Predicting the potential habitat of Russian-Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in urban landscapes

Abstract

Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a species native to southern Europe and central and eastern Asia. This species plays an important role in urban landscape design because of its rapid growth, resistance in harsh climates and tolerance to human-caused pressure. Understanding its potential dispersal and restricting parameters are the first steps toward the sustainable use of this species. Here, we used Species Distribution Models to predict the potential distribution of Russian-olive in Iran climate and estimate the possible limiting factors for its spread. Our results highlighted the importance of environmental variables including climatic factors, soil, and lithology in the distribution of this species throughout the country. According to these results, suitable habitats for Russian-olive are located in the north of Iran along the Alborz and Koppeh-Dagh mountain ranges. Therefore, the suitable habitats for this species are limited to only nine percent of the country. A habitat suitability map can be used to evaluate future developments in urban areas and predict the dispersal range of Russian-olive in Iran. Our results show that Russian-olive can be used to create new green spaces in urban climates in the northern regions of Iran.