محمد کابلی

In recent years, the destruction of biodiversity in Iran and worldwide has been increasingly attributed to the alarming effects of climate change. To effectively address the negative consequences on living organisms, the utilization of modeling methods is essential. This study focuses on the habitat and distribution of an unidentified species of black cobra in the southern and southwestern regions of Iran. By considering habitat variables and current/future climate conditions, specifically under two scenarios of future climate change (2040 and 2100) - mild (SSP126) and severe (SSP585) - the study employs the maximum entropy method with six climate models for modeling using Rstudio software, covering 64 present points and 18 environmental layers. The results revealed a predicted expansion of the black cobra's potential habitat beyond the previously documented areas in Iran. Furthermore, a comparison between future and current models demonstrates an estimated increase in the species' habitat by 14.27% and 18.58% under the mild and severe scenarios respectively, by 2040, compared to present conditions. However, by 2100, the favorable habitat for the black cobra is projected to decline to 12.11% and 12.19% under the mild and severe scenarios respectively. The findings underscore the influential factors in the distribution of the black cobra, with the human footprint emerging as the most significant. Climatic variables also play a crucial role in determining the habitat suitability for this species, as rising temperatures and reduced precipitation affect its desirability. In conclusion, the expanding range of suitable habitats for the black cobra until 2040 is expected to result in population growth and an escalation of conflicts between this species and residents of the south and southwest regions of Iran. However, if global warming continues to worsen until 2100, it will yield a grave impact, jeopardizing the availability of favorable habitats and putting the black cobra, like many other species, at a heightened risk of extinction.

Determining the comfortable climate of each area plays a very important role in the development ‎and growth of tourism. In this study, according to the tourist acceptability of the area and the ‎variety of recreational activities, it is necessary to investigate the right time for the presence of ‎tourists as well as the development of tourism activities in this area. Accordingly, in the present ‎study, the comfort climate of tourism was examined using Baker and Terjung indices. The data ‎collection was done through the Meteorological Organization and Bushehr Asaluyeh station for 22 ‎years (2020-2022). The results of the Baker index showed that in this region, 5 months of the year, ‎including January, February, March, November, and December, the environmental conditions for ‎recreational activities are mild and pleasant days with cool nights, as well as hot and tolerable days ‎with mild nights. And pleasant, suitable. According to the results obtained from Tarjung (day and ‎night comfort coefficient, wind effect coefficient during day and night), the best time for ‎sightseeing in this area is the months of November, December, February, and March for tourism in ‎this area. Considering that the studied area is a protected area, determining the right time for tourism ‎can help to plan correctly to attract tourists and generate income for local communities along with ‎protecting this area as much as possible.‎

Non-invasive sampling methods, such as scat sampling, have facilitated genetic studies for conservation genetics researchers, however, the quality and quantity of extracted DNA have always been the main issues with these methods. In the current study, the genetic variation and population structure of wild sheep (Ovis gmelini) in Bamou National Park (Fars, Iran) were evaluated using the swabbing technique and eight microsatellites. The sampling method used showed high efficiency in genotyping individuals and can be considered  for use with other species. Expected and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.502 to 0.943 and 0.950 to 1.00, respectively, and the mean allele richness was 8.87, indicating considerable genetic variation in the population. In addition, inbreeding coefficient across all loci was 0.052. There was no evidence of a bottleneck in the population in the recent past. Despite the high level of genetic variation, the lack of gene flow between populations, and global threats such as climate change, highlight the necessity of implementing reintroduction programs to maintain the evolutionary potential of the species.

Mountain vipers of the genus Montivipera, generally, and the species of the Raddei clade, specifically, are interesting examples of species neo-endemism in Iran, Anatolia, and the Caucasus. Given the critical conservation status of these species, it is necessary to identify their suitable habitats for prioritizing conservation measures. We modeled ecological niche of each species based on four species distribution models, including generalized linear models, generalized boosting models, random forest, and maximum entropy and combined them in an ensemble model. Also, using a new principal component analysis (PCA-env), the ecological niche divergence of the species was investigated. Results indicated that all models with AUC and TSS > 0.9 had excellent predictive performance. The species of the Raddei clade showed different patterns of ecological niche occupation and the greatest differentiation was seen in the gradient of temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, and topographical ruggedness. M. latifii and M. kuhrangica, despite the great geographical distance, revealed the highest degree of niche overlap and niche similarity. Due to the restricted distribution and limited evolutionary adaptability of mountain vipers in the mountainous regions of Alborz and Zagros, it is imperative to plan conservation measures to reduce the factors that threaten the long-term survival of these species.

Today, with the entry of Persian squirrel species by humans into the foothills of Alborz mountain range, especially Qazvin and Alborz provinces, it has caused damage to the environment and local communities. The aim of this study was to provide a structural model of attitudes of gardeners damaged by the infestation of Persian Squirrels in Qazvin and Alborz provinces for efficient management and control of squirrel invasion in the region.

The present study is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of data collection, it is of survey type. In this study, a questionnaire was used in Alborz and Qazvin provinces. Validity of the questionnaire from three methods; Convergent validity, Factor Analysis and Divergent validity was used; And for the reliability of the questionnaire in two methods; Cronbach's alpha and sequential theta were used and the questionnaire was reviewed and validated; The statistical population of gardeners is damaged; Its size was estimated based on the Cochran's formula of 392 people. Then the structural equation model with partial least squares method was used to estimate the Unknown parameters of the model used.

Research findings showed, the degree of agreement with control strategies, Knowledge about squirrels and ethical considerations are the most important determinants of a reliable level 99% P≤0.01 Respectively with effect coefficients 0.330, 0.256, -0.258 has a Meaningful effect on attitudes damaged gardeners. our other findings showed that the damage factor as an independent external factor added to the model had the most significant effect on the 99% confidence level of P P≤0.01 on the attitude of ethical considerations, beliefs, squirrel control feasibility and agreement with control strategies; There is with effect coefficients -0.236, -0.172, -0.175, 0.244.

The results of the study indicate that increasing knowledge and awareness about the effects and harms of squirrel invasion in the region is the main factor in increasing public support for control management or eradication of invasive squirrels.

Persian squirrel recently in the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains of Iran, Especially the provinces of Qazvin and Alborz are seen abundantly; the influx of Persian squirrels has caused economic and ecological damage to the region and has become a major public concern. The present study was conducted to model the future distribution of squirrels in the region and to protect desirable areas where invading squirrels have not yet entered. In this study, in order to model the distribution of squirrel infestation in the region, MaxEnt software was used, which uses the maximum entropy model for modeling. Dependent variables included the presence points of the invading Persian squirrel species in the region and the independent variable includes 14 environmental variables consisting of habitat and climatic variables affecting the habitat suitability of Persian squirrel species. The results of the model show that the variables; land use (Regional garden floors, urban and agricultural areas), mean diurnal range (Bio 2) and vegetation (irrigated farming floors and orchards and tree canopy) are the most important variables affecting the habitat suitability of squirrel species. The model output results showed, Regional gardens, urban areas, agriculture and ecologically sensitive areas such as conservation areas (Central Alborz, Bashgol, Alamut, and Taleghan no-hunting area that the invading squirrel has not attacked it is a habitat suitability for this invasive species and has been exposed to the future invasion of this species. Therefore, there is a need for preventive measures to prevent irreparable economic and ecological damage to native species.

Understanding the optimal habitat of species, especially closely related species, can help in their better management and protection. For this purpose, in the present study, the response of two sympatric species, Garra rufa and Garra gymnothorax, to some environmental variables and the differences between them were analyzed. In this regard, the effect of six habitat variables including the width (m) and depth (cm) of the river, water current velocity (ms-1), altitude (m), temperature (°C) and substrate index evaluated on the Habitat Suitability Criteria (HSC) pattern in 27 study reach, almost in the entire distribution range of these two species. The results showed that G. rufa lives in rivers with width <40 m, depth <45 cm, temperature >22 °C, substrate index 3.5 - 6.5, and depending on the conditions, water current velocity less than 0.45 or more than 1.2 ms-1, which are located at an altitude between 600 and 1000 m, while G. gymnothorax prefere habitats with width <10 m, depth <150 cm, temperature >24 °C, substrate index >4.5, water current velocity <1.05 ms-1 located at an altitude >400 m. The analysis shows that the G. gymnothorax has a smaller range of favorability than G. rufa for all six habitat variables studied, which it somehow indicates its narrower ecological niche and the greater vulnerability of this species to changing environmental conditions. The wider distribution of G. rufa may contribute to the ability to maintain larger populations of this species. This wider presence of the species not only helps to facilitate autecology processes but also increases the probability of survival in case of local environmental disturbances. The results of this study can help in determining the protection priorities for both species.

More than 90 percent of air strikes are related to the presence of birds. Payam airport is located in the southwest of Karaj City. The proximity of this airport to Halghe-Darreh landfill has led to the attraction of birds to this airport. In this study, the risk of bird strikes with airplanes was investigated. To do so, field survey mthod was carried out in all four seasons of 2019, from spring to winter. Results showed that nine species of birds were present at the airport. The probability and the severity of strike variables were in the medium and low class, respectively; therefore, the matrix of risk assessment of bird strikes lies in the green category, which shows low risk. To minimize the probability of bird strikes with airplanes, a long-term approach is that airplanes should not be near the important areas for birds or the route of their flight. The most effective ways to control birds are those which decrease carrying capacity of airplane for birds. Moreover, frightening methods should be selected periodically to avoid birds’ habituation. Airport personnel should monitor bird’s presence and all the strikes should be recorded. Finally, the proper management of wastes in Halghe-Darreh landfill near the airport has a positive effect in lowering the number of birds at the airport.

The forests of the Caspian region are one of the most important forest resources in Iran, but what is seen as a large gap in research is the need to pay attention to the structural dimensions, especially to maintain the structural connectivity of these forests. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the indicators of forest landscape in the Caspian Sea watersheds. At first, the forest layer was extracted from the land cover map and 25 large watersheds were selected to study and compare the connectivity indicators. The connectivity of the terrestrial landscape was analyzed using landscaping metrics and graph theory indicators, by Fragstats and Conefor softwares respectively. Finally, by standardizing the calculated connectivity indicators, a final connectivity score was obtained for each watershed. The results showed that the indicators of forest patches connectivity in the whole Caspian catchment are very low, so that 80% of the watersheds are in the category of very low and low connectivity. Watershed 9 (Sardabroud, Shalmnroud) and 7 (Chalous) are in a very unfavorable situation, and only two watersheds of 14 (Chalav, Panjab) and 4 (Pasikhan), in the area of Chalav and Punjab, in the Haraz River, and the Shakharz, Pesikhan rivers, are in a better situation in terms of connectivity indicators. Considering the importance of preserving the structure and connectivity of forest patches, the results of this study show the need for special attention to the management and restoration programs of these forests.

Although substantial studies are available as regards the abundance, richness and composition of freshwater fish along altitudinal slops, the impact of human factors such as dam construction are rarely considered. In this study, the effects of the environmental and human factors on longitudinal patterns of fish faunal changes, species richness and fish abundance from upstream to downstream in the southern profile of the central Alborz Protected Area were examined using Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The Karaj River was divided into three zones based on habitat structure, physicochemical variables and species composition. The results indicate that chemical variables can be more effective in some conditions including small changes in habitat structure and physical variables along the altitudinal slope and can be a justification for the abundance, richness and composition of species. Typically, in highly polluted rivers, chemical agents can be a good explanation for the presence or absence of species. Human disturbances, such as dams, change the expected distribution patterns of fish along the altitudinal slope by decreasing outlet water temperature and also creating homogeneous and simple habitats. Therefore, the implementation of conservation programs should be a priority for the Karaj River fishes, especially in the middle areas which are affected by these threats.

Wildlife management and conservation is challenged by public perceptions and fear of carnivores in communities living in close proximity to wild habitats, where large carnivores occur. Fear of carnivores influences peoplechr('39')s attitudes towards wild animals, further exacerbating the problems associated with effective conservation and management of wildlife. Here, we aimed to investigate the factors affecting rural attitudes towards brown bears in two protected areas (Southern-Central Alborz protected area and Taleghan prohibited hunting area) in Alborz province. To evaluate the effect of participant and experimental variables, we used a questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 200 randomly chosen residents from 70 villages across both study areas between winter of 2018 and summer of 2019. Binomial Logistic Regression was used to analyze the effect of independent variables on intervieweeschr('39') fear of coexistence with brown bears. Our results revealed that experiences of brown bear attacks on orchards, respondents’ belief of bears’ role in reforestation, gender, respondents’ belief that bears jeopardize people’s safety, and respondents’ concern for coexisting with brown bears play a significant role in shaping human fear towards this species. Development and implementation of educational programs to reduce local people’s fear of large carnivores and improving the sense of public participation in wildlife conservation and management programs, particularly in villages located in or adjacent to protected areas, are highly recommended.

In the present study, in order to model the environmental impacts using landscape metrics; Guilan province was divided into 183 impact unit, and the Land Degradation Model was applied. In the next step, using the measures of (Related circumscribing circle, Perimeter-area ratio, Shape index, Fractal dimension index & Contiguity index) which were calculated by Fragststs, five models were developed based on stepwise modeling approach. Following from that, Akaike information criterion was applied to determine the most appropriate model. The results of this study showed that 39.78% of Guilan province is located in sensitive and susceptible areas. The highest physiological density was observed in Siahkal county. Regression models indicated that the amount of environmental degradation can be predicted using the weighted average of measures related to the landscape structure metrics: rcc (r2 = 0.437, p ≤ 0.05), contig (r2 = 0.615, p ≤ 0.05), frac (r2 = 0.505, p ≤ 0.05), shp (r2 = 0.499, p ≤ 0.05) and (r2 = 0.672, p ≤ 0.05). The most appropriate model, which was determined by AIC, was the model for the Perimeter-area ratio, and it had a good model validation result. Our findings revealed that applying the landscape metrics would be able to use for assessing the environmental impacts. In turn, it would decrease the degree of subjectivity in the landscape degradation model, as well. On the other hand, the use of landscape metrics, which can be easily and quickly calculated through land use or land cover maps, will greatly eliminate the need for extensive field work. Accordingly, using land degradation model will be more easily implemented in a much shorter time and at a lower cost to evaluate the environmental impacts.

The Survey of attitudes of local communities towards carnivores in the natural habitats where these species interact with humans is essential for the management and conservation of these species. In this study, we designed a questionnaire form and 230 people were interviewed to find out the attitude of local communities towards the presence of the brown bear in the Mazandaran province. The independent variables of the analyses which were considered are age, education, bear attacks to humans and on human capital, bear fear, knowledge of local people about bear's role in nature, traditional beliefs of local people and acceptance (1) or non-acceptance (0) of the bear by locals in the habitat. Finally, by using binary logistic regression statistical methods, the attitude of local communities regarding acceptance or rejection of this species was analyzed. The results showed that among the studied variables, those people who are highly knowledgeable, those who are afraid of species and those who have a traditional belief about the species agree with the presence of bears in nature. The results study showed that the knowledge of the local communities about the bear has a positive effect on their attitude and interest in the presence of the bear, and fear of the bear did not cause a negative attitude and a lack of interest in the presence of the bear. But given the increasing conflict in recent years in the province of Mazandaran, economic losses may increase retaliation by local people and jeopardize the survival of the bear.

The phylogenetic relationships of the Caspian cobra (Naja oxiana), the easternmost species of the subgenus Naja, have remained contentious for long. The present study aims at investigating the genetic diversity and structure, as well as phylogenetic relationships of the Caspian cobra populations from northeastern Iran, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. We sequenced 1107 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b for 54 samples to assess the genetic diversity, genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships of the Caspian cobra. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted under Bayesian and Maximum likelihood inferences using the best-fitting evolutionary model. Haplotype relationships were inferred using maximum parsimony. Reconstruction of the phylogenetic trees confirmed that the Caspian cobra is the sister taxon of Naja kaouthia. The estimated haplotype and nucleotide diversity were 0.42 and 0.00058, respectively, indicating low genetic variation among Caspian cobra populations. Our findings suggest that populations of the species have experienced a recent radiation and sudden range expansion from the northeast toward Golestan province. The results, based on a single mitochondrial marker, revealed no significant genetic differentiation between the populations and recommend that all populations of the Caspian cobra be considered as a significant evolutionary unit in future conservation plans.

The choice of a nesting habitat is a key component of fitness for birds which influence population’s dynamic. Therefore, quantitative studies of habitat selection are fundamental for protecting species’ suitable habitat. Dead Sea Sparrow with sparse populations, and with two subspecies presence in southern of Iran. This species has unclear taxonomic and ecological situation. Surveying habitat selection behavior in micro-scale is a useful means for clarifying this species situation and its conservation. Here, we combined information from nest sites detected in 2018 in Zabol (25 Presence and 15 absent plots) and Karkhe National Park in Shoush (20 Presence and 22 absent plots), a set of environmental variables measured at landscape and fine spatial scales, and generalized linear models to identify patterns of nest site selection by two Dead Sea sparrow species.  These results revealed that among measured habitat variables (DHB, height and stability of nested tree, distance to water resource percentage of tamarix, bush, shrub and bare ground) tamarix tree percentage and distance to water have substantial role on presence, nesting and breeding of these sub species. Our results suggest that based on dependency of this specie to tamarix tree and water resource, in order to preserve this species specially P. m. yatii subspecies as it is geographically and genetically isolated, preserving of tamarix jungles near to rivers and Hamoon river should be accounted by managers.

Identifying the species richness and diversity is one of the basic steps to protect of the biodiversity. The proper identification of predator birds based on the morphological characteristics of the species is difficult, so species differentiation using molecular data has become an efficient technic for taxonomists. In this study, the nucleotide sequencing of the (COI) gene was studied for 36 samples of the Bird of prey of Mazandaran province. DNA extraction was done using blood and feather of collected samples. 660 pairs of nucleotides from the sequence of the mentioned gene were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The results of phylogenetic tree show the separation of four families of Falconidae, Accipitridae, Tytonidae and other Strigidae of Mazandaran province with a total of 27 clads in 14 different Genus of Bird of prey. The average of Interspecies genetic divergence was estimated about 5.8 for Falconidae and 11.8 and 15.4 for Accipitridae and Tytonidae respectively. The Interspecies genetic distance was estimated between 1.5 to 12.3 for Falconidae, 3.9 to 16.3 for Accipitridae and 14.3 to 20.8 for Tytonidae. In this way, it can be possible to determine the range of species identification in the Bird of prey according to the mentioned range, and each of these clads can be described as an evolutionary unit which has a special genetic integrity and are qualified for protection.

In recent years, increase in human-induced habitat disturbances and illegal hunting have led to reduction and isolation of the remaining populations of the brown bear. Despite its ecological importance on the health of natural ecosystems, there is a data scarcity on the genetic diversity and kinship relationships between individuals in the remaining populations. Advances in the DNA extraction from non-invasive samples has facilitated genetic studies on vulnerable species. In the present study, we used non-invasive sampling methods to assess genetic diversity indices, the probability of genetic identity among individuals, and the number of unique genotypes in the samples in order to estimate the minimum number of brown bears in the Parvar protected area. A total of 10 microsatellites were amplified using the extracted DNA from non-invasive samples. The overall observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, and polymorphic information content were estimated 0.51, 0.57, and 0.5 respectively. The probability of identity indices (i.e. PID sib and PID unbiased) were 0.078 and 0.0032 respectively. Also, a total of 19 unique genotypes were identified. Our results showed that despite the low quality of non-invasive extracted DNAs, the amplified microsatellites had statistically effectiveness in identifying samples, assessing probability of genetic identity, and estimating minimum population size. The adopted approach in the present study can be used as a guideline for estimating population size and evaluating kinship relationships between individuals, especially for threatened carnivores, using non-invasive sampling approach.

To study the genetic diversity of the Yellow ground squirrel (Spermophilus fulvus) in Iran, 79 tissue samples were collected from seven provinces (Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, Zanjan, Qazvin, Alborz, Hamedan and Kurdistan). Following DNAisolationandpolymerase chain reaction (PCR), genetic variation was investigated using the complete sequencingof the mitochondrial Cytochrome b (cyt b) (1140 bp). Results of Bayesian and maximum likelihood trees based on cyt b using 79 individuals showed that the Yellow ground squirrel was divided into three main mtDNA clades from eastern to western Iran. Clade IR1 included populations from eastern and northeastern Iran, along with individuals from Iran-Turkmenistan-Afghanistan borderline. Clade IR2 included populations from northeastern and western provinces of Iran (North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Zanjan, and Kurdistan provinces), whereas Clade IR3 included populations from western Iran (Hamedan, Qazvin, and Alborz provinces). Our study reveals Iranian populations of the Yellow ground squirrel have undergone sudden range expansions. Based on the genetic diversity analyses, 26 unique haplotypes and 35 informative sites were detected, implying high levels of genetic and haplotype diversity. Additionally, an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and fixation index (FST) confirmed a significant genetic structure among the main groups and populations. Finally, our results, based on the mitochondrial genealogy, recommend that the distinct clades of S. fulvus should be recognized as ESUs and be the focus of conservation efforts in the hope of securing the long-term persistence of the Yellow ground squirrel in Iran.

Today, human and wildlife conflict, especially big carnivores such as brown bear, is one of the most challenges and difficulties in biodiversity conservation. Increasing the conflicts have resulted in increasing the negative attitude of local people toward the wildlife and as a result of that leads to increasing poaching of carnivores, especially in an area such as Mazandaran Province which has a high density of human and wildlife. We conducted this study by identifying the area with a high conflicts between the bear and human and human assets in Mazandaran Province. Moreover, we used field observation data to diagnose the distribution of mountainous areas which are potentially exposed to bear attacks in the Province. We collected the bear damages data by questionnaire form and field surveys. Biogeoclimatic variables which were used in the analyses are elevation, distance to the village, the density of beehives, human footprint, the density of domestic animals and land use. We recorded 150 bear attacks to human and human properties which include 16 to human, 19 to domestic animals, 67 and 48 destruction of fruit gardens and beehives, respectively. According to the results, most conflicts are in the spring and autumn. The most important variables are elevation, distance to village and fruit gardens. According to the results, human-bear conflicts in the Mazandaran Province are in the elevation range between 150 to 3000 m. On the other hand, fruit gardens around the villages have a key role in attracting bears to human settlements.

Habitat selection is an important factor in predicting the distribution and abundance of species in ecology research or fields. In fish, determination of the habitat selection, especially for endangered, rare, native species or species with discontinuous distribution and sensitive to developmental effects, is an important step in biodiversity conservation of fish and planning for land use. Habitat characteristics of Salmo trutta in Karaj River were determined by analyzing the effects of depth, current velocity, Froude number, substrate index, substrate shelter, visual coverage, combined coverage, and pool in 16 sites with data collection during the years 1395 and 1396 using software HABSEL, and the range and habitat used and selected was defined for this species by the amount of access to each variable. Based on the results, the selected habitats of brown trout in the Karaj River were at depth of 46-52, current velocity of 0.40-0.45 m/s, Froude number of 0.26-0.30, substrate index of 3.4-3.8, substrate shelter of 10-20, visual coverage of 56-64, combined coverage of 17.5-21, and pool of 21-28. Among the variables studied in the Karaj River, Froude number, current velocity, and substrate factors were the most favorable for Salmo trutta. Despite the availability of favorable conditions in some parts of the Karaj River for existing of brown trout, the absence of this species must be due to human disturbances on freshwater ecosystems or extreme climatic changes, such as floods

Designation of protected areas is the most important action in conservation of biodiversity. Previous Ad hoc methods and focusing on charismatic species resulted in unrepresentative networks of protected areas. To compensate this problem systematic conservation planning is introduced and applied. Nearly, 10 percent of Iran is designated as protected areas that should be added up to 17% until 2020, as suggested by UNEP. Therefore, we applied Zonation conservation prioritization algorithm to introduce new high priority areas to be added to the current network. We chose 36 endemic and globally threatened enlisted in IUCN red list mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians as surrogate species. We developed maximum entropy modeling on surrogates to develop habitat suitability models. Zonation approach was applied with all of the three cell removal rules of additive benefit function (ABF), core area zonation (CAZ) and Target based planning (TBP). The current area network was included in all the rules. Selection of the 20% of country area with highest conservation rank based on each rule lead to increase of species habitat conservation by an average of 16%. The ABF is the most efficient rule with conservation of 34.98% of surrogate habitats on average in comparison with CAZ (28.74%) and TBP (31.1%).

 Analysis of song structure characteristics in the passeriform can be used as a powerful index in determining the taxonomical status of species of genus or subspecies of a species. Black-headed bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) and red-headed bunting (E. bruniceps) meet in a hybrid zone southeast of the Caspian Sea, Iran, and produce hybrid bunting individuals. This phenomenon, which creates these hybrid individuals may originate from the fact that there is a high similarity in the male song of the two species which may cause females to make a mistake in identifying the species they choose to mate with. This study was conducted to investigate the similarities and differences of the male songs of these two species by downloading their songs from the open-access online repository Xeno-Canto. Thirty audio files were selected for analysis in the warbleR software. The spectrograms and principal components were extracted according to the offered functions of this package. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed no clustering of signals detected by this technique as well as overlap in some of the sound characteristics of the two species. The results of the present study revealed that despite the evolution of plumage and morphometric differences between the two species, the mechanism of reproductive isolation between them (including the development of acoustic signals to correctly identify males and females of each species and exclude other species individuals) was still incomplete which may cause gene flow and consequently hybridization.

The genus Asaccus is one of the most unknown members of the Phyllodactylidae family. The earliest described species within the genus is Werner’s Leaf-toed gecko, Asaccus elisae. However, little information is still available on the distribution, phylogeny, speciation processes, gene flow, ecological relationships, and potential and actual threats to its populations in Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the morphological diversity of different populations of this species in Iran. To do so, traditional morphological studies with the use of 15 morphometric and 10 meristic characters and geometrics morphometric studies have been used. A total of 60 specimens were caught with the permission of the Environmental Protection Organization from April to September 2018 in 9 stations in the western to southern regions of Iran. The morphometric and meristic characters of the samples have been measured using a Vernier caliper. All samples, after sex determination and photography in the sampling area, were released in their habitat immediately. The results showed that males and females had significant differences in morphological variables, so morphological analyses were performed separately for males and females. Also, the results showed that there is a significant difference between different populations based on morphometric and meristic variables.

Nowadays, use of ecosystem health indicators, such as aquatic invertebrates, fishes and birds, has received growing attention to quickly assess of ecosystem health due to their properties such as saves time, energy and costs. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the correlation among presence and density of the Cinclus cinclus and physico-chemical parameters of some riverine systems of Tehran and Hamedan provinces in 2015. In so doing, presence points and the number of individual birds were detected by direct observation and/or finding its signs and tracks along riversides. Then, some physicochemical properties of water (i.e. temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and pH) and richness and abundance of macrobenthos were investigated in the presence points of dipper. Also, all statistical analyses were performed using the Minitab and STATISTICA statistical software's. Based on the results of ordinal regression analysis and AIC, significant correlations were found between electrical conductivity, macrobenthos abundances as well as water temperature and the presence and density of the dipper. Therefore, it seems that our results revealed a good relationship between the presence and the density of the dipper and water quality in the studied riverine systems.

Persian leopard is considered as the largest feline in Iran, which has the wide distribution along the Alborz and the Zagros mountains. Considering the differences in climate, vegetation types, dietary habits, as well as the substantial fragmentation in their habitats in the two mountainous areas, morphological variation of the species in the two areas it looks probable. A landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis was performed using high quality 2D pictures from the dorsal, lateral, and ventral views of 42 Persian leopardʼs skulls. Procrust Analysis was used to remove the effect of none-shape parameters in landmark points and Discriminant Analysis was carried out to verify the differences between skulls in the two study areas. Our results revealed that the skulls of the two ranges of mountains are different in their overall shape, as we found the significant differences in zygomatic arch, occipital bone and nasal suture of frontal bone between the two dataset. This could be resulted from different allometric growth pattern, habitat characteristics and environmental parameters, and genetic variation among the populations of the species in this two geographic ranges.