Agro-Ecological Suitability Analysis Of Chinese Medicinal Yam Under Future Climate Change

Geo-herbalism is the core characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine which is shaped by the geographical features of the genuine producing areas.There are many factors affecting the yield and quality of yam in the natural environment.The climate conditions are important factors influencing the yield and quality of yam in parallel to soil factors.The uncertainties of future climate change will bring great challenges to the quality and yield of Chinese Medicinal Yam(CMY),and indirectly affects human health.To identify suitable planting area for CMY in the near future is critical for ensuring the quality and supply quantity of CMY,guiding the layout of CMY industry,and safeguarding the sustainable development of CMY resources for public health.Taking CMY as the research object,this study intends to carry out the following research through field investigation,model simulation and other methods: First,we collect 30-years records of CMY varieties and their corresponding phenology and agro-meteorological observations.We then consolidate these data and use them to enrich and update the eco-physiological parameters of CMY in the crop model.Finally we integrate geographic information systems and crop models with dual indicators of planting area and yield,and accurately assess the suitable planting areas of medicinal yam under the influence of climate change.This study shows that the main producing areas of CMY have changed at present,the area of Shanxi genuine producing areas has shrunk,Henan,Hebei and Shandong have become the main producing areas,and the new producing areas have developed along the Yellow River basin in north China.In the next 50 years,regions with high ecological similarity to the genuine producing areas of CMY mainly distribute in northeastern Henan,southeastern Hebei,western Shandong,southern Shanxi and central Shaanxi.The climate suitability of most areas of the current main producing areas of CMY will be improved due to global warming.In Henan,Hebei and Shandong provinces,there are sufficient farmland suitable for planting CMY.The agricultural planting structure can be appropriately adjusted to ensure the sustainable development of Chinese medicine resources and yam industry.