Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology

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Tavakoli M, Ahmadi M, Malekian M, Mohammadi A. Assessing Habitat Suitability and Connectivity for the Persian Leopard in the Dena Conservation Complex. Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology 2024; 13 (4) :41-54
URL: http://ijae.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1261-en.html

Habitat destruction, prey depletion, and human-wildlife conflicts pose significant threats to the Persian leopard. Ensuring long-term conservation of this species requires a comprehensive understanding of its distribution patterns and habitat connectivity. This study assessed the habitat suitability and examined the connectivity of ecological corridors for the Persian leopard within the Dena Conservation Complex and adjacent regions, a key stronghold for the species in Iran. Habitat suitability modeling was conducted using an ensemble approach that combined five models within the Biomod2 package in R software. The habitat suitability map facilitated the identification of key habitat patches and the modeling of corridors between them using the electrical circuit theory approach. All models demonstrated strong performance in identifying suitable habitats. The most influential factors affecting leopard distribution were prey presence, proximity to residential areas, forest density, altitude, and distance from roads. The results showed that 16.8% of the entire area assessed has high level of habitat suitability, increases to 20.9% in areas that are designated as protected zones. Corridor analysis revealed strong connectivity within protected zones but weaker connections in peripheral regions. Therefore, strengthening conservation efforts, especially in peripheral habitats, is crucial to ensuring the long-term conservation of the species across the region.