Investigation of Species richness of Birds in Bushehr Province to Determine Biodiversity hotspots

Species richness is one of the biodiversity parts calculated by counting the number of species present in a given area. In this study, the species richness of the birds in Bushehr Province was examined to identify biodiversity hotspots and assess their conservation status. To achieve this, bird presence data were collected, and the conservation status of each species was determined. Subsequently, using a grid system with one-by-one-kilometer cells, table of distribution of birds species richness was prepared, and biodiversity hotspots were calculated using the Getis-Ord Gi statistic in a geographic information system (GIS). The results indicated that out of 320 bird species with continuous observation records in Bushehr Province, none were categorized as critically endangered according to the 2021 IUCN Red List. However, three bird species included saker falcon(Falco cherrug), Steppe Eagle(Aquila nipalensis), and Egyptian Vulture(Neophron percnopterus) were classified as Endangered, and Marbled duck(Marmaronetta angustirostris), Common pochard(Aythya ferina), Long-tailed duck(Clangula hyemalis), Macqueen's Bustard(Chlamydotis macqueenii), Socotra cormorant(Phalacrocorax nigrogularis), Pallid Harrier(Circus macrourus), and Eastern Imperial Eagle(Aquila heliaca) were considered as vulnerable. Furthermore, the study of species richness revealed that 21.58% of the study area was covered by the presence of these 320 species, with species diversity ranging from one to 26 birds per cell. The calculation of hotspots at the province level also identified the presence of 30 hotspots, covering a total area of 151311.90 hectares (6.33% of the province's area). These hotspots were mostly located in close proximity to major rivers, rangelands, and agricultural lands, particularly date palm orchards, emphasizing the need for greater attention to these habitats for bird conservation.