Predicting the Potential Suitable Distribution of Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr under Climate Change Scenarios

Abstract

Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr (larch) is a native conifer species in North China, and also a major silvicultural and timber species in the region. Climate change has led to a change in its suitable distribution area. However, the dominant factors affecting changes in its suitable distribution and migration trends are not clear. In this study, based on forest resource inventory data and bioclimatic data in Hebei and Shanxi provinces, China, we built an ensemble model based on seven algorithms to simulate the larch’s potential suitable distribution areas under three shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs: SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) for the current and future (2021–2040, 2041–2060 and 2080–2100). The results revealed that: (1) ensemble models significantly improved the predictive accuracy (ROC = 0.95, TSS = 0.81, KAPPA = 0.65); (2) the current potentially suitable distribution area was concentrated in the Bashang Plateau and the northwestern mountain range of the study area. Among them, 12.38% were highly suitable distribution areas, 12.67% were moderately suitable distribution areas, and 12.01% were lowly suitable distribution areas; (3) the main climatic factors affecting larch distribution were mean temperature of driest quarter, mean diurnal range, precipitation of warmest quarter, and temperature annual range; (4) under different future climate scenarios, the contraction of the suitable distribution area of larch increased significantly with increasing SSP radiation intensity. By 2100, the suitable distribution area of larch was expected to decrease by 26.5% under SSP1-2.6, 57.9% under SSP2-4.5, and 75.7% under SSP5-8.5 scenarios; (5) from 2021 to 2100, the different suitable distribution areas of larch showed a trend of migration to the northeast. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the migration distance of different suitable distribution areas was the largest, in which the high suitable distribution area migrated 232.60 km, the middle suitable distribution area migrated 206.75 km, and the low suitable distribution area migrated 163.43 km. The results revealed the impact of climate change on the larch distribution, which provided a scientific basis for making forest management decisions.