Conservation-oriented habitat modeling of Otis tarda in Western Iran: A MaxEnt approach in the Bukan region

Sarshar , Asad; Shayesteh , Kamran; Ghasempouri, Seyed Mahmoud

doi:10.22034/aer.1.2.1

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Volume 1, Issue 2 (8-2025)

Journalaer 2025, 1(2): 1-12

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Conservation-oriented habitat modeling of Otis tarda in Western Iran: A MaxEnt approach in the Bukan region

Asad Sarshar

, Kamran Shayesteh ^*

, Seyed Mahmoud Ghasempouri

Abstract: (602 Views)

Introduction: The Persian Great Bustard (Otis tarda), the only extant member of the genus Otis, has experienced severe population declines and habitat destruction in recent decades and is currently listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Given the restricted distribution of this species in the plains of western Iran, the present study aimed to evaluate its habitat suitability in the Sotav-Bukan Plain using maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt).
Materials & methods: The input data for the model included environmental layers related to climate (annual rainfall) and topography (elevation, slope, aspect, and distances from both anthropogenic and natural features such as cities, roads, rivers, agricultural lands, pastures, springs, and lakes). The model’s performance was validated at an excellent level, with an AUC value of 0.99.
Results: Results indicated that habitat suitability was highest in areas with road densities of around 2%, within 0-500 m of farms, approximately 450 m from rivers, and about 2,500 m from human-made areas. Additionally, slopes below 10% and elevations around 1,400 m had the most positive influence on species distribution. In contrast, high road densities, greater distances from water sources, and steeper slopes reduced habitat suitability.
Conclusion: The findings highlight altitude, distance from wildlife refuges, transportation density, and proximity to water sources as the most critical factors influencing the distribution of the Great Bustard. These results provide a valuable basis for conservation planning and the identification of new potential habitats to support the management of this endangered species’ remaining populations.

Keywords: Persian Great Bustard, Habitat suitability assessment, West Azerbaijan, Endangered species

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Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special

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Sarshar A, Shayesteh K, Ghasempouri S M. Conservation-oriented habitat modeling of Otis tarda in Western Iran: A MaxEnt approach in the Bukan region. , Journalaer. 2025; 1 (2) :1-12
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