Predicting distribution of Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) using an ensemble modeling approach: A Case Study: Saveh Zarandieh Kharaghan Area, Markazi Province

Adequate knowledge about suitable habitats for wildlife is essential to prevent habitat destruction and extinction of species and for their conservation and management. The Eurasian lynx is one of the mostly distributed cats in Asia. In this study, we applied an ensemble habitat suitability modeling approach, using ten predictor variables to model Eurasian Lynx’s habitat suitability in Saveh Zarandieh Kharaghan Area, Markazi Province. Due to the high value of the area under the curve index (AUC > 0.9) for Maximum Entropy, Random Forest, Boosted Regression Tree, and Generalized Linear Model, these models were used to produce the final distribution model of the target species. Based on the ensemble model, 53.22% of Saveh Zarandieh Kharaghan Area were identified as suitable for this species. According to the results, distance to residential areas, distance to river and availability of prey were identified as the most important variables, affecting the distribution of Eurasian Lynx. This study indicated that the Eurasian Lynx habitats need more protection.