ABSTRACT The brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) is the largest terrestrial carnivore in Iran with a rapidly shrinking range. In this study, we assembled the most comprehensive and up‐to‐date distribution dataset of the brown bear in Iran. We applied Species Distribution Models (SDMs) and corridor mapping to identify this charismatic mammal's suitable habitats and its corridors across the Zagros and Alborz mountains to ensure this Endangered charismatic large carnivore in Iran. We also estimated the coverage of protected areas for the species' suitable habitats. Our data confirmed the presence of the species in 22 of 31 provinces of the country. The total suitable area for the species is 347,728 km 2 . We showed that significant parts of the suitable areas, 77%, of the brown bear's suitable habitats, are located outside of the protected areas network. Slope and vegetation were the most important variables shaping the species distribution, and dense forests in the absence of mountain areas are not suitable for the species. One practical result of this study is narrow, well‐defined corridors which are more feasible to validate in the field, monitor over time, and integrate into conservation planning. While the circuit method can provide valuable insights into corridor mapping, this method always produces wide corridors, which are challenging to prioritize for targeted conservation efforts for carnivores. Thus, we recommend linear corridors for carnivores' conservation planning.
Kouchali et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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