Predicting the potential distribution of dominant species of the coastal wetland in the Yellow River Delta, China using MaxEnt model

Abstract

Soil and vegetation community were investigated using the method of kilometer grid sampling. In addition, using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and the GIS spatial analysis technique, the potential distribution of dominant species in the Yellow River Delta and their major environmental variables and ecological parameters were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the dominant species of the coastal wetland were Tamarix chinensis, Phragmites australis and Suaeda salsa in the Yellow River Delta. Among the environmental variables, six variables were significant contributors to the potential distribution model of T. chinensis: NO3--N, salt, slope, Mg, altitude and NH4+-N. The environmental variables influencing the distribution of P. australis were NO3--N, salt, TP, pH, altitude and NH4+-N. NO3--N, salt and NH4+-N were the significant factors determining the potential distribution of S. salsa. The probability of presence of dominant species of the coastal wetland in the Yellow River Delta was positively correlated with salt, but it was negatively correlated with the other major environmental variables. The model predicted that the core potential distribution of dominant species in the Yellow River Delta was mainly in the coastal areas. In addition, P. australis had a wider range of distribution, compared with T. chinensis and S. salsa.