Journal of Rangeland

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Wild borage (Anchusa italica) is one of the medicinal species which in addition to its ecological and biological importance, potentially اhas a great economic value. The species habitats are specific and could not be introduced into new areas without the knowledge on its ecological needs. In this study, the potential habitat of the species was determined using a generalized boosted model. To do this, after determining the spatial referencing points (X & Y) of the presence of wild borage populations, 19 bioclimatic and three physiographic variables were entered into the model as independent variables. To determination of suitable habitats of wild borage, the ecological needs of this species were defined using GBM method. Land suitability classification showed that that 726150 hectares, equivalent to 6.17 percent of the province, were completely suitable for the presence of the species; while 1053217 ha (8.94%) are almost suitable, 578794 ha (4.91%) are barely suitable and 9418742 ha (79.97%) are unsuitable for Anchusa italica to be used for rehabilitation. The Annual Mean Temperature (BIO1), Annual Mean Diurnal Range (BIO2), Precipitation Seasonality (BIO15), annual precipitation (BIO12) and slope aspects (ASP) have the highest impact on the habitats to be realized. According to the results, Anchusa italica can live in 5.9° C to 11.7° C of annual mean temperature and 240mm to 330 mm of annual precipitation; and mostly prefer northern and eastern slope aspects. To assess the model's ability, the area under curve (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS) indices were used, indicating values of 97% and 90%, respectively. Also, sensitivity and specificity components were used to evaluate the model, with values of 96% and 93% for them. These results showed that the generalized boosted model has been able to adequately assess the ecological needs of this species. The results can be used to manage current habitats of this species as well as to suggest suitable areas for developmental purposes.

Keywords: Environmental Needs, Ecological Niche, Climatic Conditions, Wild Borage, Topography

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