TY - JOUR
T1 - Habitat use by the Persian onager, Equus hemionus onager (Perissodactyla
T2 - Equidae) in Qatrouyeh National Park, Fars, Iran
AU - Nowzari, Haniyeh
AU - Hemami, Mahmoudreza
AU - Karami, Mahmoud
AU - Kheirkhah Zarkesh, Mir Masoud
AU - Riazi, Borhan
AU - Rubenstein, Daniel Ian
PY - 2013/11/1
Y1 - 2013/11/1
N2 - Iran's Persian onager populations are critically endangered. This study of their natural history in Qatrouyeh National Park provides insights for enhancing their conservation. The population as a whole is greatly affected by weather. Wind, rain and cold drive populations from the plains to the valleys of hill-valley habitats. Vegetation features and water also influence habitat use, but differently for different sex and reproductive classes. Females with juveniles use plains with high-quality vegetation, whereas females without young and solitary territorial males choose those of intermediate quality. Females with young foals are also found closest to watering points. Future translocation of Persian onagers will only succeed if prospective habitats have sufficient hill-valley refuges and enough plains with winds to moderately hot conditions. Sufficient plains supporting high-quality vegetation near water for lactating females must co-exist with plains of moderate-quality vegetation that attract females without young, so reducing crowding and competition.
AB - Iran's Persian onager populations are critically endangered. This study of their natural history in Qatrouyeh National Park provides insights for enhancing their conservation. The population as a whole is greatly affected by weather. Wind, rain and cold drive populations from the plains to the valleys of hill-valley habitats. Vegetation features and water also influence habitat use, but differently for different sex and reproductive classes. Females with juveniles use plains with high-quality vegetation, whereas females without young and solitary territorial males choose those of intermediate quality. Females with young foals are also found closest to watering points. Future translocation of Persian onagers will only succeed if prospective habitats have sufficient hill-valley refuges and enough plains with winds to moderately hot conditions. Sufficient plains supporting high-quality vegetation near water for lactating females must co-exist with plains of moderate-quality vegetation that attract females without young, so reducing crowding and competition.
KW - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
KW - environmental harshness
KW - equid
KW - habitat associations
KW - reproductive state
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84889602404&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/00222933.2013.802040
DO - 10.1080/00222933.2013.802040
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84889602404
VL - 47
SP - 2795
EP - 2814
JO - Journal of Natural History
JF - Journal of Natural History
SN - 0022-2933
IS - 43-44
ER -