Evaluation of habitat suitability and overlap of Larestan ram (Ovis orientalis laristanica) ecological nest in Hermoud protected area using Maxent model

Abstract

Introduction: Larestan ram is the smallest species of ram (Ovis) in the world, with small and
isolated populations scattered in the south of the country, especially in Fars province. Planning
any conservation measures for Larestan rams in the first place requires identifying the desired
areas for the species and awareness of the habitat relationship between populations and
conservation areas in the region.
Materials & Methods: In the present study, species habitat suitability was investigated using
species distribution modeling (SDM) based on MaxEnt method. For this purpose, 8
independent environmental variables including factors related to human presence, land cover
type and topography in ArcGIS software environment were prepared and along with the file of
presence points in Maxent software were used to prepare the species habitat utility model. Then,
the obtained layer was used as a tool to study habitat connections and identify corridors between
protected areas of the region by two theory-based methods and the least cost method.
Results: The results of Maxent model showed that a combination of covered rangeland types
of herbaceous plants and shrubs with medium to good density in uneven areas with adequate
provision of shelters and away from human development are the most important factors
affecting the habitat suitability of the species.
Conclusion: Also, the level below the chart (AUC) equal to 0.963 for training points and 0.953
for test points shows very good predictability of the model.