Chingagwe Blessings Tionge, Moyo Gift Gladson, Mwafongo Elizabeth, Mzumara Tiwonge I, Ganglo Jean Cossi
Earth Sciences Department Malawi University of Science and Technology Limbe Malawi.
Department of Biological Sciences Malawi University of Science and Technology Limbe Malawi.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Jul 22;15(7):e71778. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71778. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Edible orchids are increasingly threatened by unsustainable use in their natural habitats. Several studies highlight the need for propagation to counter this threat. However, a critical gap persists in understanding the environmental conditions that support these species in Malawi. This study aimed to identify potential habitats suitable for propagating edible orchids, focusing on Kraenzl, 1893, to enhance ex situ conservation efforts. Present and future environmental data were sourced from WorldClim. Species occurrence data were obtained during field surveys and existing datasets. Using MaxEnt, continuous habitat suitability for was modeled based on presence-only occurrence data, Bioclim variables, and elevation. The integration of ArcGIS allowed for a detailed analysis, reclassifying the continuous suitability map into suitable and unsuitable habitats. The results of the study show that most suitable habitats align with the boundaries of protected areas, emphasizing their critical importance in conservation planning. The study further found that suitable habitats for are typically at altitudes between 1500 and 1600 m, with temperatures not exceeding 15°C during the wettest months. In addition to that, the results revealed the negative impact of climate change on habitat suitability, projecting a decrease in suitable areas over the next 50 years.
可食用兰花在其自然栖息地正日益受到不可持续利用的威胁。多项研究强调了进行繁殖以应对这一威胁的必要性。然而，在了解马拉维支持这些物种生长的环境条件方面，仍然存在关键差距。本研究旨在确定适合繁殖可食用兰花的潜在栖息地，重点关注1893年的克兰茨兰属，以加强迁地保护工作。当前和未来的环境数据来自世界气候数据库。物种出现数据是在实地调查和现有数据集中获取的。使用最大熵模型（MaxEnt），基于仅出现数据、生物气候变量和海拔高度，对克兰茨兰属的连续栖息地适宜性进行了建模。ArcGIS软件的整合使得能够进行详细分析，将连续适宜性地图重新分类为适宜和不适宜的栖息地。研究结果表明，大多数适宜栖息地与保护区边界一致，凸显了它们在保护规划中的至关重要性。该研究还发现，克兰茨兰属的适宜栖息地通常海拔在1500至1600米之间，在最湿润月份温度不超过15摄氏度。此外，研究结果揭示了气候变化对栖息地适宜性的负面影响，预计未来50年内适宜区域将会减少。
