Which environmental factors are more important for geographic distributions of Thymus species and their physio-morphological and phytochemical variations?

The influence of climate change on the future distribution of two Thymus species in Iran: MaxEnt model-based prediction

“…According to studies conducted in the West and North-West of Iran T. kotschyanus grows in spots with sandy-loam and sandy clay-loam soils, with annual precipitation ranging from 161 to 832 mm, mean temperatures ranging from 10.5 to 19.1 o C, and elevation varying from 1000 up to 3000 m.a.s.l [ 25 , 26 , 29 , 74 ]. Consistent with our findings, temperature was the most important factor influencing the presence of Thymus species, followed by elevation and precipitation (for T. kotschyanus , precipitation was more important than elevation) [ 75 ]. According to Larti et al [ 25 ], T. kotschyanus can grow in a wide range of elevation, PH, slope, and soil texture, particularly in sandy and rocky mountains.…”

“…are widely regarded as one of the most important spices and food preservatives in the food industry. Plant characteristics such as essential oil content and yield, and physiological and morphological traits may be affected by a variety of factors including climatic, soil conditions and genetics [ 75 , 80 , 84 , 85 ]. These characteristics changes clearly depend on mean temperature and temperature extremes in plant’s ecosystem [ 80 ].…”

“…T. kotschyanus is an alpine species found in sandy and rocky mountains at elevations ranging from 1500 to 3000 m above sea level. Temperature is the most important factor influenced the presence of Thymus species, followed by elevation and precipitation but for T. kotschyanus , the importance of precipitation is greater than elevation [ 75 ].…”

Exploring the Ecological Preferences and Essential Oil Variability in Wild-Growing Populations of the Endangered Local Greek Endemic Thymus holosericeus (Lamiaceae)

“…such as T. migricus Klokov & Des.-Shost. [ 33 ] showcasing the impact of climatic variability on the qualitative and quantitative properties of wild-growing populations, it is the first time that T. holosericeus has been approached from such a viewpoint. Generally, it is known that some compounds seem to be induced from natural external factors and others comprise inherited genetic factors [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…When performed, the management of its natural production potential can be further assessed in man-made settings. Additionally, this research line combined with extant knowledge on species-specific propagation [ 10 , 13 ] and the ecological profiling outlined herein can also facilitate the sustainable exploitation of the endangered T. holosericeus as a new thyme crop [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and may help to mitigate its possible overharvesting from the wild [ 33 ]. Additionally, the ecological profile of T. holosericeus as reported herein can be further used to inform and guide species-specific in situ and ex situ conservation efforts and sustainable exploitation strategies [ 36 , 37 ].…”