Exploring the distribution and habitat preferences of Polytrichaceae (Bryophyta) in Tibet, China
Xiaotong Song,
Jiqi Gu,
Ling Liu,
Yujia Liao,
Heping Ma,
Ruihong Wang,
Yanhui Ye,
Ji Li,
Xiaoming Shao
Affiliations
Xiaotong Song
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
Jiqi Gu
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
Ling Liu
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
Yujia Liao
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
Heping Ma
Institute of Tibet Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, 860000, China; Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology in Tibet Plateau, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Ministry of Education, Nyingchi, Tibet, 860000, China
Ruihong Wang
Institute of Tibet Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, 860000, China; Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology in Tibet Plateau, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Ministry of Education, Nyingchi, Tibet, 860000, China
Yanhui Ye
Resources & Environment College, Tibet Agriculture & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, 860000, China
Ji Li
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
Xiaoming Shao
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Resources & Environment College, Tibet Agriculture & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, 860000, China; Corresponding author. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau stands as one of the most ecologically fragile and biodiversity-rich regions globally. Understanding the distribution of different taxa and their relationship with environmental factors is crucial for effective conservation and sustainable management. Polytrichaceae, a significant bryophyte family widely distributed in Tibet, displays distinct structural, morphological, and phylogenetic traits compared to other mosses. Despite its importance, the distribution of Polytrichaceae in Tibet and its correlation with environmental factors have yet to be explored. In this study, we used an optimized Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to explore the potential suitable habitats of Polytrichaceae in Tibet, aiming to clarify their geographic distribution pattern as well as the key environmental influence factors. The model had high accuracy with an average Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.933 and True Skill Statistics (TSS) value of 0.789. The results showed that the potential suitability habitats of Polytrichaceae were mainly located in southeastern Tibet, and the low suitable, moderately suitable, and highly suitable habitats accounted for 12.53 %, 6.84 %, and 3.31 % of the total area of Tibet respectively. Unsuitable habitats were mainly located in northwestern Tibet, accounting for about 77.32 %. In Tibet, temperature factors (Mean Temperature of Coldest Quarter (Bio11) and Annual Mean Temperature (Bio1)) played a pivotal role in determining the potential suitable habitats for Polytrichaceae, and elevation, precipitation, and vegetation coverage also had an important influence. The family preferred warm, moist and densely vegetated habitats in Tibet. This study enriched our ecological understanding of bryophyte ecology in this region and provided data-driven support for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management in Tibet.
