The Most Important Environmental Factors Effective on Habitat of Plant Species Using Analytical Hierarchy Process and Logistic Methods (Case study: Lar Rangeland of Mazandaran)

There is closely interrelation between vegetation and environmental factors in a natural ecosystem. The aim of this study is applicability of analytical hierarchy process for this relationship. For this purpose was used logistic regression (that was done in it measurements of vegetation and environmental factors) as control method. First, study area was divided into 33 homogeneous units on slope, aspect and elevation. Then 26 designed questionnaires were filled for each site. Questionnaires were designed on basis three main criteria of soil, physiographic and climate and sub-criteria included soil, physiographic features and climatic characteristics. Then according to the presence of studied plant species in the criteria and sub-criteria classes, scoring was done for the environmental factor. Effective factors were prioritize and prepared for use in Expert Choice for each plant species separately and also incompatibility coefficient of each questionnaire was calculated.10 sampling plot were established and two soil samples were gathered from two depth of 0-15, 15-30 cm in each sampling site. 14 soil characteristics, 3 physiographic factors and 5 climate factors were measured. Most important factors affected on dominant species were determined with these environmental data with using logistic regression and were assessed using total accuracy of classification and correlation coefficient. The results of Logistic regression showed that the environmental factors studied, the soil has a significant role in the distribution of species and physiographic and climatic factors in subsequent courses in the degree of importance. Also AHP method is able to well represent this connection. If experts have sufficient knowledge about of region, it is suggested to use the method of less costly and time-consuming AHP than else methods that require more cost and time.