Using Ecosystem Service Modeler (ESM) for Ecological Quality, rarity and Risk Assessment of the wild goat habitat, in the Haftad-Gholleh protected area

In recent years,the destruction of habitats has reduced the wild goat population in the Haftad-Gholleh protected area.The wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is known as symbol of biodiversity of Markazi Province.In a field study conducted between 2007 and 2017,the number of wild goats were surveyed and threat to their habitat were determined as the population and the ecological conditions as well as their movements in the Haftad-Gholleh were identified.Landsat image of year 2018 was used to produce digital land use maps for this study.Ecological Quality,Rarity and Risk Assessment was performed with ESM,HQR and HRA models.The images were classified into three classes including;Agriculture-livestock,Rangeland,and Residential regions.The results indicated that 75% of the casualties of the wild goat by Peste des Petits Ruminants disease were from the Chekab Valley and 25% from the Sibak Valley.Almost 80% of deaths among the population of wild goats were observed in the month of July.However,there are two important mountainous and plains habitats in the Haftad-Gholleh Area.Among the biggest threats and more devastating stressors in the region were to villagers,agricultural-livestock and roads development.However,among the stressors,the agriculture-livestock caused more deaths in the mountainous habitat of the wild goats.Thus,there is an urgent need for habitat conservation of the existing population of the wild goat in Haftad-Gholleh area.