15.3.4. Alien species impact reduction (policies)

METU has a policy to reduce the impact of alien (invasive) species on its campus ecosystems.

Policy

METU's Nature and Ecosystems Policy, one of its published Sustainable Campus Policies, states: "METU campuses consist of very rich land, lake, and marine ecosystems that very few universities in the world have. It is one of the principles of our University to use these ecosystems as natural laboratories to protect and develop them in addition to coming up with exemplary strategies for their sustainable use." Among the principles the policy commits the university to put into practice is "creating a database on the unique biodiversity of campuses, developing practices for the protection of endangered species as listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the protection of the ecosystem against invasive species."

The commitment is also set in METU Strategic Plan 2023–2027, approved at the joint meeting of the University Senate and the University Administrative Board on 26 April 2022: Objective O4.2 calls for "protecting ... the rich forest, steppe, sea, and lake ecosystem integrity and biodiversity" of METU's campuses, and Strategy S2 for "researching the ecological and biodiversity values of our campuses and promoting them by considering the protection-use balance".

In practice

• Lake Eymir: METU's biomanipulation programme removed unwanted fish species, such as carp, that stir up sediment and worsen water quality, to restore the lake's native ecosystem. 

• METU Forest: the Directorate of Afforestation and Landscaping controls forest pests, with technical support from the Central Anatolian Forestry Research Institute and in line with Forestry Law No. 6831. 

• Preventing new introductions at Lake Eymir: the lake's rules prohibit releasing stray animals, planting saplings without permission, and bringing beehives or grazing animals onto the lakeside land. 

• New planting uses species suited to the local steppe and forest ecosystems. 

• Research on non-native species: EKOSAM's long-term monitoring of Lakes Eymir and Mogan includes an annual fish survey with standardised multi-mesh nets, which records the composition of the lakes' fish communities and is the basis for biomanipulation decisions.