Abstract
The analysis of the relationship between spatial distribution of environmental factors and
vegetation types is crucial for understanding mountainous ecosystems. In this research a
GIS based approach was used to produce a vegetation map for Sabzkouh protected area in
the Chaharmahal-Va-Bakhtiari province. To identify environmental parameters affecting the
vegetation cover, 6 primary and secondary environmental parameters including hypsometric,
slope steepness, slope direction, annual precipitation, temperature and sun radiation maps were
derived from the study area DEM. To investigate the relationship between these factors and
the spatial distribution of vegetation cover, quantitative analyses using statistical techniques
like Principal Components Analysis(PCA) were undertaken. Then, the spatial distribution
of vegetation types was predicted using a multi-logistic regression. Results showed that
topographic variables derived from the DEM were very useful for indicating habitats of
range and forest types. Although lack of information on the anthropogenic effects led to some
uncertainties in the interpretation of spatial pattern of vegetation types, the topographic and
climatic variables, derived from the DEM, were considerably effective in modelling the spatial
distribution of vegetation types.
Keywords
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