Uzungöl (Trabzon) Halkında Amfibi Farkındalığının Belirlenmesi Üzerine Bir Araştırma

Amphibians are a class of vertebrates situated between fish and reptiles, displaying a widespread distribution and represented by approximately 8743 species worldwide. In recent years, a significant decline in the number of amphibian species and populations has been observed. The causes of this decline have been reported as climate changes, habitat destruction, unregulated river-lake shoreline and road construction, road mortality, the presence of invasive species, the excessive usage of agricultural pesticides, and various pathogenic diseases. In the Uzungöl region, Trabzon, the species Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758) exposing to a high frequency of road mortality due to the increased number of people and vehicles during the spring and summer seasons, as noted in the literature. In this study, it is aimed to assess the knowledge of Uzungöl local people and tourists about different amphibian species and B. bufo, to identify the causes behind the decline in species and population numbers, and to determine whether local people are aware of the high road mortality rates around the lake. To achieve this, a cross-sectional survey consisting of two parts was conducted with 93 participants (36 women and 57 men), and the results were statistically analysed. The analyses showed that amphibian awareness was related to education level, residence status, and age but not to gender. Additionally, the local people were found to have more knowledge about the species compared to tourists. As a result, preventive measures aimed at protecting amphibians, especially B. bufo, were identified for the tourism-intensive Uzungöl region.