A new Approach to Combine Multi- Criteria Decision Making Systems and Gray Clustering Method for Spatial Optimization of Environmental Monitoring Stations

Knowledge of conservation biology has received much attention from both authorities and experts of environment in the recent decades maintaining biodiversity values. One of the strategies for environmental management, is to create infrastructure facilities required for physical protection of conserved areas. Conservation of arid ecosystems, such as Naybandan wildlife refuge that has the ability to achieve least natural conditions and introduced as one of the most significant habitat of Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), should be placed on conservation priorities. Objectives of the current study were zoning and site selection for environmental monitoring stations using multiple criteria decision making systems, in the Naybandan wildlife refuge. Therefore, effective criteria and indicators were identified by the Delphi method and the internal structure of the criteria and indicators were characterized using DEMATEL technique. Next, indicators were weighted using Analytic network process technique and combined using Gray Cluster method and classified in five classes, that class one represents the best areas for the installation of the environmental monitoring stations. Finally, we used the three-dimensional analysis and satellite images to determine the exact location of the station and the exact location of environmental monitoring stations were identified. The results showed that between technical and socio-economic criteria, distance from the point of gravity and distance from communication lines are the main criteria affecting the positioning of the environmental monitoring stations, respectively. These findings indicate the efficacy of the combination of multiple criteria decision making systems with Gray functions in location decisions.