Nowzari et al. • Habitat Associations of Persian Wild Ass in Iran HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF PERSIAN WILD est road, and negatively to distance to nearest water ASS (EQUUS HEMIONUS ONAGER) IN QA- resource during the moderate season (Apr—Jul). Our TROUYEH NATIONAL PARK, IRAN results showed onagers were not near water resources during cold season when water stress was least, where- HANIYEH NOWZARI, Department of Environment, as they were near water resources during moderate and Abadeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abadeh, hot seasons because of increased water stress. Also Iran. Address: No.475, 90 alley, Ghasrodasht Av- onagers were far from roads likely to avoid from hu- enue, Shiraz, Fars, Iran. P.O.Box: 71957-45343; man presence. Onagers tended to use higher slopes Phone: 0098-917/312-0642; Email: hnowzari@ during moderate and hot seasons to avoid high tem- princeton.edu peratures in the plains. During the hot season when herbaceous forage was scarce in QNP, onagers used MAHMOUDREZA HEMAMI, Department of Natu- areas with high NDVI and higher cover of green bush ral Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, and shrub layer. They use areas with low NDVI during Isfahan, Iran cold season when annual grasses were more common after rainfall in these areas. MAHMOUD KARAMI, Department of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Is- KEY WORDS: GIS, habitat modeling, NDVI, Per- lamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran sian onager, seasonal habitat use. MIR MASOUD KHEIRKHAH ZARKESH, Depart- Proceedings of the IVth International Wildlife ment of Environment and Energy, Science and Management Congress: 25-30, 2013 Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Teh- ran, Iran Horses, zebras and asses, members of the family Equ- idae, once flourished and inhabited a range of envi- BORHAN RIAZI, Department of Environment and ronments in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Today, 5 out of 7 extant Equids are now listed as Azad University, Tehran, Iran “Threatened” by the International Union for Conser- vation of Nature (IUCN), including Equus ferus and DANIEL I. RUBENSTEIN, Department of Ecology E. africanus as critically endangered, E. hemionus and and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, E. grevyi as endangered and E. zebra as vulnerable Princeton, NJ 08544, USA (IUCN 2008). Once distributed from China to Turkey and India to Kazakhstan, the Asiatic wild ass or onager ABSTRACT: Persian onager (Equus hemionus ona- (Equus hemionus) now exists only in parts of China, ger) is an endangered species whose populations in India, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran semi-arid ecosystems of Iran have continued to decline (Moehlman 2002). The Persian onager (E. h. onager), during the last few decades. The basic ecology of ona- of the 5 subspecies of Equus hemionus, has been de- gers in Iran is poorly understood and there is scarcity clining in numbers over recent decades and is restrict- of knowledge to base management activities for con- ed to 2 isolated populations in 2 semi-arid ecosystems servation of the species. Between autumn 2009 and of Iran. Consequently, this taxon was categorized as summer 200 the location of onager herds were re- critically endangered (Tatin et al. 2003, IUCN 2008). corded using GPS in Qatrouyeh National Park (QNP). Also, other subspecies are listed as threatened by the Habitat variables, including NDVI, slope, elevation, IUCN except for Equus hemionus hemippus which is aspect, distance to nearest road, and distance to nearest already extinct. water resource, were extracted for GPS locations of One of the central tenets of behavioral ecology is onagers. Principal Component Analysis was used to that features of the environment shape animal behavior determine the most important factors influencing habi- (Krebs and Davies 997). Choice of habitat affects re- tat use by onagers. In the cold season (Dec—Mar), source use, which in turn affects competition, grouping use of habitat was positively related to distance to near- behavior, mating activities and ultimately reproductive est road and distance to nearest water resource, and success and fitness (Lawes and Nanni 1993). Under- negatively associated with NDVI. In the hot season standing the forces that shape habitat use (Henley et al. (Aug—Nov), the pattern of habitat use was associated 2007, Nowzari et al. 2007) is essential for understand- positively with NDVI and slope, and negatively with ing how behavior influences population and ecological distance to nearest water resource. Onager habitat use dynamics as well as resource availability (Sibly and was related positively to slope and distance to near- Smith 985). By deciphering the rules determining 25 IVth International Wildlife Management Congress Fig 1A Fig 1E Fig 1B Fig 1C Fig 1D Figure 1 Figure 1. (A) Digital elevation model map of Bahramegoor Protected Area and its location in Iran; Black lines show the boundaries of Qatrouyeh National Park (QNP). (B) Slope map of QNP. (C) Aspect map of14 QNP. (D) Roads map of QNP. (E) Water resources map of QNP. 26 Nowzari et al. • Habitat Associations of Persian Wild Ass in Iran Table 1. Habitat use model of Persian onager, based on a principal components analysis. Season NDVI Slope Distance to Distance to nearest Cumulative percent nearest roads water resources Cold í0.60a 0.81 0.86 86.92 Moderate 0.61 0.76 í0.80 82.58 Hot 0.70 0.65 í0.75 87.20 aEigen values how environmental features shape behavior, conserva- desert-like plains. Its average annual rainfall ranged tion biologists should be able to manipulate this link by from 50 to 250 mm per year and thus is considered a changing human behavior to improve a species’ pros- semi-arid ecosystem. Maximum temperature was 44°C pects of survival, enhance ecosystem function, and im- and minimum temperature was –°C during the hottest prove human livelihoods in environmentally sustainable and the coldest months. Qatrouyeh National Park in- ways (Rubenstein 200). Overall, behavioral ecology cludes part of Zagros Mountains and consists of 3 main has much to offer for solving conservation problems landscapes: the Koohsorkh-e-bozorg Mountains, the (Caro 998). Rigjamshid, Einaljalal and Dehvazir plains, and the re- Currently, Qatrouyeh National Park (QNP) and maining area containing many hills and valleys. Water Touran National Park (TNP) are the last strongholds comes from natural springs and human-made wells and for Persian onager in Iran (Ziaee 2008). However, ex- troughs. Three vegetation communities predominated: cept for a few studies (Groves 974, Harrington 977) Artemisia—Zygophylum, Artemisia—Amygdalus, and information about the ecology of populations in these Rock (Qatrouyeh NP—Bahramegoor PA comprehen- protected areas is limited. Understanding temporal sive management plan 200). Apart from Persian and spatial patterns of habitat use provides a critical onager, large herbivores such as wild sheep (Ovis ori- foundation for management (Moore 2008), especially entalis), wild goat (Capra aegagrus), and Jebeer ga- in equids (Moehlman 2002). There is a lack of in- zelle (Gazella bennettii), and carnivores such as grey formation about population size, habitat relationships wolf (Canis lupus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), red and population structure of the Persian onager (Duncan fox (Vulpes vulpes), striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), 992, Moehlman 2002). The aim of this study was caracal (Felis caracal), and leopard (Panthera pardus), to model the habitat use of Persian onagers to be a occur in the area (Darvishsefat 2006). The number of base for further studies which can assist in the species onagers has been estimated to be 270 individuals (He- conservation and management (Suring and Vohs 979, mami and Momeni in press). Hemami et al. 2004, Sundaresan et al. 2007, Kaczen- sky et al. 2008). METHODS Field Data Collection STUDY AREA We recorded the latitude and longitude of all of Per- Bahramegoor Protected area (BPA) was established in sian onager sightings in QNP during 4 seasons (autumn 972 and is 408,000 ha in size. It is located 55 km 2009, winter, spring and summer 200). We drove away from Neyriz city and is near Qatrouyeh town in fixed loops during day from sunrise to sunset 3 days Fars province (Darvishsefat 2006). Qatrouyeh Na- per week— day for each plain (Rigjamshid, Einaljalal, tional Park was deemed by the Department of Environ- and Dehvazir plains)—during nonconsecutive 2-week ment (DOE) as the core zone of BPA in 2007, which periods every month. This resulted in 6 observations is located at 29o 0’ to 29o 26’ N and 54o 36’ to 54o 48’ every month, 8 per season and 60 per year, excluding E (Fig. ). Qatrouyeh National Park has an area of February and June. The research team consisted of 4 32,576 ha, and a range in elevation of ,680—2,787 m observers, each a wildlife expert equipped with 138×30 above sea level. Its terrain consists of mountains and binoculars, who traveled along all available routes 27 IVth International Wildlife Management Congress through QNP, stopping wherever a herd was spotted. with NDVI and slope and negatively associated with To count the onagers in each herd, team member distance to nearest water source. In other words, ona- approached the herd, guided by 2-way radio from the gers used higher slopes, and areas that had high NDVI other team members who observed from a distance. and were nearer to water resources. When within 0 m of the herd, the GPS location was recorded along with herd size, habitat type, time and DISCUSSION date, recently left traces of the herd like feces, urine, This was the first study in Iran to characterize patterns and spoor tracks, and water resources near the herd. of seasonal habitat use of the Persian onager over con- secutive years. Spatial and temporal variability in veg- NDVI etation and habitat use is common for many free-rang- Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) val- ing herbivores across the world (Palmer et al.