Turkey's many and varied landscapes face the challenge of degradation and ultimately desertification due to soil problems that include organic matter deficiency, salinity-alkalinity, compaction and erosion and the loss of biological productivity. Yet, without fully accepted indicators for the monitoring and reporting of degradation, desertification cannot be definitively confirmed at the regional or national level. Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI) was developed to identify areas vulnerable to the threat of desertification in the “MEDALUS” (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) model, which was chosen as the basis for the present study. Variables and thematic indicators such as climate, soil quality, land use, amount of plant cover and management are included in the ESAI. However, studies made at international scale are not sufficiently sensitive regarding data quality for calculations and modelling at the national scale. Therefore, aim of the present study was to i) create a modelling approach that can respond to national needs for monitoring and reporting on soil and land degradation by modifying the MEDALUS method, and ii) generate a national desertification map of Turkey by assessing environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) at the national scale using this model. Results classified more than 60% (51.5 mil. ha) of the total area as fragile and critical, while only about 12% of the Turkey’ land was indicated as area non-affected by the desertification risk. In the determination of ESAI, the parametric and spatial models were re-designed according to data and impact value by using GIS software-supported geographical analysis. With that added-on facility, MEDALUS can be automatically re-run with updated data or the change-of-influence line, and thus the change of land quality can also be monitored.

由于土壤问题，包括有机物缺乏，盐碱度，压实和侵蚀以及生物生产力的丧失，土耳其的众多景观面临着退化和最终沙漠化的挑战。但是，如果没有完全接受的监测和报告退化的指标，就不能在区域或国家一级确定地确认荒漠化。开发了环境敏感区指数（ESAI），以在“ MEDALUS”（地中海荒漠化和土地利用）模型中确定易受荒漠化威胁的地区，该模型被选作本研究的基础。ESAI包括变量和主题指标，例如气候，土壤质量，土地使用，植物覆盖量和管理。然而，在国际范围内进行的研究对于在国家范围内进行计算和建模的数据质量不够敏感。因此，本研究的目的是：i）创建一种建模方法，以通过修改MEDALUS方法来响应国家对土壤和土地退化的监测和报告的需求，以及ii）通过评估环境敏感性来生成土耳其的国家荒漠化地图使用此模型在全国范围内的区域（ESA）。结果将总面积的60％以上（5150万公顷）归类为脆弱和危急，而土耳其土地中只有约12％被认为不受沙漠化风险影响。在确定ESAI时，通过使用GIS软件支持的地理分析，根据数据和影响值重新设计参数和空间模型。利用该附加设施，可以利用更新的数据或影响力变化线自动重新运行MEDALUS，因此也可以监视土地质量的变化。