that the majority who stand up for that these forest ecosystems should be managed for the purposes of either “protected forest” or “recreation”; one can say that a consensus is already established about that the aim of management of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” should not extend to any other purpose than protection.
• According to the academic staff of faculties of forestry, the main factors that negatively impact “high-mountain forest ecosystems” considerably more than other activities are the following;
• Highland activities,
• Supply of illegal wood-stock for heating
• Road construction for forest and/or highlands.

Whereas, the implementation staff of regional directorates of forestry describes the most harmful factors in this respect are the following:

• natural progress
• supply of illegal wood-stock for heating,
• high-land activities.

CONCLUSION

As concerning their very unique structural characteristics, vital importance in many aspects and the harms given to them in any shape, kind and size; there is an urgent necessity for application of management methods of special-purpose and techniques for high mountain forest ecosystems. However, the requirement has not been realized by Turkish forestry sector and no progress has been gained as to define special goals or techniques in management. Moreover, in regard to “high-mountain forest ecosystems”, it is a fact that no knowledge has been developed on

• ecological conditions and structural characteristics,
• trends of variations and dynamics,
• indicators to be referred to determine the lower boundaries
• format and level of interactions with forests at lower elevation

to be used as a basis for crucial items on the subject.

Under these circumstances, it is mainly coincidental that the unique characteristics of “high-mountain forest ecosystems” will survive. Such that, It would be unsatisfactory to overcome this coincidental situation even by putting “high-mountain forest ecosystems” into a category such as “protected forest” or “nature preservation area”. Because forestry techniques have not been upgraded to provide “sustainable management” on the whatsoever protected forests.

It is of vital importance to apply the following actions to overcome such negative impacts:

• To come up with a agreed definition for “high-mountain forest ecosystems”,
• To compile data within the scope of forestry inventory works to ease monitoring structural characteristics and the variation and developing process of “high-mountain forest ecosystems”,
• To proceed with research and management plans to develop the management targets and techniques in complying with those targets for “high-mountain forest ecosystems”,
• To insert topics to the undergraduate course program of forestry engineering for “high-mountain forest ecosystems”; particularly their structural characteristics, variation trends and reasons, so that people get informed satisfactorily who technically practice the subject matter.

For more information about this project, please contact:

Name : Dr.Yücel ÇAĞLAR and Banu AVCIOĞLU-DÜNDAR

Mailing address : PK: 210, 06693, Kavaklıdere-ANKARA / TÜRKİYE

Tel : + 90 312 425 94 14

E-mail : kirsalcevre@kirsalcevre.org.tr or kirsalcevreormancilik@yahoo.com

and

oduncugil@yahoo.com (Dr. Çağlar)

ATTACHMENT 1

TABLE CALENDER

• In high-mountains, trees are also tree and forests are also forest.
• High-mountain forests can be very far away from us, but they are as near as us.
• The forest, far away from our sight, is not and mustn’t be far away from our heart.
• If we don’t go and see, high-mountain forests are also our forest.
• From us to high-mountain forests, from them to us…
• One from us, ten thousand from high-mountain forests.
• The good forester is obvious on the high-mountain forests.
• Protect high-mountain forests, they protect lower forests.
• The forest is similar to another forest, but high-mountain forests are not similar to anyone.
• Say “Fortunately, there are high-mountain forests” everyday.
• Is there any high plateau without forests?
• I don’t accept such a forestless mountain as a mountain in Eastern Blacksea Region.
• We hope our high-mountain forests don’t suffer.
• Look out! There is high-mountain forest around you.
• Dear friend, nobody can be addressed and raised hand to our high-mountain forests.
• They warm, we don’t take into consideration, they tell, we don’t listen. Look, what is the situation now?
• If we live, they also live.
• Who saw any harm of our high-mountain forests?
• They were there before us. We come, they left. Is it good?
• Our high-mountain forests are not similar to other forests.
• Who knows and tries to learn all aspects of our high-mountain forests?
• We have lived inside it, but we couldn’t see. When we have seen, we couldn’t understand. When we have arrived, we couldn’t find. What is this? The answer is high-mountain forests.
• Everybody knows herself. Do we know our high-mountain forests are forest, too?
• We can escape any destruction, but our high-mountain forests cannot.
• We wish we could use some part of our knowledge, manners and desires for living of our high-mountain forests.
• We should learn and then love our high-mountain forests. If we learn and love, nobody damages.
• I used to be a servant of a person who teaches me our high-mountain forests better.
• Can be there any limits of learning? If you want to know the answer, try to learn our high-mountain forests.
• Dear traveler, they all belong to you what you see, hear, drink, and breath. Don’t pollute our high-mountain forests.
• Why are you abstaining and evading? Open your eyes and heart to our high-mountain forests.
• Don’t worry; our high-mountain forests don’t want any food, drink, fire or something else. Just protect them!
• If you don’t find any teachers and books, go to our high-mountain forests, live inside or around there and see. Why are you waiting?
• Don’t touch our high-mountain forests, they stay in this way.
• When we damage our high-mountain forests, they leave high-mountains. Don’t permit it!
• If we begin to loose our high-mountain forests, nobody can regain them.
• If we make something our high-mountain forests negatively or positively, they are influenced increasingly.
• We should not just watch our high-mountain forests, but we should also hear them.
• Our high-mountain forests endure most of the difficulties. We could not make new difficulties them.
• There are lots of things people can learn from our high-mountain forests: Resistance. Solidarity. Although all deprivations, to give.
• Turkey has very rich high-mountain forests, especially in Eastern Blacksea Region. We wish we know their value enough.
• It is very difficult to say, but if we understand the significance and necessities, we will loose our high-mountain forests.
• Can we find these beauties in lower forests? Maybe, but it is very difficult.
• We couldn’t know the value of our high-mountain forests enough, but other people learned it.
• Our high-mountain forests can not exist without our folksongs, kemencha, bagpipes and folk plays. We cannot exist without our high-mountain forests. This unity should go on forever.
• When we go high plateaus, did we say “Hello!” to our high-mountain forests? We didn’t say what a pity?
• Dear nature-lovers, nature-protectors! Do you know what happens in our high-mountain forests? Don’t you know who knows?
• Once upon a time we will say “Be great like our high-mountain forests.” It is coming soon.
• Look at yourself and our high-mountain forests. Who is really powerful?
• Yaşar Kemal should write our high-mountain forests’ stories, epics and tales. Who knows, if he writes, it becomes very good.
• n Eastern Blacksea Region, coasts and high-mountain forests were not claimed enough. We know what happened to our coasts. What about our high-mountain forests?
• If one of the beauties of Eastern Blacksea Region is mountains, the other one is the high-mountain forests.
• Our high-mountain forests should always tell the last sentence.
• Good or bad, productive or unproductive tree and forest are out of the question.

WALL CALENDER

January-February: Our forests are various both the aspects of species of tree, shrub and the structure, especially in Eastern Blacksea Region. How much do we know, learn, and see these varieties?

March-April: Most of us was born in or live villages, high plateaus inside or around our forests. We utilized all things that our forests served us as much as possible. We are still utilizing now. Do we show our love them they expects us.

May-June: Although colds, snows, avalanches, storms, harmful insects and funguses, cutting trees without permission, wrong technical practices, putting out to pasture, constructing roads, hunting, putting rubbishes around at plateau fests; high-mountain forests resist powerfully. We shall support this self-respecting resistance.

July-August: I am not either spring or winter, I am always green among four seasons, My place is the highest among forests, My nation shall learn the nature from me!

September-October: I bring you “Hello!” from high places, Listen carefully, I shall tell my suffering, Take notice voice of the forest, Before high-mountain forests left us.

November-December: Who will tell the last sentence over here? Are egoists, indifferent, bad, lazy, ignorant, unloved people? Otherwise are hard-working, sensitive, good, well-informed and solidarity people? Who shall tell what do you want?

ATTACHMENT 2

Speakers of Panel Meetings and Their Presentation Topic