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Vol.1 , No. 4, Publication Date: Sep. 16, 2014, Page: 124-136
 Using Presence-Only Data in Golestan National Park, Iran&description=The goitered gazelle (G. s. subgutturosa) facing the highest rate of illegal hunting and habitat destruction has been classified as threatened in the IUCN Red List. Thus, knowing the distribution of this species and its habitat requirements is important in designing efficient conservation measures for its rehabilitation. An ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA) using presence only data was carried out using the Biomapper 4.0 software to assess the environmental and human-related factors that affect the G. s. subgutturosa presence, as well as identified areas with high habitat suitability in Golestan National Park (GNP) and nearby areas. ENFA indicated a high marginality (1.40) and low tolerance (0.46) scores, suggesting a strong tendency for the species to live in a particular habitat throughout the study area. Although environmental factors limited the presence of the G. s. subgutturosa, human activities causing habitat loss/fragmentation plus irregular hunting were the major barriers to the distribution and survival of these gazelles. The model also showed that overall, 50% (313km2) of the study area was suitable, of which approximately 3.66% (23 km2) had high suitability. The ENFA updated our information on G. s. subgutturosa habitat status and showed us the need to revise the boundary of the GNP for efficient conservation of this species. However, a considerable portion of the suitable area was located outside the park, which is under weak protection rules. Therefore, to protect the remaining population of the gazelles in the GNP, it is necessary to focus management efforts on specific areas outside the park.&picture=http://www.aascit.org/aascit/decorators/img/journal/903.jpg)
| [1] | Bagherirad Elham, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Malaysia. |
| [2] | Salmanmahiny Abdulrasoul, College of the Environmental Science, University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. |
| [3] | Ahmad Norhayati, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Malaysia. |
| [4] | Abdullah Maimon, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Malaysia. |
| [5] | Erfanian Behnaz, College of the Environmental Science, University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. |
The goitered gazelle (G. s. subgutturosa) facing the highest rate of illegal hunting and habitat destruction has been classified as threatened in the IUCN Red List. Thus, knowing the distribution of this species and its habitat requirements is important in designing efficient conservation measures for its rehabilitation. An ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA) using presence only data was carried out using the Biomapper 4.0 software to assess the environmental and human-related factors that affect the G. s. subgutturosa presence, as well as identified areas with high habitat suitability in Golestan National Park (GNP) and nearby areas. ENFA indicated a high marginality (1.40) and low tolerance (0.46) scores, suggesting a strong tendency for the species to live in a particular habitat throughout the study area. Although environmental factors limited the presence of the G. s. subgutturosa, human activities causing habitat loss/fragmentation plus irregular hunting were the major barriers to the distribution and survival of these gazelles. The model also showed that overall, 50% (313km2) of the study area was suitable, of which approximately 3.66% (23 km2) had high suitability. The ENFA updated our information on G. s. subgutturosa habitat status and showed us the need to revise the boundary of the GNP for efficient conservation of this species. However, a considerable portion of the suitable area was located outside the park, which is under weak protection rules. Therefore, to protect the remaining population of the gazelles in the GNP, it is necessary to focus management efforts on specific areas outside the park.
Keywords
Ecological Niche Factor Analysis, Gazella Subgutturosa Subgutturosa, Habitat Suitability Model, Golestan National Park
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