In collaboration with Payame Noor University and Iranian Society of Physiology and Pharmacology

Document Type : Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Departement of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, Yazd University, Iran

2 Lecturer, Departement of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, Yazd University, Iran

Abstract

Abstract
Chinkara (Gazella bennettiishikarii) is the smallest antelope in Iran. The only remaining habitats of this species in Iran are often decomposed. This species is adapted to arid habitats and Naybandan Wildlife Refuge is known as the most integrated habitat of this species in the country. For habitat suitability modelling of Chinkara in the refuge, we visited the area to provide present layer of the species, initially. Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) method and ENFA software for habitat suitability modeling of this species were used. Information layers as variables affecting on this species include the slope, aspect, elevation, forms of topography, vegetation, water resources and human development variables was determined. Based on habitat suitability map, Chinkara preferred elevation range of 570 to 1800 meters above sea level and 5 to 30 percent of slop. Furthermore variables of north hillsides, water sources, streams and foothills, uninhabited villages and vegetation type areas of Haloxylon, Seidlitzia and Artemisia are also important factors in the presence of this species. Results showed that 33.58 percent of this area were suitable for Chinkara. Prevention of development (roads and mines) in the suitable habitats of Chinkara, and, determination of corridors and movement routs of the species outside of the Naybandan in future studies were suggested in the route of this research.
 

Keywords

 
References
 
Aghanajafizadeh, S.; Karami, F.; (2013). Summer habitat selection by Gebeer. (Gazella bennetii) in Khabr National Park, Iran. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology; 80: 885-886.
Akbari, H.; Habibipour, A.; Mousavi, S. J.; (2013). Investigation on habitat preference and group size of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Dareh-Anjeer Wildlife Refuge; Yazd province. Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology, 3, pp. 81-89. (in Farsi)
Akbari, H.; Varasteh Moradi, H.; Baghestani, N.; Rezaie, H. R.; (2014b). Food Preferences and Composition of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii shikarii) in Spring Season in Darreh Anjir Wildlife Refuge, Yazd, Iran. Arid Biome Scientific and Research Journal; 4(2): pp.1-10. (in Farsi)
Akbari, H.; Varasteh Moradi, H.; Sarhangzadeh, J.; Shams Esfandabad, B.; (2014a). Population status, distribution, and conservation of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Iran. Zoology in the Middle East; 60: 189-194.
Basille, M.; Calenge, C.; Marboutin, E.; Andersen, R.; Gaillard, J.-M.; (2008). Assessing habitat selection using multivariate statistics: some refinements of the ecological niche factor analysis. Ecol. Model; 211, pp. 233240.
Cardillo, M.; Purvis, A.; Sechrest, W.; Gittleman, J.L.; Bielby, J.; Mace, G.M.; (2004). Human population density and extinction risk in the World’s carnivores. PLoS Biol; 2: 909-914.
Ekhtesasi, M. R.; Zare Chahooki, A.; (2013). Environmental planning of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge, Part 2: Geology and Geomorphology. Yazd: Departmentof the Yazd Environment. (in Farsi)
Habibi, K.; (2001a). Afghanistan. In: D. P. Mallon & S. C. Kingswood (eds), Antelopes,Part 4: NorthAfrica, the Middle East, and Asia. Global Survey and Regional Action Plans, Gland (Switzerland): IUCN.
Habibi, K.; (2001b). Pakistan. In: D. P. Mallon & S. C. Kingswood (eds), Antelopes. Part 4: North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Global Survey and Regional Action Plans, Gland (Switzerland): IUCN.
Hemami, M. R.; Groves, C. P.; (2001). Iran. In: D. P. Mallon and S. C. Kingswood (eds), Antelopes, Part 4: North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Global Survey and Regional Action Plans, Gland (Switzerland): IUCN.
Hirzel, A.H.; Arletaz, R.; (2003). Modeling habitat suitability for complex species distribution by environmental distance geometric mean. Pringer Verlag, New York.
Hirzel, A.H.; (2001). When GIS come to life, linking landscape and population ecology for large population management modeling: the case of ibex (Capra ibex) in Switzerland. Ph.D. thesis, Institue of Ecology, Laboratory for Conservation Biology.University of Lausanne.
Hirzel, A.H.; Hausser, J.; Perrin, N.; (2004). Biomapper 3.1.Division of Conservation Biology. University of Bern, Available at http://www.unil.ch/biomapper.
Hirzel, A.H.; Hausser, J.; Chessel, D.; Perrin, N.; (2002). Ecological-niche factor analysis: how to compute habitat suitability maps without presence data. Ecology; 83: 2027-2036.
Hirzel, A.H.; Le Lay, G.; Helfer, V.; Randin, C.; Guisan, A.; (2006). Evaluating the ability of habitat suitability models to predict species presences. Ecol. Model; 199: 142-152.
Irannezhad Parizi, M. H.; Mosleh, A.; Karimian, A. A.; (2013). Environmental planning of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge, Part 6: Vegetation. Yazd: Department of Environment. (in Farsi)
Karami, M.; Hemami, M. R.; Groves, C. P.; (2002). Taxonomic, distribution and ecological data on gazelles in Iran. Zoology in the Middle East; 26: 29-36.
Kristan, W.B.; (2003). The role of habitat selection behavior in population dynamics: source-sink systems and ecological traps. Oikos; 103: 457-468.
MacArthur, R.; (1957). On the Relative Abundance of bird species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 43: 293-295.
Marzluff, J.M.; Ewing, K.; (2001). Restoration of fragmented landscapes for the conservation of birds: A general framework and specific recommendations for urbanizing landscapes. Restoration Ecology; 9: 280-292.
Mitchell, S.C.; (2005). How useful is the concept of habitat? A critique. Oikos; 110: 634-638.
Morrison, M.L.; Marcot, B.G.; Mannan, R.W.; (1998). Wildlife-habitat relationships: Concepts and applications. Madison, University of Wisconsin Press.
Pahlavani, A.; (2004). Study on captive breeding of Chinkara in Shir-Ahmad Wildlife Refuge. Iranian Joural of Environmental Studies; 36: 51-56.
(in Farsi)
Rezaei, A.; Kaboli, M.; Ashrafi, S.; Akbari, H.; (2015). Trophic niche breath ofAsiatic Cheetah and Persian Leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in Bafgh protected area. 2nd E confernce on New Finding in environment and agricultural ecosystems. University of Tehran, Tehran. (in Farsi)
Sarhangzadeh, J.; Najafi, B.; Tazeh, M.; (2013). Environmental planning of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge. Part 7: Wildlife and Habitats. Yazd: Department of Environment. (in Farsi)
Sarhangzadeh, J.; Akbari, H.; Shams Esfandabad, B.; (2015). Ecological niche of the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in the arid environment of Iran (Mammalia: Felidae). Zoology in the Middle East; 61: 109-117.
Sotoudeh, A.; (2013). Environmental planning of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge. Part 1: Land Form.Yazd: Department of Environment. (in Farsi)
Stamps, J.A.; (2001). Habitat selection by dispersers: integrating proximate and ultimate approaches. In: Dispersal (eds Clobert, J., Danchin, E., Dhondt, A. and Nichols, J.), Oxford University Press, New-York, pp. 230-242.
Sterndale, R.A.; (1884). Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon. Thacker, Spink and Co. Calcutta.
Woodroffe, R.; Ginsberg, J.R.; (1998). Edge effects and the extinction of populations inside protected areas. Science; 280: 2126-2128.
Zare Ernani, M.; (2013). Environmental planning of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge, Part 4: Climate and weather.Yazd: Department of Environment. (in Farsi)
Ziaie, H.; (2008). A field guide to the mammals of Iran. Tehran: Department of the Environment. (in Farsi)