2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Study area and species
data
Northwest Yunnan is located
in
the mountains of southwest China, and lies to the Northwestern part of
Yunnan Province
(Figure
1). The area is situated on the transition zone between the
Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau (YGP), and
is seated in the Longitudinal Range-Gorge Region (LRGR) of the
Hengduan
Mountains in the east of the Himalayas, and is simultaneously located in
the Three Parallel Rivers Region (TPRR) (i.e., Jinsha River, Lancang
River, and Nujiang River) (Yang, 2002). Massive variations in terrain
and climate in Northwest Yunnan (for more details, see Ye et al.,
2020a), as well as the resulting rich and diverse special habitats,
provide habitats for special species, especially for rare and endangered
species. In particular, alpine ecosystem and plateau lake ecosystem that
contain a large number of rare and endangered species (Tao et al.,
2016). The special terrain and diverse climate make this area become one
of the most concentrated and abundant regions of biodiversity in China
(Xue & Wu, 2016; Ye et al., 2020b). In addition, Northwest Yunnan is
also considered to be one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots
(Conservation International,
https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots). The
spatial variation of environmental factors make the distribution pattern
of species diversity more complicated. Therefore, Northwest Yunnan has
become an ideal region to
discuss
the distribution pattern of species diversity and simulate the
distribution of potential suitable habitats.