Investigating climate-driven corridor networks for Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in Northern Parts of Iran
Keywords:
Corridor mapping, barriers, roads, species distribution models, linkage mapperAbstract
This study aims to examine the evolving network of corridors resulting from climate change and the emergence of new barriers affecting Canis aureus. We employed species distribution models (SDMs) to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on Canis aureus under both current and future SSP585 climate scenarios for the year 2070. We utilized the Linkage Mapper tool to identify the least-cost paths under two climate scenarios. We discovered 20 core habitat areas with an average size of 29791 km2 for this species, with Linkage Mapper detecting 34 links between them with an average length of 84.3 km in the current scenario. In contrast, we identified 20 core habitats with an average size of 6091 km2 under the future scenario, showing changes in their positions. We identified 39 links between them, averaging 50.4 km in length. There are 145 road intersections in the current scenario, which decreases to 87 in the future scenario. The overlap of least-cost paths with cropland areas decreases from 974 to 589, and with urban areas, it decreases from 72 to 50 in the future. Our research underscores the pressing necessity for conservation initiatives to mitigate climate change's repercussions on mammal habitats and corridors in Iran, highlighting the potential impact of our findings on future conservation strategies.
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