Spatio-Temporal Changes and Habitats of Rare and Endangered Species in Yunnan Province Based on MaxEnt Model

Rare and endangered species in Yunnan Province are predominantly concentrated in the western mountainous region, Xishuangbanna–Wenshan high temperature area, and Kunming–Qujing dense vegetation cover, with their distribution expanding westward. However, climate change significantly impacts their migration, with precipitation emerging as a critical factor. Under low carbon emission scenarios (RCP2.6), species will spread to lower altitude hotspots by 2070, while high emissions (RCP8.5) could reduce high abundance areas by then. The study used the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to predict current and future potential habitats, identifying significant conservation gaps and highlighting the need for enhanced protection of existing hotspots. Addressing human-land use conflicts and adapting to climate change are crucial for improving biodiversity conservation in Yunnan, positioning it as a global leader in this effort.

Lian, Y., Bai, Y., Huang, Z., Ali, M., Wang, J., & Chen, H. (2024). Spatio-Temporal Changes and Habitats of Rare and Endangered Species in Yunnan Province Based on MaxEnt Model. Land, 13(2), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020240