[Potential distribution of Rhodiola crenulata in Tibetan Plateau based on Maxent model]

Wildlife tending and artificial cultivation is an important way to protect the wild resources of Rhodiola crenulata. It is a study hotspot at present. The distribution information of R. crenulata was collected by query data and field survey, the ecological suitability regionalization was conducted based on maximum entropy model combine with ecological factors, including climate, soil and altitude. To provide the reference for production layout, suitable planting area and the selection of artificial planting base by studying the ecological suitability regionalization of R. crenulata. The potential distribution areas mainly concentrated in the easen Tibet, western Sichuan, southern Qinghai, and Gansu Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. There were 5 major environmental factors to have obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of R. crenulata, including altitude (contribution rate of 61.8%), precipitation of warmest quarter (contribution rate of 19%), the coefficient of variation of precipitation seasonality (contribution rate of 4.7%), the SD of temperature seasonality (contribution rate of 4%), mean temperature of driest quarter (contribution rate of 2.5%). The AUCs of ROC curve were both above 0.9, indicating that the predictive results with the Maxent model were highly precise. The study of the ecological suitability regionalization of R. crenulata based on Maxent can provide a scientific basis for the selection of artificial planting base.