Assess habitat suitability Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor, Pocock 1927) based on maximum entropy method (Maxent) during the summer and fall in the National Park Tandooreh, Iran

Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor), as the biggest cat species in Iran, has an outstanding position in wildlife management. This species has been recognized as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Primary factor contributing to declining number of this species has been recognized as habitat degradation and destruction. Hence, diagnosing influential factors determining habitat suitability could benefit managers in protecting current habitats while looking for never potential patches. Being aided by the maximum entropy approach and detailed field surveys during summer and fall of 2013, this study strives for the development of a habitat suitability model for leopard in Tandooreh National Park, Iran, as one of the significant leopard habitats in the country. Model predictive power has been examined by the AUC index, achieving 0.878 which denotes the high potency of the model in predicting habitat suitability. Given the results, distance to roads has been selected as the most influential factor in explaining presence or absence of leopard in any given region. Moreover, the most suitable habitat for leopards during these seasons, has been in the elevation range of 1900-2300 m.a.s.l. in the northern aspect and 1100-2500m away from springs. The results suggest the adverse effect of roads on this invaluable carnivore in National Reserve Parks in the country.