Geospatial Approach for Grevy’s Zebra Suitable ...

Maps of species distributions or habitat suitability are required for many aspects of environmental research, resource management, and conservation planning. Currently natural and anthropogenic effects are causing changes in wildlife suitable habitat status and distribution. Meanwhile, limited range of methods for studying suitable habitat analysis leads to have limited information and knowledge. Therefore, application of Geographic Information System GIS, remote sensing and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) for wildlife suitable habitat analysis increases monitoring of suitable habitat distribution and assists in assessing suitable habitat variables and their respective influences. GIS based multi-criteria evaluation for suitable habitat analysis presented in this study were used to analyze an endangered Grevy’s zebra suitable habitat distribution in Allidegi wildlife reserve (AWR), Ethiopia through integrating habitat factors with expertise opinion. AWR lies approximately 8030' to 9030' N latitude and 39030' to 40030' E longitude. Vegetation cover, slope, proximity to water point, settlement and road were identified as the major Grevy’s zebra habitat defining factors. Hence, their influences were analyzing and reclassified for evaluating the suitable habitat. The relative importance of the factors was determined through key informant interview and their weights were determined through AHP. The final suitable habitat map showed that 19% (272 km2) area of the reserve found to be highly suitable habitat for Grevy’s zebra and 25% (368 km2) moderately suitable habitat and the rest 56% (820km2) of area found to be unsuitable. Integrating this study results into conservation planning and management practices of the reserve would enhance decision making utility.