Effects of Climate Change on Habitat Suitability and Distribution Model of the Critically Endangered Newt, Neurergus Derjugini Nesterov, 1916 (Urodela: Salamandridae) from Contemporary Period to 2030

Abstract

Evaluating the role of climate changes on species distributions has attracted considerable research interest. The Kurdistan newt (Neurergus derjugini) is one of the critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List, which is distributed in the Avroman Mountains in Iran, on the Iraqi-Turkish border. Nowadays, the population of this species is declining and under serious threat due to several factors, including climate change. In the present study, by using the maximum entropy approach (MaxEnt), based on bioclimatic (precipitation and temperature) and topographical (altitude and slope) variables, the suitable habitats and the potential distribution areas in the contemporary and the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6 scenario and RCP 8.5 scenarios of the future (2030) distribution were modeled for the Kurdistan newt, N. derjugini. Precipitation of the coldest quarter (38.8%), slope (26.8%) and temperature annual range of the year 13.6%) were the most important factors shaping the distribution of N. derjugini in the contemporary period. For the future, in RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5, respectively, scenarios precipitation of the coldest quarter (43.8% and 42.7%), precipitation seasonality (28% and 30.6%) and temperature seasonality (20.08% and 24.2%) were the most important factors forming the distribution species. As it seems, climatic change has been responsible for fragmentation and destruction of habitats N. derjugini in the present and the future, although human activity in the destruction and change of habitats cannot be ignored.