Chinese caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) in China: Current distribution, trading, and futures under climate change and overexploitation

Abstract

Chinese caterpillar fungus ( Ophiocordyceps sinensis ) is a precious traditional medicine which is mostly distributed on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Due to its medicinal values, it has become one of the most valuable biological commodities and widely traded in recent years worldwide. However, its habitat has changed profoundly in recent years under global warming as well as anthropogenic pressures, resulting in a sharp decline in its wild population in recent years. Based on the occurrence samples, this paper estimates the potential distribution of caterpillar fungus using MaxEnt model. The model simulates potential geographical distribution of the species under current climate conditions, and examine future distributions under different climatic change scenarios (i.e., RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5 have been modelled in 2050s and 2070s, respectively). For examining the impacts of climate change in future, the integrated effects of climatic impact, trading, and overexploitation had been analyzed in detailed routes. The results show that: 1) The distribution patterns of caterpillar fungus under scenario RCP 2.6 have been predicted without obvious changes. However, range shift has been observed with significant shrinks across all classes of suitable areas in Tianshan, Kunlun Mountains, and the southwestern QTP in 2050s and 2070s under RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively. 2) The exports were decreasing drastically in recent years. Guangzhou and Hongkong are two international super import and consumption centres of caterpillar fungus in the world. 3) Both ecological and economic sustainable utilization of the caterpillar fungus has been threatened by the combined pressures of climate change and overexploitation. A strict but effective regulation and protection system, even a systematic management plan not just on the collectors but the whole explore process are urgently needed and has to be issued in the QTP.

Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Potential Distribution of Meconopsis punicea and Its Influence on Ecosystem Services Supply in the Southeastern Margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

“…Since temperature is one critical factor in determining the distribution of M. punicea , an increase in temperature might trigger a habitat shift from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. According to the trend of precipitation, the climate of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will become warmer and drier in future ( Wei et al, 2021 ), which may intensify the vulnerability of M. punicea to the new climate regime.…”

Predicting potential distribution of Ziziphus spinosa (Bunge) H.H. Hu ex F.H. Chen in China under climate change scenarios

“…However, previous studies often neglected the optimization of model parameters, or involved inadequate optimization, which could affect the accuracy of the predictive model (Li et al, 2020; Yan, Feng, Zhao, Feng, Wu, et al, 2020; Yan, Feng, Zhao, Feng, Zhu, et al, 2020). Previous studies revealed that the quality control of species occurrence points, screening of environment variables, selection of GCMs and SSPs, threshold selection, and the optimization of RM and FC all had significant effects on the predictive results of the model (Wei et al, 2021; Yang et al, 2021; Ye et al, 2020; Zeng et al, 2016). For this study, these parameters were systematically optimized so as to ensure predictive accuracy to the maximum extent.…”

Responses of Habitat Quality and Animal Biodiversity to Grazing Activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

“…Based on the research of Tang et al (2020) and Wei Y. et al (2021), the habitat suitability of LULC types and their sensitivity to various threat factors on the QTP are obtained, shown in Table 3 (Tang et al, 2020;Wei Y. et al, 2021).…”