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Freshwater ecosystems are experiencing accelerating global biodiversity loss. Thus, knowing where these unique ecosystems' species richness reaches a peak can facilitate their conservation planning. By hosting more than 290 freshwater fishes, Iran is a major freshwater fish hotspot in the Middle East. Considering the accelerating rate of biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to identify species‐rich areas and understand the mechanisms driving biodiversity distribution. In this study, we gathered distribution records of all endemic freshwater fishes of Iran (85 species) to develop their richness map and determine the most critical drivers of their richness patterns from an ecoregion approach. We performed a generalized linear model (GLM) with quasi‐Poisson distribution to identify contemporary and historical determinants of endemic freshwater fish richness. We also quantified endemic fish similarity among the 15 freshwater ecoregions of Iran. Results showed that endemic freshwater fish richness is highest in the Zagros Mountains while a moderate level of richness was observed between Zagros and Alborz Mountains. High, moderate, and low richness of endemic freshwater fish match with Upper Tigris & Euphrates, Namak, and Kavir & Lut Deserts ecoregions respectively. Kura – South Caspian Drainages and Caspian Highlands were the most similar ecoregions and Orumiyeh was the most unique ecoregion according to endemic fish presence. Precipitation and precipitation change velocity since the Last Glacial Maximum were the most important predictors of endemic freshwater fish richness. Areas identified to have the highest species richness have high priority for the conservation of freshwater fish in Iran, therefore, should be considered in future protected areas development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change will affect the distribution of species in the future. To determine the vulnerable areas relating to CL in Iran, we applied two models, MaxEnt and RF, for the projection of the future distribution of the main vectors and reservoirs of CL. The results of the models were compared in terms of performance, species distribution maps, and the gain, loss, and stable areas. The models provided a reasonable estimate of species distribution. The results showed that the Northern and Southern counties of Iran, which currently do not have a high incidence of CL may witness new foci in the future. The Western, and Southwestern regions of the Country, which currently have high habitat suitability for the presence of some vectors and reservoirs, will probably significantly decrease in the future. Furthermore, the most stable areas are for T. indica and M. hurrianae in the future. So that, this species may remain a major reservoir in areas that are present under current conditions. With more local studies in the field of identifying vulnerable areas to CL, it can be suggested that the national CL control guidelines should be revised to include a section as a climate change adaptation plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is an important growing threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. Previous studies have shown that climate change will negatively influence Iran’s biodiversity. Reptiles are among the most vulnerable groups to climate change. Until now, 80 terrestrial snakes have been identified in Iran in which 16 are terrestrial venomous. In the present study, we predicted the impacts of climate change on distribution of the genus Macrovipera in Iran. We applied an ensemble approach, using five distribution modeling methods (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Generalized Boosted Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest) to predict the impacts of climate change on distribution pattern of the genus. We also estimated protected areas coverage for the suitable habitat of the genus under current and future climatic conditions. We found that the genus will lose 11% of its suitable habitat under the worst-case scenario (2071- 2100SSP585). Results also showed that only around 8% of the genus suitable habitat is covered by protected areas under current and future climatic conditions. Stable suitable but not protected habitats have high priority for conservation of the genus in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snakebite is one of the largest risks from wildlife, however little is known about venomous snake distribution, spatial variation in snakebite risk, potential changes in snakebite risk pattern due to climate change, and vulnerable human population. As a consequence, management and prevention of snakebite is hampered by this lack of information. Here we used habitat suitability modeling for 10 medically important venomous snakes to identify high snakebite risk area under climate change in Iran. We identified areas with high snakebite risk in Iran and showed that snakebite risk will increase in some parts of the country. Our results also revealed that mountainous areas (Zagros, Alborz, Kopet–Dagh mountains) will experience highest changes in species composition. We underline that in order to improve snakebite management, areas which were identified with high snakebite risk in Iran need to be prioritized for the distribution of antivenom medication and awareness rising programs among vulnerable human population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying historical drivers of biodiversity distribution patterns is a central issue in ecology and biogeography. Iran is a biodiversity-rich country in southwestern Asia. It is known that past events like climatic oscillations and mountains uplifting have had an outstanding impact on evolution, speciation, and diversification of biodiversity in the country. However, evidence of the impacts of past events on species distribution and genetic structure is sparse. Thus, in this paper, we have assembled the first review, combining results of different studies on different taxonomic groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fishes) to identify the most important past events and geographical barriers that have shaped the current distribution patterns of vertebrate species and their genetic structure in Iran. We also presented the most comprehensive and updated checklist of vertebrate species of Iran. The vertebrates of Iran comprise 1317 species in 516 genera, 167 families, and 53 orders, of which 180 species (13.67% of total fauna) considered as endemic. By assessing 85 published papers we identified three major past events in Iran which are responsible for the current distribution patterns of vertebrate species and their genetic structure. These include mountain uplifting, past climatic oscillations, and sea level change. We also identified several geographical barriers which played a very critical role in shaping vertebrate species distribution patterns in Iran. The uplifting of the Zagros Mountains was the most important event that played a critical role in shaping the distribution and genetic structure of all vertebrate groups in Iran. Past climate change was found to be very influential in shaping species richness patterns, particularly reptile richness and genetic divergence patterns (Persian abstract presented in Online Resource 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot is among the least‐known biodiversity hotspots on earth. In this study, we aim to map the richness and genetic divergence of lizards in the biodiversity hotspot and its surrounding areas and identify the most important determinants of the richness and genetic divergence patterns. Location: Iran and Turkey (Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot). Methods: Here, we mapped the distribution of 211 lizard species in Iran and Turkey using existing occurrence data and generated the first genetic divergence pattern map of the lizard species in the two countries to identify areas of high species diversity and genetic divergence in the Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot. We also identified determinants of lizard richness and genetic divergence patterns. Results: Results showed that the Zagros Mountains, Central Iranian Plateau and the northern Persian Gulf have the highest lizard richness. The Zagros Mountains, Central Iranian Plateau, the northern Persian Gulf and the regions around the Lut Desert and Jazmourian Plain have the highest total genetic divergence in Iran. Alborz and Kopet Dag mountains and south western parts of Turkey have the highest average genetic divergence. The annual temperature was the most important predictor of lizard richness, and temperature change velocity was the most influential determinant of genetic divergence pattern. Much to our surprise, species diversity and most areas with high genetic divergence are located outside of Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot. Main conclusions: This study showed that lizard richness and genetic divergence patterns are associated with current and past climate. In particular, this study highlights the legacy of past climate changes on lizard genetic divergence distribution patterns. We showed that most of the species‐rich and genetically diverse regions are located outside of the biodiversity hotspot. So conservation efforts that are concentrated inside the biodiversity hotspot may not benefit lizard biodiversity conservation. Thus, future studies and conservation programs on the biodiversity hotspot should also consider its surrounding areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodent biogeographic studies are disproportionately scarce in Iran, however, they are an ideal system to understand drivers of biodiversity distributions in the country. The aims of the present research are to determine (i) the pattern of rodent richness across the country, (ii) quantify their elevational distribution patterns, and (iii) explore the underlying mechanisms. To reach these goals, an updated species list was compiled based on the latest taxonomic revisions, published until December 2021. We mapped all 76 rodent species distributions to develop the first map of rodent richness in Iran. We furthermore investigated their elevational distribution patterns in the following four geographic regions based on 100 m intervals; the Zagros Mountains, north of Alborz Mountains, south of Alborz and Kopet-Dagh mountains, and central and east mountains. North-east of Iran, Zagros Mountains, Alborz Mountains, and northwestern of Iran showed the highest richness and were identified as biodiversity hotspots of rodents in the country. This study highlights the importance of past climate change as the key driver of rodent richness in Iran. We showed that rodents' elevational distribution patterns differ among geographic regions. Areas and elevational zones with the highest species richness should be prioritized for the conservation planning of rodents in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats provide important ecosystem services but face severe threats due to land and climate changes. Although bats are an important component of mammal diversity in Iran, the ecology of many species remains virtually unstudied in the country. Here we applied the maximum entropy approach to model habitat suitability of bat species in Iran, identify the most important variables for their distribution, predict high priority areas for field monitoring and conservation, and estimate the coverage of the bat species' suitable habitats by the existing protected areas. We created a richness map for the twelve species to identify high priority areas for field monitoring and conservation. The results of species distribution modeling showed that Pipistrellus kuhlii (828,977.2 km2) and Miniopterus pallidus (646,581.9 km2) had the largest distribution ranges and Rhinopoma microphyllum (211,202.7 km2) and Rousettus aegyptiacus (218,278.6 km2) had the smallest distribution ranges in Iran. By averaging the importance of each ecological variable across the 12 species, we found that distance to forests (with a negative association) is the most important ecological driver of bat distribution in Iran. The Zagros Mountains were identified as a hotspot of bats based on the distribution of the 12 species. Our findings showed that small proportions of each species suitable habitats were covered by protected areas and protected suitable habitats varied from 3.2%for Pipistrellus kuhlii to15.9% for Tadarida teniotis. This study highlights the importance of forests for bat conservation showing that forest conservation is a high priority in the country. Areas which have the highest richness should be prioritized for field monitoring and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are facing several threats like land‐use change, habitat loss, overexploitation for food, mortality at wind energy turbine installations, disease, and climate change worldwide. Defining biodiversity of bat species can help conservation biologists to prioritize areas for bat conservation. In this study, we assembled distribution records of all bats of Iran to generate the first richness map of bats, as no richness map is available for bat species in the country. By constructing generalized linear models, we determined which historical and environmental factors drive the richness of bat species across the country. Results of richness mapping showed that Zagros Mountains host the highest number of species in Iran. We found that precipitation is the most influential variable in shaping bat richness in Iran by explaining 26% of variation in species richness. Topographic heterogeneity, with 19% of explained variance, was the second most important determinant of bat richness. We also estimated bat assemblage similarity among the biomes in the country. Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands biome was the most distinct biome based on bat assemblage. On the other hand, Montane Grasslands and Shrublands and Deserts and Xeric Shrublands were the most similar biomes based upon distributions of the bat species. Areas that were identified to have higher species diversity were regions with high priority for the conservation of bat biodiversity in the country. Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands, which host the most unique assemblage of bat species, have high importance for conservation. Therefore, to enhance the conservation of bats and maintain the important ecosystem services which they provide, we must have a clear knowledge of their richness and essential needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many avian species are in danger of extinction due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. Human activities have led to eradication of many natural habitats and climate change has altered species distribution especially in mountainous habitats. In the present study, we used distribution records of a Near Threatened avian scavenger, bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) that were collected through 9 years of opportunistic observations and modeled its distribution in the Khorasane-Razavi Province in Iran. We also assessed the impacts of future climate change on the distribution of this species. Our results show that most suitable habitats for the bearded vulture are in the northern regions of the Khorasan-e-Razavi province. The most important variables affecting the distribution of the bearded vulture were the annual precipitation (37.5% contribution), landcover (22% contribution), and distance to road (16.2% contribution). Our results also showed that around 80% to 91% of the species' suitable habitats will decrease due to climate change in the future. Suitable habitats of the species that are predicted to remain suitable in the future should be prioritized for conservation. Human activities like road expansion should be avoided in areas with high suitability for this species. This study stresses the need for action to conserve this vulture in the Khorasan-e-Razavi province, and beyond its borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has been identified as one of the most important and immediate threats to biodiversity. In this study, we reviewed published papers about the impacts of climate change on Iran's biodiversity since 2014. We found that among the 37 studied species, 30 species will lose at least some parts of their distribution ranges. However, the distribution of seven species will increase. Climate change will have negative impacts on 81 percent of the studied species thus, it is a major problem for biodiversity conservation in Iran. We suggest that determining the effectiveness of Iran's protected areas for conservation of biodiversity, and ensuring their connectivity under current and future climatic conditions should be prioritized for future research in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We quantified the impacts of climate change on the distribution of 15 endemic freshwater fishes. • We found that five species will lose their current suitable range under climate change while ten species will gain new suitable habitats. • We identified 20 high priority rivers for conservation under climate change. Freshwater ecosystems are among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth and are vulnerable to climate change. Studies have shown that climate change has already altered the phenology and distribution of freshwater species. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding of potential impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and their organisms. Freshwater fishes were used as effective indicators for identifying the degree, direction and scale of changes in aquatic ecosystems and as indicators of freshwater ecosystem quality and health. However, they are rarely used to determine sensitive freshwater ecosystems to climate change using species distribution modeling. We modeled current and future distribution of 15 endemic freshwater fish in Iran to identify winners and losers of climate change and high priority rivers for conservation under climate change. In addition, we assessed changes in elevational distribution of the species under climate change. Our results showed that five species will lose some parts of their current suitable range under climate change while ten species will gain new suitable habitats. Considering their restricted range, endemic species are of special conservation concern, so results of this study can be used for conservation of endemic freshwater fishes. Species which were identified to be negatively affected by climate change should be prioritized for monitoring and conservation and can be the subject of future conservation programs. Using the five species for which reductions of range size were predicted, 20 rivers were identified as targets of future conservation actions to reduce negative impacts of climate change on freshwater fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scorpion stings are one of the most important health challenges and high priority research topic in public health. In this study, we aimed to model habitat suitability of the Mesobuthus phillipsii (Pocock 1889), a species with low medical concern, under current and future climatic conditions in Iran. We also identified vulnerable populations to scorpion stings in the country. Scorpion sting risk modeling was done using an ensemble approach by considering two species distribution modeling methods: MaxEnt and Random Forest methods. Distribution modeling was performed using the sdm R package. The results showed that due to climate change in 2070, the high-risk areas will increase from 20,839 to 79,212 km2. Habitats with a moderate risk of scorpion stings will also increase from 139,347 to 222,833 km2. Consequently, the number of villages in high-risk areas of scorpion stings will increase from 2,870 to 7,017, while this number will increase from 12,759 to 20,104 in the case of medium-risk villages. The results of this study can be used for scorpion stings management in Iran. This study can be used as an example for similar studies on scorpions with high medical emergency., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Spatial gradients of species richness can be shaped by the interplay between historical and ecological factors. They might interact in particularly complex ways in heterogeneous mountainous landscapes with strong climatic and geological contrasts. We mapped the distribution of 171 lizard species to investigate species richness patterns for all species (171), diurnal species (101), and nocturnal species (70) separately. We related species richness with the historical (past climate change, mountain uplifting) and ecological variables (climate, topography and vegetation). We found that assemblages in the Western Zagros Mountains, north eastern and north western parts of Central Iranian Plateau have the highest number of lizard species. Among the investigated variables, annual mean temperature explained the largest variance for all species (10%) and nocturnal species (31%). For diurnal species, temperature change velocity shows strongest explained variance in observed richness pattern (26%). Together, our results reveal that areas with annual temperature of 15-20 °C, which receive 400-600 mm precipitation and experienced moderate level of climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) have highest number of species. Documented patterns of our study provide a baseline for understanding the potential effect of ongoing climate change on lizard diversity in Iran.

Snakebite envenoming is an important public health problem in Iran, despite its risk not being quantified. This study aims to use venomous snakes' habitat suitability as an indicator of snakebite risk, to identify high-priority areas for snakebite management across the country. Thus, an ensemble approach using five distribution modelling methods: Generalized Boosted Models, Generalized Additive Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling, Generalized Linear Models, and Random Forest was applied to produce a spatial snakebite risk model for Iran. To achieve this, four venomous snakes' habitat suitability (Macrovipera lebetinus, Echis carinatus, Pseudocerastes persicus and Naja oxiana) were modelled and then multiplied. These medically important snakes are responsible for the most snakebite incidents in Iran. Multiplying habitat suitability models of the four snakes showed that the northeast of Iran (west of Khorasan-e-Razavi province) has the highest snakebite risk in the country. In addition, villages that were at risk of envenoming from the four snakes were identified. Results revealed that 51,112 villages are at risk of envenoming from M. lebetinus, 30,339 from E. carinatus, 51,657 from P. persicus and 12,124 from N. oxiana. Precipitation seasonality was identified as the most important variable influencing distribution of the P. persicus, E. carinatus and M. lebetinus in Iran. Precipitation of the driest quarter was the most important predictor of suitable habitats of the N. oxiana. Since climatic variables play an important role in shaping the distribution of the four venomous snakes in Iran, thus their distribution may alter with changing climate. This paper demonstrates application of species distribution modelling in public health research and identified potential snakebite risk areas in Iran by using venomous snakes' habitat suitability models as an indicating factor. Results of this study can be used in snakebite and human-snake conflict management in Iran. We recommend increasing public awareness of snakebite envenoming and education of local people in areas which identified with the highest snakebite risk.

Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) were distributed across a vast region from Europe to western and Central Asia. The Neanderthals' paleoecology and distribution has been extensively studied in Europe where the species originated. However, very little is known about their paleoecology in south-western Asia. Here, we employed species distribution modelling and 45 Middle Palaeolithic (c. 200,000-40,000 years BCE) sites location associated with fossil and/or lithic artefacts made by the Neanderthals to examine the expansion of the Neanderthals on the Iranian Plateau in south-western Asia. We estimated the niche overlap between Neanderthals and wild goat, wild sheep and Persian gazelle by modelling their past distribution using 200, 143 and 110 occurrence records respectively. The results show that Neanderthals had highest niche overlap with wild goat in the study area. This analysis revealed that the most suitable Neanderthals' habitats in south-western Asia were located in the Zagros Mountains stretches from north-western and western and some isolated patches in the central parts of the Iranian Plateau. The annual precipitation and maximum temperature of the warmest month were the most important predictor of the species' distribution. This finding shows that the southern edge of the Neanderthals distribution was limited by warm summer. Our results provide important information for future field investigations and excavations in the area.