The Taurus Mountains, the hotspot of Western Palearctic biodiversity, is under danger: marble quarries affect wildlife

Abstract

The Taurus Mountains in the Mediterranean Coastal Basin, considered a biodiversity hotspot, have a rich biodiversity in the Western Palearctic. The number of marble quarries in the Taurus Mountains has dramatically expanded over the past ten years. The objectives of this study are to (i) determine the impacts of quarrying on wildlife; (ii) determine the potential impacts of quarrying on the future of Taurus. A total of 57547 photos and video images were analyzed on 5447 photo-trap days in two areas, the marble quarries and the control areas. Using 97 randomly selected marble quarries, the area they cover and their annual growth rates were determined. The most commonly seen animals were the wolf, fox, lynx, and wild boar in the control area, and the jackal and hare in the marble quarries (p < 0.001). Additionally, we found a significant positive correlation between the distance of the geographical center of the marble quarries and the number of dates of Wolf, Fox and Wild Boar and a negative significant correlation for hare (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between the area of marble quarries and the duration of operation (R = 0.89, p < 0.00). The waste from quarries, which makes up 79.7% of the total land used for this purpose, is the greatest cause of habitat degradation. According to calculations, even if no new marble quarries are built as of right now, 7.14% of the Taurus may have disappeared by the year 2027, and by the year 2032, 8.25% of the Taurus ecosystems may have disappeared completely. The Taurus Mountains, a center of Western Palearctic biodiversity, are being threatened by the marble quarries. This study advances our knowledge of how marble quarries may affect wildlife. New strategies must be developed as soon as possible to protect the Taurus Mountains, the hotspot of the Mediterranean basin. Summary Text for Online Table of ContentsWe conducted a one-year photo trap study on the effects of marble quarries on wildlife in the Taurus Mountains, a significant biodiversity hotspot. Our research showed that wild animals prefer areas without marble quarries, and their density rises as they get farther from the quarrys core. Photograph by Tamer Ylmaz