Investigating the destruction of natural habitats of the grey almond species under the pressure of human destructive factors

The study of habitat destructive factors is critical step to management and better conservation of species. The study of the distribution areas of the gray almond species showed that the favorable habitats of this species are often found in arid and semi-arid regions and in the southern latitudes of the Iran. The habitats of this species throughout the country have suffered from different classes of destructions and damages under the influence of various natural and human factors. After identifying the most important human factors affecting the destruction of habitats, the frequency of these factors and their severity were investigated. The results of the sampling of the gray almond habitat showed that ۸۰% of the distribution areas of this species have faced extensive destruction and damage by human societies. In this study, the severity of damage to the habitats (۴ studied classes) considered in relation to the distances from sampling sites to the destructive human factors included the nearest cities and villages, the main roads, agricultural lands and industrial centers was investigated. The results showed that there was a negative relationship between distance to human destructive factors and severity of damages to natural habitats. As the distance to human destructive factors (especially distance to the nearest cities and villages) increase, the severity of damages to habitats decrease. The results of studding frequency of human destructive factors in different classes of destruction of the studied habitats showed that urbanization had the most destructive effects on habitats. Class ۲ (low degradation) was the most frequent severity of damages caused by all human destructive factors.

Keywords:

Destructive factors , Natural habitats , Iran , Grey almond