INVESTIGATION OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN TURKISH FORESTRY SECTOR PLANS

Abstract

Forest ecosystems provide a variety of environmental, economic, social and cultural goods and services crucial to sustaining human societies such as food, raw material, carbon sequestration, water purification, soil formation and habitat for millions of species. Due to excessive demand stemming from economic growth, demographic changes and individual choices, ecosystem services are under pressure and they are degraded. That is why it becomes more crucial to prevent these ecosystems and ecosystem services. In this study it is aimed to review the relationship between forest resources and ecosystem services for the Turkish forestry sector. Within this scope, after a brief examination of forest ecosystem services and the current situation of payment for ecosystem services (PES) mechanisms in Turkey, the forestry sector plans and documents are analyzed and how ecosystem services and PES mechanisms are handled in these plans and programs are evaluated. It is determined that there is no detailed purposes or actions on forest ecosystem services, their importance and PES in forestry sector plans in Turkey. Although emerging mechanisms such as PES offer good alternatives for financing forestry sector projects, Turkish forestry sector does not benefit from these resources yet already.