Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology

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Shokri S, Hemami M, Ebrahimi I, Ghasemi M, Kazemi F, Ghoudarzi F, et al . The Effect of Landscape Metrics on the Abundance and Species Richness of shorebirds in Hormozgan Province. Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology 2025; 14 (3) :85-100
URL: http://ijae.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1298-en.html

Coastal ecosystems are key habitats for migratory birds, particularly where intertidal zones overlap with mangrove forests, providing suitable conditions for shorebird roosting and foraging. However, the role of landscape metrics in explaining patterns of shorebird richness and abundance in these habitats remains poorly understood. In this study, shorebird census data and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery were used to investigate the effects of landscape metrics associated with mangrove forests and intertidal zones on shorebird richness and abundance across 23 sites in Hormozgan Province during 2022–2023. Following the extraction of mangrove and intertidal habitat maps, landscape metrics were calculated and their relationships with bird communities were analyzed using Bayesian generalized linear mixed models. Results showed that mean shorebird abundance was significantly higher in intertidal areas containing mangroves than in sites without mangroves (p < 0.05), and these areas also exhibited distinct bird community compositions. Intertidal zone length and mangrove edge density had significant positive effects on bird abundance and richness, whereas mangrove patch size showed no significant effect. These findings highlight the importance of habitat structure and spatial configuration for shorebird conservation in the Persian Gulf.