Assessment of suitable region of Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr.
under different climatic conditions in China by MaxEnt model and HPLC.
Abstract
Asparagus cochinchinensis is a member of the Asparagaceae family whose
medicinal part is the dried root tuber. The distribution of A.
cochinchinensis and its secondary metabolites are closely associated
with environmental factors, such as climate and soil properties. By
establishing and optimizing a maximum entropy model, we analyzed and
predicted the distribution pattern and migration direction of suitable
habitats for A. cochinchinensis and determined the main environmental
factors affecting the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Under
current climatic conditions, the area of suitable habitats for A.
cochinchinensis (208.38 × 104 km2) accounts for 21.71% of the land area
of China. Under future climate scenarios, the total area of suitable
habitats hardly changes. The area of highly suitable habitats
significantly decreases under the SSP1-RCP2.6 and SSP3-RCP7 scenarios
but eventually increases under the SSP5-RCP8.5 scenario, which indicates
that A. cochinchinensis might adapt better to a high-carbon-emissions
scenario. Under different climate scenarios, low-impact areas mainly
occur in southern China. Highly suitable habitats primarily occur in the
southeastern Sichuan Basin, northern Guangxi, eastern Guizhou, and
western Hunan. The total contents of saponins and polysaccharides in A.
cochinchinensis were significantly, but oppositely, correlated with
temperature, precipitation, and other factors. This study has identified
environmental factors affecting the growth and quality of A.
cochinchinensis, which has guiding significance for resource
conservation and site selection for large-scale cultivation.