Identifying high-priority conservation areas for avian biodiversity using species distribution modeling

Hyrcanian forests are rich in the sense of biological diversity. As a relic of the Arco-Tertiary forests, these habitats are known as the last remnants of primeval deciduous forests in the world. However, they are also ecologically unknown and strongly threatened by human-wide range activities. Because tree-cavity nesters are indicators of avian diversity in forests, they can be used to identify priority conservation areas in these ecosystems. In this study, we used 5 tree-cavity-nesting birds (Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martins), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea), European Green Woodpecker (Picas viridis) and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)) to identify high-priority areas for conservation in Hyrcanian forests, Iran. We modeled habitat suitability of the 5 species across Golestan Province. We classified the models to suitable/unsuitable maps and multiplied them to determine areas with highest suitability for the five species. We found poor representation of high-priority habitats within protected areas. The high-priority habitats of the Hyrcanian forests identified in this study should be considered for protection of avian biodiversity.