Habitat Suitability Assessment for Pika (Ochotona Rufescense) In Adoroshk Watershed (Yazd Province – Shirkuh)

Habitat assessment is one of the pillars of wildlife management and protection. In the study, the evaluation of Pika habitat in Adoroshk watershed was performed using the maximum entropy algorithm model (MaxEnt). According to the principles of cartography from the geographic reference map topography to extract the boundary of the region, the digital height model for the preparation of the classified map (Dem) of elevation changes, Slope and geographical domain were used. In order to prepare the environmental layers to enter the model MaxEnt, ArcGis software version 10.3 was used. Sampling was performed using random linear transect method and binoculars through direct observation of cheeks and indexes in spring and summer of 2019 and the number 33 points of Pika,s presence were recorded by GPS. Validation of the model was performed using the area under the curve (AUC) and the usefulness of the variables by analyzing the Jacknife test. The results showed that the desirability of Paika habitat in the Adoroshk watershed is mainly in rocky and mountainous areas with grass and shrubs at altitudes above 2500 meters above sea level and slopes. It is more than 50%. The climate was considered suitable for temperate pike. Favorable areas for Paika constitute 275 hectares (17.46%) of the habitat. It was also found that in Adoroshk, Paikas prefer the western slope.