Introduction: Protected areas are the last genetic reserves of each country and represent unique ecosystems in pristine and natural areas, whose protection is essential. Management planning or zoning is an appropriate solution to create a balance between the protection of natural resources and sustainable development in these areas. The main goal of establishing protected areas is to maintain the integrity of habitats and life-giving systems, support biodiversity, and ensure the sustainable use of species richness and ecosystem services. Therefore, documented planning in the form of zoning and the development of conservation objectives for protected areas is of particular importance. The basis of management of protected areas is based on the recognition of zoning and a productivity program by applying temporal, spatial, and operational restrictions and prohibitions in each zone, considering its ecological sensitivities. Therefore, in order to utilize the capabilities of these areas, planning and zoning must reflect characteristics such as intactness, protection of biodiversity hotspots, and a wide range of pristine and scenic landscapes, and be able to respond to the development of various human activities in appropriate areas.
Materials and Methods: In the present study, with the aim of identifying areas with the highest ecological sensitivity and high priority in conservation, the Jajrud protected area was zoned using spatial indicators and multi-criteria decision-making methods in the form of linear relationships. Also, the habitat integrity in this protected area was evaluated and analyzed using landscape metrics.
Results: According to the results obtained, 7 main zones can be identified in this area, including Zone 1 (restricted nature), Zone 2 (conservation), Zone 3 (utilization), and Zone 4 (recreational use). (extensive), Zone 4 (concentrated use), Zone 7 (special use), Zone 8 (shield) and Zone 11 (other uses). Thus, in terms of sensitivity and vulnerability, Zones 1 and 2 were placed in the sensitive category due to their lower flexibility against the development of human activities and biological limitations and a higher degree of protection, and Zones 3, 4, 7, 8 and 11 were placed in the non-sensitive category due to their lower biological limitations and higher flexibility. Zoning results showed that in the Jajrud protected area, the largest area among the identified zones is related to zone 8 (23,078 hectares), and the smallest area is related to zone 4 (475 hectares). The results of the habitat integrity assessment and changes in landscape metrics also indicate that the metrics of class area, percentage of class area, and average patch size have increased at the level of built-up land, water areas, and agricultural and garden lands. While they have decreased in high-density pastures, low-density pastures, and forest land classes, the decrease in these metrics indicates an increase in patch fragmentation and a decrease in their size.
Discussion: Habitat fragmentation and reduced integrity are one of important threats to the protection of natural ecosystems. Therefore, restoring connections and maintaining corridors between habitat patches are effective strategies to control the fragmentation and destruction of natural ecosystems, which requires adopting coherent and integrated management planning and providing appropriate tools to reduce the effects of these threats. The results of the zoning and habitat integrity assessment in this study can serve as a management strategy to inform proper conservation and planning, aligning with the development of human activities within the identified zones and subsequently mitigating environmental hazards and consequences.