Zagros Restoration: Smart Choices for Oak Forests

ABSTRACT Widespread forest degradation across the northern Zagros region of Iran driven by both human activity and natural processes has created an urgent need for targeted afforestation and forest enrichment strategies. Hence, the aim of this study was identifying the most suitable native tree and shrub species for restoring degraded forest areas in the Pardanan region of Piranshahr. Using high‐resolution satellite imagery (0.5 m spatial resolution) from the ESRI World Imagery and Google Satellite basemaps in QGIS (version 3.42.1), a total of 141 deforested or sparsely vegetated sites were identified, covering 685 ha. To assess ecological variability, the study area was divided into homogeneous units based on topographic, geological, and micro‐ecosystem data. Soil samples from a depth of 0–30 cm were collected from each unit and analyzed for key physicochemical properties. A K ‐Means cluster analysis of the soil data grouped the sites into three quality classes: good, medium, and poor. A list of 29 native species was developed through literature review and expert input. These species were evaluated using a multi‐criteria decision‐making framework. Six criteria—adaptability, maintenance cost, growth rate, resistance to drought and environmental stress, soil and water protection, and seedling cost—were prioritized using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and species rankings for each habitat type were determined using the TOPSIS method. The study emphasizes that aligning species selection with ecological site conditions is crucial for the success of afforestation projects in the northern Zagros.