Geographical distribution and predict potential distribution of Angelica L. genus

Climate change is very important for the distribution of plant resources, especially for crops. Angelica plants have a long history of use and significant crop resources in China, whose rhizomes are extensively used in medicine and food. In this paper, 1599 georeferenced herbarium records were analyzed using DIVA-GIS, and the ecological distribution and richness of the current and future distribution simulation were analyzed using the MaxEnt model. The results show that they are from 32 provinces in China. Among these provinces, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan have the largest number of herbariums. According to the MaxEnt model simulation, it is found that the precipitation in the warmest season, annual precipitation, and the driest monthly precipitation are the foremost bioclimatic variables that control the distribution of eight selected Angelica plants (A. biserrata, A. gigas, A. laxifoliata, A. likiangensis, A. longicaudata, A. omeiensis, A. polymorpha, and A. valida). It can be seen from the potential distribution map that the suitable growth areas of A. polymorpha and A. valida have increased, while the suitable growth areas of the six species of Angelica have decreased in varying degrees, 18.24%, 20.01%, 9.91%, 53.16%, 10.06%, and 12.64% respectively. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the Angelica plants.

Automated summary

In this study, georeferenced herbarium records were analyzed to study the ecological distribution and richness of Angelica plants in China. The MaxEnt model was used to simulate the current and future distribution. The results showed that the distribution of Angelica plants covered 32 provinces in China, with Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan having the highest number of herbariums. The simulation indicated that precipitation in the warmest season, annual precipitation, and the driest monthly precipitation were the key factors affecting the distribution of the selected Angelica plants. The suitable growth areas of A. polymorpha and A. valida increased, while the suitable growth areas of the other six species of Angelica decreased to varying degrees.