Jie Li, Huan Yang, Yuan Yuan Duan, Xiao Dan Sun, Xiao Pan Pang, Zheng Gang Guo
{"title":"Fungi contribute more than bacteria to the ecological uniqueness of soil microbial communities in alpine meadows","authors":"Jie Li, Huan Yang, Yuan Yuan Duan, Xiao Dan Sun, Xiao Pan Pang, Zheng Gang Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the ecological uniqueness of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their driving factors can provide more targeted protection for soil microbial diversity. In this study, spatial multi-site sampling was conducted in a wide range of alpine meadows to reveal the patterns of ecological uniqueness of soil bacterial and fungal communities and the driving factors. The results showed that the soil fungal community contributed 62.3 % to the ecological uniqueness of the microbial community, compared to 37.7 % for bacteria, emphasizing the importance of protecting soil fungal diversity to maintain microbial diversity in the region. Soil bacterial diversity had a positive effect on ecological uniqueness, while fungi had an opposite pattern. Interactions of climate conditions, soil properties, plant and microbial diversity explain most of the variation in the ecological uniqueness of bacterial and fungal communities. Plant community played a key mediating role in maintaining the ecological uniqueness of soil bacterial and fungal communities in alpine meadows. This study proposed to maintain the diversity of soil microbial communities in alpine meadows by protecting sites with high ecological uniqueness of soil bacterial and fungal communities, and restoring sites with low ecological uniqueness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A habitat is not enough - increasing the chances of success for species reintroduction in riverscapes by habitat modeling and connectivity analysis","authors":"Thomas C. Wagner , Romy Woellner","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03242","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alpine rivers are among the most heavily modified ecosystems in Europe. Following massive interventions in the 18th and 19th centuries, many plant species specialized in these challenging environments declined and are now endangered or even locally extinct. Today, attempts are being made to reintroduce these species as part of restoration measures, but only a few are successful. The selection of potential sites for reintroduction is commonly intuitive and based on practical considerations, while a prior scientific assessment of habitat availability and habitat connectivity is lacking. To increase the success of future reintroductions, we employ a habitat suitability model and subsequent habitat connectivity analysis to identify promising regions and patches for reintroduction within a riverscape. We demonstrate this approach using the Alpine river specialists <em>Chondrilla chondrilloides</em> and <em>Myricaria germanica</em> in three differently degraded and one restored section of the large Alpine river Isar. All river sections provide habitats for both species, but with increasing degradation, habitats become fewer and less connected. For the species with a narrower habitat niche and lower dispersal ability, suitable and connected patches that support a self-sustained metapopulation are only found in the near-natural sections. Despite an improvement in the habitat situation, the patch size in the restored section is too small, and the patches are too scattered to support a successful reintroduction of the species. We show that this evidence-based approach outperforms an intuitive selection of out-planting sites. The results further underline the importance of using scientific habitat analysis to increase the success of reintroduction measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The species diversity and phylogenetic structure patterns of desert plant communities in the Turpan-Hami region, Xinjiang","authors":"Wen-qin Tu, Wen-xun Lu, Ji-qi Gu, An-ru Lou","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Desert plant communities play a crucial role in enhancing desert ecosystem productivity and stability but are highly susceptible to environmental changes owing to their limited resilience and resistance to disturbances, making it essential to understand the factors influencing their diversity patterns and community structure, particularly under the threat of climate change and intensifying droughts. This study focused on the Turpan-Hami desert region, a typical desert ecosystem in which diversity patterns and community structures remain unclear. We established 101 sampling sites ranging from elevations of −134–2056 m and recorded community information, including species composition, height, coverage, and density, using the sample plot method. The diversity patterns were analyzed using regression analysis, and the phylogenetic structure was assessed. Additionally, Canonical Correspondence Analysis, Mantel tests, and General Linear Models were used to identify the key factors affecting community structure. Our results demonstrated that the species richness and phylogenetic diversity of plant communities exhibited a monotonic increase with elevation, and the phylogenetic structure exhibited low clustering and high dispersion along the elevational gradient. The annual mean temperature emerged as the most significant factor influencing diversity patterns, with soil nutrients, such as total potassium and available phosphorus, also affecting the spatial distribution of diversity. Notably, no significant correlations were found between community phylogenetic structure and abiotic factors, highlighting the complex interactions that drive diversity in the Turpan-Hami region. This study offers valuable insights into the mechanisms shaping desert plant community diversity and is essential for biodiversity conservation efforts in fragile desert ecosystems amid climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142535887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Miguel A. San Martín-Cruz , Rafael Villegas-Patraca , Wesley Dáttilo , Paula L. Enriquez , Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza
{"title":"Occupancy dynamics of the mottled owl Strix virgata using object-based image analysis along an urbanized Neotropical gradient","authors":"Miguel A. San Martín-Cruz , Rafael Villegas-Patraca , Wesley Dáttilo , Paula L. Enriquez , Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanization has profound effects on wildlife. Although some species benefit or even thrive in urban environments, most species respond differently to the varying degrees of disturbance that can be found across an urbanized landscape. Quantifying the effects of urbanization in wildlife distributions, however, is complicated: species vary in their patterns of presence/absence, abundance, and detectability across spatial and temporal scales, e.g., daily, seasonal, or throughout the annual cycle. Here, we use occupancy models to offer a realistic approach to the study of populations of urban owls. Most studies on owl population dynamics have not considered temporal variation in occupancy between seasons or assess the uneven effects of urbanization along a habitat gradient. We investigated the seasonal habitat associations of mottled owls along an urban gradient in the Neotropical city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Using high-resolution satellite images and object-based image classification techniques, were analyzed the relationship between different vegetation and environmental characteristics with the occupancy of mottled owls. We employed different sampling techniques, including playback surveys and silent listening periods, to detect the presence or absence of owls along a gradient from highest to lowest urbanization. Environmental data and different vegetation types were used to analyze the habitat associations of mottled owls during January (late non-breeding season) and May (late breeding season) of 2023. In total, we detected 68 mottled owls during the non-breeding season and 102 during the breeding season, with higher detection rates in areas with >28 % forest surface. Our results revealed that the best occupancy model included forest and forest division (occupancy), ambient noise and moonlight (detection) for the non-breeding season, as well as urban, forest, grass, and forest division (occupancy), and noise (detection) for the breeding season. The percentage of forested and grass areas positively influenced mottled owl occupancy while the percentage of urbanization and forest division influenced it negatively. Moonlight was positively related to mottled owl detection, while ambient noise had a negative effect on detection probabilities of mottled owls during both seasons. Forested areas emerged as pivotal for owl occupancy, indicating their sensitivity to forest changes along the urban gradient. With urban areas increasing, the interplay between forest division, ambient noise, and moonlight unveils critical insights into mottled owl behavior and habitat dynamics, underscoring the necessity for informed conservation strategies amidst urban expansion. Future research should survey different years to provide a more robust assessment of the dynamic occupancy of mottled owls in Neotropical urban gradients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas M. Neeson , Sean C. Emmons , Lauren E. Mullenbach
{"title":"Tradeoffs and synergies between social equity and environmental benefits in conservation","authors":"Thomas M. Neeson , Sean C. Emmons , Lauren E. Mullenbach","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03219","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03219","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conservation programs worldwide pursue social equity alongside environmental benefits and economic efficiency. When the spatial patterning of human diversity differs from the patterning of biological diversity, conservation planners face complex tradeoffs between social and biological objectives. Here, we quantify how these tradeoffs depend on the correlation between the spatial distributions of social and biological diversity. We used empirical patterns in the commonness and rarity of species to generate simulated landscapes with pre-defined correlations between biological diversity and human social diversity. Our analysis shows how tradeoffs between social equity and environmental benefits are unavoidable when human and biological diversity are negatively correlated. However, when human and biological diversity are strongly positively correlated, then biological and social priorities are congruent. In these settings, well-designed conservation programs may engender positive feedbacks between social equity and ecosystem services, enhancing both. Our analysis focused on distributional equity, but similar dynamics are likely to occur with procedural, recognitional and contextual equity. Given growing evidence that socially equitable conservation programs are more likely to be successful, our findings underscore the importance of carefully assessing the potential for conflicts and synergies between the social and biological goals of conservation programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Iqbal Md Jamaluddin , Kamaruddin Zainul Abidin , Shukor Md Nor , Aisah Shukor , Ahmad Ikhwan Zainudddin , Rahmah Illias , Mohammad Saiful Mansor
{"title":"Asian elephants involved in conflicts exhibit similar habitat use but travel farther than non-conflict individuals","authors":"Muhammad Iqbal Md Jamaluddin , Kamaruddin Zainul Abidin , Shukor Md Nor , Aisah Shukor , Ahmad Ikhwan Zainudddin , Rahmah Illias , Mohammad Saiful Mansor","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid development and deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia have degraded and fragmented the tropical forest, impacting the survival of many megafauna species. With reduced space to roam, Asian elephants (<em>Elephas maximus</em>) may extend their range into the altered landscape, leading to human–elephant conflict (HEC). HEC is defined as any interactions between wild elephants and humans that result in negative effects on both humans and elephants. Although known as a keystone species in the region, spatial studies comparing conflict and non-conflict elephants have never been done before. In this study, we used GPS satellite collar data for five conflict and seven non-conflict elephants from 2012 to 2021. We mapped their home ranges, identified hotspots, and estimated the proportion of habitat use (area and time spent) across the Managed Elephant Ranges of Peninsular Malaysia. We found that nine of the 12 elephants spent >90 % of their time in their home range and >95 % of their time in hotspots in forested areas regardless of conflict status. redefining of conflict status as spending <53 % of the time in the home range and <41 % in hotspots in forested areas. However, conflict elephants moved significantly farther on the daily average than non-conflict elephants. Our findings highlight the importance of redefining the conflict status of elephants based on threat levels and habitat use to consider the rapidly degrading habitat that signals human–elephant coexistence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anthropogenic effects and ecosystem services of tropical highland forests in Ethiopia","authors":"Admasu Moges , Abyot Dibaba, Mesfin Woldearegay","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the significant direct and indirect benefits that forests, particularly tropical highland forests, provide to local communities, they are facing severe degradation primarily due to population growth and rapid land-use changes. This has made it difficult for policymakers to effectively manage these forests due to a lack of comprehensive current forest research data. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine the anthropogenic impacts on forest ecosystems and the ecosystem services (<span><span><sup>1</sup></span></span>ESs) they provide, as well as to understand local perspectives on management of natural forests. For collecting disturbance indicators and other environmental data, 12 transect lines by 150 meter interval between each of the two consecutive parallel transects and 40 quadrats (20 m x 20 m size each) by 100 m interval were laid out in 145 ha total forest land size of the five study sites of three districts. However, for questionnaire-based data, 266 respondents were participated. As revealed in the results, the majority of households (about 78 %) relied on mixed farming and had ≤ 1 ha of land with 5.6 average family size. Besides, 74.3 % of the households used forest products for cooking food and getting energy to their homes due to little or no electricity, or other energy sources in rural communities. Nearly 85 % of the households also obtained timber from natural forests. Tree cutting, grazing, cultivation, and fires were the major anthropogenic factors leading to deforestation and loss of ecosystem services and biodiversity of the studied forest ecosystems. Disturbance assessment indicated that almost all forest patches, excluding one in the eastern subregion of the study area, were severely impacted. This suggests a widespread degradation of Ethiopia's forests. However, various ESs, mainly regulating and habitat services, followed by provisioning ones, were delivered from these sites. Hence, soil erosion controlling, flood protecting, and soil fertility regulating services were some of the most services provided by the forests. Likewise, being shelter and nursery sites for biota were the other most important habitat service. The raw materials including grass for fodder, medicinal plants, timber, fuel wood, and water for livestock watering and domestic uses were the major provisioning services provided. Thus, more than 93 % of the households had a great interest for the protection and continuity of the present forest patches in the future. Briefly, despite being heavily degraded due to anthropogenic factors, these natural forests still provided various ecological, social, and economic services to the local people; thereby the people were interested in protecting and conserving them. Thus, for restoring degraded forest areas of the zone, community-based participatory conservation strategies were recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Microclimate and the spatio-temporal dynamics of natural production of two ectomycorrhizal fungi from the Guineo-Sudanian ecozone in Benin","authors":"Abdoul-Azize Boukary, Issifou Kassim Tchan, Roël Dire Houdanon, Armel Boris Olou, Sylvestre Akotchayé Badou, Ghislaine Yahouedehou, Apollon Dossou Migan Tadagbé Hegbe, Nourou Soulemane Yorou","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03238","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03238","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study aims to determine the relation between the micro-climate and the natural production of <em>Amanita subviscosa</em>, and <em>Lactifluus gymnocarpoides</em>, in the Guinea-Sudanian ecozone. Nine permanent plots of 50 ×50 m were installed in three different vegetations of the “Ouémé Supérieur” forest reserve in central Benin. The mycological surveys were carried out during three (3) mycological seasons, each from June to October at a frequency of two visits per week and per plot. The number of fruiting bodies and the fresh biomass were recorded. Microclimatic parameters (soil water content, air temperature, soil temperature, relative humidity and precipitation) were measured using a rain gauge and a HOBO micro station data logger installed at the middle of each plot. We tested several Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models (GLMM) using the lme4 package to obtain the effect of recorded microclimate factor on the number of fruit bodies of each species and the Linear Mixed Effects Model (LMM) using the package nlme for fresh biomass. The study showed that soil water content is the main driver of fungal fruiting phenology and increased biomass production. The fruiting of <em>A. subviscosa</em> is positively affected by air temperature and soil water content (p = 0.0004) but negatively affected by relative air humidity. The fructification of <em>L. gymnocarpoides</em> is only positively affected by the air temperature and negatively affected by relative air humidity and soil water content. Soil water content significantly affects the fresh biomass of <em>A. subviscosa</em> (p≈0) while the fresh biomass of <em>L. gymnocarpoides</em> is significantly affected by soil water content and relative air humidity (p≈0). All species for their natural production have specific response at microclimate parameters variation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shuwen Jia , Yi Wang , Yuanchao Li , Zhongjie Wu , Zefu Cai , Jie Shen , Daoru Wang , Shiquan Chen
{"title":"Population genetic structure of Montipora digitata coral-algal symbiosis in the South China Sea","authors":"Shuwen Jia , Yi Wang , Yuanchao Li , Zhongjie Wu , Zefu Cai , Jie Shen , Daoru Wang , Shiquan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Species genetic diversity can reflect their adaptability to environmental changes. Coral reefs worldwide are in rapid decline due to climate change and human activities, highlighting the need for conservation intervention. The South China Sea (SCS) is an important biodiversity hotspot, particularly in the Xisha Islands (XS) that contain the majority of coral species in the SCS. However, few studies exist on coral genetic diversity in the SCS. <em>Montipora digitata</em> is the dominant reef-building coral species in the XS. In this study, two mitochondrial DNA fragments and 11 microsatellite markers were employed to investigate the genetic diversity of coral host of <em>M. digitata</em>, and ITS amplicon sequencing was employed to investigate the Symbiodiniaceae community structure. We sampled five wild populations of <em>M. digitata</em> in Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands. <em>Montipora digitata</em> showed low genetic diversity across populations in the SCS. We found significant genetic differentiation between the Sanya (SY) and XS populations but no significant genetic differentiation within XS populations. We identified four Symbiodiniaceae genera, with <em>Cladocopium</em> and <em>Durusdinium</em> being the most common, as well as <em>Gerakladium</em> and <em>Fugacium.</em> The Symbiodiniaceae types of SY and XS are significantly different, C15 is abundant in all populations, while D1a is also abundant in SY. We analyzed the correlation between 16 environmental factors and the genetic diversity of symbionts, genetic diversity of coral host and Symbiodiniaceae community was significantly correlated with sea surface temperature (SST) and other environmental factors. Our study provided a detailed paradigm from the perspective of genetic diversity of how a dominant coral species can be indicative of poor environmental adaptation potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of habitat suitability and migratory paths of an endangered raptor, Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) in Iran","authors":"Kamran Almasieh , Mitra Cheraghi , Ali Khani , Tayebeh Shahi","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding habitat suitability, the environmental variables limiting the distribution of species, and migratory paths are important issues for conservation of threatened bird species. Identifying areas important for birds and their overlap with conservation areas (CAs) can guide conservation managers in establishing new CAs. The Steppe Eagle (<em>Aquila nipalensis</em>) is a globally endangered winter visitor raptor in Iran. We used 164 occurrence records of Steppe Eagles and data on 12 environmental variables in Iran as input to ensemble modeling and electrical circuit theory models to identify, respectively, potential wintering areas and migratory paths between those wintering areas. Our results revealed that elevation, distance to rodents, mean diurnal range, distance to villages, and distance to cities were the most influential variables for habitat suitability in Iran. Potential wintering areas identified by our models were mainly located in the north and south of Iran and migratory paths connected these areas through the central plains. CAs covered about one-fifth of potential wintering areas. Conservation of the species within potential wintering areas and the migratory paths from northern to southern Iran is necessary for the survival of this endangered species in its entire distribution. Therefore, wildlife managers should pay increased attention to non-protected parts of potential wintering areas in order to establish new CAs and protect migration paths against threats. Our results pave the way for proper planning for the conservation of threatened raptors in Iran, particularly Steppe Eagle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142419098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}