Geographical Distribution Pattern And Spatial Conservation Prioritization For Wild Plants In China Under Climate Change

For improving the effectiveness of nature reserves to protect wild plants in China,we explored the geographical distribution pattern of wild plants,and made priority conservation planning for wild plants in China under climate change.The objective of this study was to integrate climate change into the conservation planning of wild plants in China.We put forward three scientific issues mainly:1)exploring the distribution pattern of wild plants,and the relevant drivers;2)determining the potential effects of climate change on the distribution pattern of wild plants in Chinese nature reserves;3)making spatial conservation planning and gap analysis for wild plants in China.For addressing these three issues,we used geographical information system,spatial analysis,species distribution models and conservation planning software to evaluate the Chinese protection system of wild plants based on different plant levels including vascular plants,dominant tree species of forest communities,national important protected plants,plant species with extremely small populations and invasive alien plants.The conclusions and conservation comments of this study were as follows:(1)The regions of rich wild plant diversity included central-south and southwestern China,and had the features of longitude and latitude zones.Their distribution patterns were significantly related to temperature,precipitation,soil and human footprint.Hence,we suggested to take the effective monitoring,the reasonable conservation management,and the strict control of human activities for the protection of wild plants in China.The monitoring system should be established for preventing the negative impacts of climate change on plant resources in Chinese nature reserves.(2)The diversity of national important protected plants had the features of tropical and subtropical zones,and was positively related to annual mean temperature and annual precipitation.We found that more than national important protected plants,particularly tree plants were threatened by climate change in more than 130 nature reserves.We suggested to integrate climate change into the conservation of wild plant diversity in China.Invasive alien plants could expand in nature reserves of southern China,and increase the expansion potentials in northern China under climate change.Hence,the control and prevention of invasive alien plants may be a country-wide problem.We need to take effective actions as follows:1)detailed monitoring of population dynamics;2)effective management of human activities;and 3)prevention and control of invasive alien plants with a high ability to disperse naturally.(3)The southern distribution boundary of dominant tree species of Chinese forest communities may shift to the regions with high latitude and altitude.We made spatial conservation prioritization for dominant tree species of Chinese forest communities under climate change.There was a gap between existing nature reserves and predicted conservation prioritization areas for conserving dominant tree species:the proportions of overlap between existing reserves and areas prioritized under climate change scenarios were 87.8%,95.7%and 80.4%for broad-leaved forests,mixed broadleaf-conifer forests,and coniferous forests,respectively.We need to increase the number and/or area of nature reserves to protect dominant tree species of coniferous forests in Tibet,Sichuan and Yunnan,dominant tree species of mixed broadleaf-coniferous forests in Heilongjiang,Liaoning,Jilin and Inner Mongolia and dominant tree species of broad-leaved forests in Guizhou,Guangxi,Hu'nan,Yunnan and Sichuan.We need to make the protection policy for dominant tree species based on the different types of Chinese forest communities.(4)The priority conservation areas of national important protected plants were mainly distributed in southern China including Fujian,Guangxi,Guangdong,Hunan,Zhejiang and Guizhou provinces.In priority conservation areas,the species with high material,medicinal and scientific values were threatened by excessive exploitation and utilization.Priority conservation areas of national important protected fern plants included the regions of southern China,and were likely to be localized in the regions with low temperature seasonality.Hence,we suggested to establish small conservation areas in existing nature reserves,and expand the protected areas in the priority conservation areas.(5)The plant species with extremely small populations(PSESP)were distributed in regions with high annual mean temperature and small temperature seasonality.PSESP with high values of protection,such as the species with high scientific research values and ornamental plants,were threatened by over-exploitation and utilization,habitat fragmentation,and a small sized wild population in broad-leaved forests and bush fallows.To avoid intensive over-exploitation or utilization and habitat fragmentation,the climate monitoring should be practiced in regions with high temperature and low temperature seasonality(i.e.southern China),particularly in the high risk hotspots for PSESP that we proposed.We need to establish more conservation areas in 29 counties,for example,Pingnan,Lingshan,Emei,Xicang,Panshi,and Sanjiang counties.