Distribution Pattern of Suitable Areas and Corridor Identification of Endangered Ephedra Species in China

The suitable habitat of endangered species has been severely threatened and affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities; however, their migration trends and restoration strategies are still relatively understudied. In this study, we utilized the MaxEnt model to simulate the suitable habitats of five endangered species in China under current and future climate scenarios. Additionally, we identified significant ecological corridors by incorporating the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Under the current climate scenario, the suitable area of Bunge, Schrenk ex Mey, Stapf, and Gmel ex Mey comprised 16% of the area in China, while Pachom comprised only 0.05%. The distribution patterns of these five species were primarily influenced by altitude, salinity, temperature, and precipitation. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable areas of , , and are projected to expand, while that of is expected to contract. Notably, will lose its suitable area in the future. Our identified ecological corridors showed that the first-level corridors encompassed a wider geographical expanse, incorporating , , , and , while that of exhibited a shorter length and covered fewer geographical areas. Overall, our study provides novel insights into identifying priority protected areas and protection strategies targeting endangered species.