Abstract:
Amid climate change, the potential distribution areas of plants are expected to shift, necessitating predictions about the impact of climate change on plant geographical distribution patterns. This study used Zhejiang Province as a case study, utilizing 1,574 distribution data points of
Cunninghamia lanceolata and 13 habitat-related datasets.By employing the MaxEnt ecological niche model, the research predicted the potential suitable areas for
Cunninghamia lanceolataunder current climatic scenarios and assessed the optimal suitable areas under different habitat conditions.
Cunninghamia lanceolata Fifteen potential distribution models were constructed, and the average AUC value from repeated experiments was 0.797 with a standard deviation of 0.011, indicating high prediction reliability. According to the model, the total suitable area for
Cunninghamia lanceolata in Zhejiang is 7.08×10
4 km
2, with high, medium, and low suitability areas covering 1.79×10
4 km
2, 2.80×10
4 km
2, and 2.50×10
4 km
2, respectively. The results highlight that elevation and precipitation during the wettest month (bio13) are crucial factors influencing the distribution of
Cunninghamia lanceolata. The optimal habitat for
Cunninghamia lanceolata is typically situated at elevations of
1200−1 400 m, with a wettest month precipitation of 320 mm, an annual temperature range of 30 ℃, and the lowest temperature in the coldest month reaching −1 ℃. By assessing climate, soil, and other factors restricting the distribution and growth of
Cunninghamia lanceolata, this research elucidates the current and future optimal cultivation zones for
Cunninghamia lanceolata under the context of ongoing climate warming.