Salmanpour Farid, Shakoori Zahra, Rahbarizadeh Abolfazl, Kia Mehdi, Kord Hadi, Eshaghi Rahman, Valizadeh Peyman, Tizrouyan Mehdi, Salmanpour Mahan, Naeimaei Rahman
Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 13;15(1):12735. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-96738-5.
This study examines the impact of climate change on the altitudinal movement patterns and number of individuals of four large mammal species within the Central Alborz Protected Area (CAPA) region of the Alborz Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot, over a 23-year period (1999 to 2022). During the warm season (May 25-September 29), temperatures were reported to have increased by 2-2.5 °C, while relative humidity was observed to have decreased by 4-4.5%. Compared to the past two decades (2000-2022), Caspian red deer were observed to initiate their annual high-altitude migrations 15-20 days earlier, with the number of individuals in the summer range increasing more than threefold. Wild goats also migrated earlier, with peak arrivals increasing from 20-36 (1999-2003) to 36-57 (2018-2022) between May 25 and May 31, highlighting temperature as the primary driver of herbivore movement. In contrast, brown bears exhibited more subtle altitudinal movement, likely influenced by both temperature and humidity. Wild boars, with an approximate 40% increase in the number of individuals, tended to return to lower elevations earlier than in previous years (1999-2003). These patterns highlight the role of climate as a significant regulator of movement ecology, influencing high-altitude habitat use. However, human-induced barriers, such as roads and settlements, present additional threats to these seasonal migrations. This underscores the urgent need for adaptive management strategies, including the protection of movement corridors, the expansion of core zones, and enhanced community engagement, to support the resilience of these species under changing climatic conditions.
本研究考察了气候变化对里海山脉生物多样性热点地区中央阿尔伯兹保护区（CAPA）内四种大型哺乳动物的海拔移动模式和个体数量的影响，研究时段为23年（1999年至2022年）。在温暖季节（5月25日至9月29日），据报道气温上升了2 - 2.5摄氏度，而相对湿度下降了4 - 4.5%。与过去二十年（2000 - 2022年）相比，观察到里海马鹿开始年度高海拔迁徙的时间提前了15 - 20天，夏季活动范围内的个体数量增加了三倍多。野山羊也更早开始迁徙，5月25日至5月31日期间，到达高峰的数量从20 - 36只（1999 - 2003年）增加到36 - 57只（2018 - 2022年），突出了温度是食草动物移动的主要驱动因素。相比之下，棕熊的海拔移动较为细微，可能受温度和湿度两者的影响。野猪个体数量增加了约40%，它们往往比前几年（1999 - 2003年）更早返回较低海拔地区。这些模式凸显了气候作为移动生态的重要调节因素的作用，影响着高海拔栖息地的利用。然而，道路和定居点等人为障碍对这些季节性迁徙构成了额外威胁。这凸显了迫切需要采取适应性管理策略，包括保护移动走廊、扩大核心区域以及加强社区参与，以支持这些物种在不断变化的气候条件下的恢复力。
