Investigation of the distribution of plant species for systematic mapping of urban habitats with an ecological approach (Case study: Districts 9 and 11 of Mashhad City)

The aim of this study is to understand the characteristics of urban biotopes in order to establish an ecological framework for mapping biotopes and creating spatial and biological databases.

Biotope mapping is typically carried out by two main approaches: the comprehensive mapping method and the selective mapping method. In the comprehensive mapping method, the entire area is systematically mapped by identifying all biotopes and collecting precise environmental and biological data, a process that requires considerable time and financial resources. In contrast, the selective mapping method focuses on a smaller area that represents the main land uses and urban corridors, primarily emphasizing the recording of biological data for individual biotope units, thus requiring fewer resources. This research employs the method of selective mapping. Districts 9 and 11 of Mashhad city were chosen as samples for this study. The primary data and information include land use maps, land use classification in the comprehensive plan of Mashhad city, urban street design regulations, standards for the creation of urban green spaces, Google Map satellite images, vegetation cover information, and data obtained from field surveys. The identification of biotopes in the study area was carried out in six strategic stages, following spatio-temporal guidelines: (1) preparation of information resources and field surveys (collection of spatial and vegetation data); (2) creation of a database of the current vegetation cover in each land use; (3) establishment of a biotope classification framework (biotope identification); (4) data analysis, biotope classification, and segmentation of each biotope unit; (5) creation of a spatial database of biotopes and urban sub-biotopes in ArcGIS 10.8 software, along with the dominant vegetation cover in them; (6) mapping of the main biotope types and sub-biotopes.

In this study, spatial information of biotopes, along with the dominant vegetation within them, reflecting the current ecological and biological characteristics and values in the study area, were presented. According to the results, 16 main types of biotopes and 44 sub-biotopes were identified. Of the total dominant plant species identified in the biotopes, 103 species were classified as trees and shrubs, 19 species as hedges, 51 species as ground cover plants, 41 species as seasonal plants, and 33 species as other plants.

Based on the information obtained from this study, the groundwork for creating an ecologically sustainable city was established. This is because identifying urban biotopes as ecological-spatial units and collecting data on their current vegetation cover provides the necessary information for ecological reconstruction of cities. Additionally, by establishing an appropriate framework for categorizing biotopes and sub-biotopes, it enables the biotope map to be updated according to the defined framework in case of land-use changes.