Functions and Ecosystem Services of Asiatic Cheetah

Cheetah is one of the endangered wildlife species in different countries around the world, including Iran, and has been included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Today, Iran is the only place where Asiatic Cheetahs can be found, and the latest estimates indicate that only 30 to 40 Asiatic Cheetahs remain. The present study aimed to prioritize the ecosystem functions and services for Asiatic Cheetahs in Iran from the perspectives of experts and professionals. After a literature review, based on the 2018 Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES), among Provisioning, Cultural, and Regulation and Maintenance functions, the Cultural and Regulation and Maintenance functions and 14 services were extracted for Asiatic Cheetahs in Iran. Next, by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Delphi method, the priority of functions and services was investigated in two stages. The results showed that the most important functions and services were, respectively, as follows: Cultural (4.37), Regulation and Maintenance (4.32) functions, and services related to the Bequest value (4.95) of Asiatic Cheetahs; Existence value (4.93); Educational (4.58); Aesthetic (4.47); Entertainment (recreation and ecotourism) (4.44); Symbolic (4.40); Scientific (3.67), Cultural (3.55), Biodiversity (4.82); and Disease control (3.82). The necessary measures for preventing the extinction of Asiatic Cheetahs include the construction of wildlife corridors in habitats of Cheetahs, promoting participation of communities and non-governmental organizations in the sustainable management of Cheetah habitats, and designing coins with Cheetah to attract public attention and support.