Spatial Dominance of Land Use in Türkiye’s NUTS-2 Regions: An Integrated Quantitative Approach

This study examines the spatial dominance levels of forest, agricultural, and water surface areas, as well as the regional differentiation trends across Türkiye’s NUTS-2 regions, using data from 2000–2024. The datasets were compiled from official national sources: the General Directorate of Forestry for forest areas, the Turkish Statistical Institute for agricultural lands, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change’s Environmental Status Reports, CORINE Land Cover datasets, and the Wetland Information System for water surfaces. All data were standardized in hectares to ensure comparability across 27 regions. The Location Quotient (LQ) method determined the relative dominance levels of each region in land use types. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that 84.6% of the total variance was explained by two principal components, while Cluster Analysis identified two main typological land-use groups across Türkiye. The findings indicate a decline in agricultural areas, a relatively stable but regionally differentiated structure in forest areas, and notable changes in water surfaces, particularly in TRC1 and TRB2 regions. The TR61 region (Antalya–Isparta–Burdur) stands out with high values in both agricultural and forest areas, whereas TRB2 (Van–Muş–Bitlis–Hakkâri) exhibits distinct dominance in water surfaces. This study represents one of the first comprehensive attempts to integrate the spatial components of land use in Türkiye through a multidimensional quantitative approach. The results provide a holistic framework for regional planning and sustainable resource management and contribute to the broader discourse on enhancing regional resilience against future multi-dimensional crises and shocks.