Modeling the distribution of Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in Mazandaran Province based on Maximum Entropy

Abstract

Introduction: The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is widely distributed in the temperate to subtropical areas of the Palearctic region and four of its five known subspecies are present in Iran. Despite the fact that the common pheasant species is known in terms of morphology and genealogy, the habitat selection of this species in Iran remains unknown and as a result of the lack of this information as well as dangers such as excessive hunting, this species is included in the list of protected species by the Environmental Protection Agency of Iran. and this case makes it more important to identify its suitable habitats for the implementation of species protection programs. Materials & methods: In this research, ecological modeling was done using the maximum entropy's method (MaxEnt) to correctly predict the geographical distribution of this species in Mazandaran province. For this purpose, habitat suitability modeling was done from the recorded points of the presence of common pheasants in the north of the province in a 5-years period and fifteen habitat variables under the model of maximum entropy. Validation of the model was done using the area under the curve (AUC) and the usefulness of the variables with the analysis of the jackknife test. Results: According to the results, the AUC value was 0.918, which indicates good accuracy of Maximum entropy's model. Also, the modeling results showed that the variables of elevation (digital elevation model), annual precipitation, distance from forested areas and precipitation of the hottest season are the most important in predicting the presence of populations of this species in the suitable habitats of Mazandaran province. Also, the investigations showed that the distribution of pheasants in this province is mainly in the eastern and northwestern regions of the province. Conclusion: The results of this research can play an important role in taking necessary measures to protect the habitat of this important species under the support of the Environmental Protection Agency in the future.