ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR PROTECTED AREAS: CASE OF TROIA HISTORICAL NATIONAL PARK, CANAKKALE - TURKEY

An ecological risk assessment of the Troia Historical National Park (THNP), which is under protected status and has an important and fragile ecosystem, was carried out in this research study. The effects of available practices in THNP on soil potential, water potential, and biotope potential, which were determined as ecological potentials, were investigated in the study. The usability of potentials, the intensity of the negative effects on these potentials, and their susceptibility to these negative effects were determined, and ecologically at-risk areas were analyzed by correlating these variables. The findings showed that most adversely affected and at the highest risk were the soil potential, biotope potential, and water potential, respectively. The area at the highest risk of all the researched potentials was revealed to be the salt marshes, located in the north of the research area and considered as an ecologically vulnerable area.