Ecological characteristics and suitable habitat of threatened species Madhuca pasquieri (Dubard) H.Ja in Thai Nguyen province, Viet Nam

Abstract

Planning for the protection, resource use, and cultivation of species at various levels requires an assessment of the influence of important environmental conditions on habitat suitability. Madhuca pasquieri Berg (M. pasquieri) has been known in Vietnam, is suffering from negative effects on habitat such as illegal logging, conversion of forest land into agriculture land resulting in forest cover decrease. The research aims to study the ecological characteristics of M. pasquieri and the relationship between species and the habitat conditions to distribution of M. pasquieri species. The research employed the MaxEnt approach to forecast the species distribution of M. pasquieri species in order to model suitable environments. The research results showed that M. pasquieri is found and the dominating species in six out of the total of 18 plots. The height gradient increased both the stem density and the stand variables. With a value of 63,1% (Permutation significance), land cover has the biggest effect on M. pasquieri distribution, followed by the altitude factor's contribution ratio (36,9%). The identification of three acceptable classes including highly suitable habitat, moderately suitable habitat, and unsuitable environment, which offers a fundamental scientific foundation for the in-situ and ex-situ conservation of species by local governments and stakeholders, contributing to the sustainable forest management.