Will Climate Change Make the Changnienia amoena Extinct?

Climate change is changing the world we live in. Everything from rising temperatures to changes in rainfall patterns are silently affecting the environment in which plants grow.

 

Changnienia amoena is a species native to China, usually found in Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Anhui, Hunan, Zhejiang, Hubei provinces, China. This flowering plant was listed in the IUCN Red List as ENDANGERED on April 30th, 2004.

An endemic plant, Changnienia amoena lives in the mountain forests of China. It prefers a warm, humid environment, but climate change could make its habitat less suitable. To make matters worse, the area where the orchid grows is not extensive and its distribution is very limited. So as climate change intensifies, it may struggle to find a new place to grow.

A new study by three Chinese scientists looks at how climate change is affecting the distribution of Changnienia amoena. At the same time, the study assesses whether existing conservation measures are adequate and effective in protecting the Changnienia amoena’s survival.

To do this, the research team used a method called 'integrated modelling', which combines data on the Changnienia amoena’s distribution with environmental factors (such as temperature, rainfall, soil type, etc.) to calculate where its suitable habitat is and how it is likely to change in the future.

After a series of calculations, the research team came to several important conclusions.

The results showed that the four main environmental factors influencing its distribution were the mean daily temperature range, the minimum temperature of the coldest month, the seasonality of temperature and the precipitation of the warmest quarter. This orchid was currently mainly distributed in southern Anhui, central and western Hubei, western Hunan, southern Shaanxi and eastern Sichuan provinces. The total suitable area of C. amoena was 58.33 × 104 km2, accounting for only 6.08% of China's total area, which is larger than known. However, only 4.48% of the suitable area is within national nature reserves and 3.33% within provincial nature reserves. During the last interglacial and mid-Holocene, suitable areas were larger than at present. Under six future climate scenarios, its suitable areas could decrease by an average of 2.26% compared to today, with severe habitat fragmentation. Overall, the centroid of C. amoena is expected to shift to the southeast in the future. Therefore, the results show that climate change has a negative impact on its potential distribution. The researchers recommend the expansion of protected areas or the establishment of new protected areas for C. amoena in China.

Original Chinese link:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/G3aNkysAL2emWhmxdiLAhQ
Edited by: YJ
Reviewed By: Maggie
Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

Contribution

Do you know? We rely on crowd-funding and donations. You have the opportunity to help an international movement to advance biodiversity conservation. Donate TODAY to power up the movement to make it a better world for all life.

Donation(501C3)Paypal: intl@wbag.org

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=2EYYJJZ8CGPLE

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 2024 World Water Forum Opens in Indonesia's Bali

Image
The 2024 World Water Forum (10th WWF) under the theme of "Water for Shared Prosperity" officially opened on Indonesia's island of Bali on Monday. This year ’ s theme emphasizes the need to work together to promote efficient and integrated water resources management to common prosperity. The 10th WWF ’ s six subthemes are: Water Security and Prosperity; Water for Humans and Nature; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; Governance, Cooperation and Hydro-diplomacy; Sustainable Water Finance; and Knowledge and Innovation. This year, the Forum is expected to host 350 sessions, and receive 100,000 participants and visitors, 56 ministers, 12 heads of state, and about 2,000 journalists. The 10th World Water Forum focuses on four topics, namely water conservation, clean water and sanitation, food and energy security, and mitigation of natural disasters. The 10th WWF   is jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the World Water Council. The Forum is th...
Read more

Bridging Borders for Wildlife: John E. Scanlon AO Recognized with China's Highest Honor - Chinese Government Friendship Award

Image
Congratulations to our dear friend and best teacher, John E. Scanlon AO, for honored the remarkable achievement - The Chinese Government Friendship Award!   On September 27, 2023, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs) held a prestigious ceremony in Beijing to present the Chinese Government Friendship Award. The Chinese Government Friendship Award is China's highest honor bestowed upon foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's modernization and reform and opening-up efforts. John E. Scanlon AO, an esteemed ecological conservation and sustainable development expert hailing from Australia (UK), received this distinguished award. His unwavering commitment and significant contributions to global wildlife conservation efforts, along with his deep friendship with people of China, earned him the Chinese Government Friendship Award. John E. Scanlon has dedicated his life to the protection of a...
Read more

Unveiling the Mysteries of Cetaceans in the South China Sea: Chinese Scientists Describe Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs)

Image
The world’s ocean ecosystems are facing mounting threats—climate change, marine pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction due to human activities, to name a few. These pressures are particularly dangerous for marine mammals like cetaceans, whose survival hinges on healthy habitats and stable populations. Yet, in regions like the South China Sea, where biodiversity is exceptionally high, little research has been done to understand the needs and habitats of cetaceans. This lack of data has left a gap in our knowledge and made it challenging to establish targeted conservation strategies. Recognizing this, Chinese scientists have now set out to fill these gaps and contribute essential data to inform future policy and management, aiming to protect these vulnerable species and support the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). In a landmark study published on October 8, 2024, in Biological Conservation, Dr. Li Songhai and his team from the Institute of...
Read more