Mapping the ecological dimensions and potential distributions of endangered relic shrubs in western Ordos biodiversity center.

ABSTRACT: Potential distributions of endemic relic shrubs in western Ordos were poorly mapped, which hindered our implementation of proper conservation. Here we investigated the applicability of ecological niche modeling for endangered relic shrubs to detect areas of priority for biodiversity conservation and analyze differences in ecological niche spaces used by relic shrubs. We applied ordination and niche modeling techniques to assess main environmental drivers of five endemic relic shrubs in western Ordos, namely, Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, Amygdalus mongolica, Helianthemum songaricum, Potaninia mongolica, and Tetraena mongolica. We calculated niche overlap metrics in gridded environmental spaces and compared geographical projections of ecological niches to determine similarities and differences

SUBMITTER: Zhu GP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4873805 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature