Essential oils are secondary metabolites in plants with a variety of biological activities. The flavor and quality of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. are mainly determined by the essential oil components in the Chinese prickly ash peels. In this study, the correlation between climate change in different regions and the content of essential oils of Z. armatum was investigated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and multivariate statistical analysis. The Z1–24 refers to 24 batches of samples from different habitats. A total of 145 essential oils were detected in 24 batches of samples, with the highest number of terpene species and the highest content of alcohol. The relative odor activity (ROAV) values identified nine main flavor compounds affecting the odor of Z. armatum. Linalool, decanal, and d-limonene were the most critical main flavor compounds, giving Z. armatum a spicy, floral, oily, and fruity odor. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) classified Z5 into a separate group, Z2 and Z7 were clustered into one group, and the rest of the samples were classified into another group. Correlation analysis and path analysis showed that temperature and precipitation were the main climatic factors affecting essential oils. Comparisons can be made with other plants in the genus Zanthoxylum to analyze differences in essential oil type and content. This study contributes to the identification of Z. armatum quality, promotes the accumulation of theories on the effects of climatic factors on essential oils, and enriches the site selection and breeding of Z. armatum under similar climatic conditions.

Sclerodermus sichuanensis is the natural enemy of the longicorn beetle due to its strong attack ability and high parasitic rate. Its good resistance and fecundity make it have significant biological control value. The Maxent model and ArcGIS software were used to simulate the current distribution of S. sichuanensis in China by combining the known distribution information and environmental variables and predict the suitable area of the 2050s (2041–2060) and 2090s (2081–2000) under three climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5. and SSP5-8.5). The results showed that the Mean Diurnal Range (bio2), Min Temperature of the Coldest Month (bio6), Precipitation of the Warmest Quarter (bio18), and Max Temperature of the Warmest Month (bio5) were the key environmental variables affecting the distribution of S. sichuanensis. Southwest China and part of North China are the main concentrations of the current high-suitability areas of S. sichuanensis. The moderately suitable areas are concentrated in South China and Central China. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the suitable area predicted in the 2050s will expand significantly to North China and Northwest China, with a total increase of 81,295 km². This work provides an essential reference for future research on S. sichuanensis and the application of forestry pest control.

The Asiatic rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is a destructive invasive species that poses a serious threat to palms, oil palms, and other plants. Defining a suitable area for the distribution of O. rhinoceros is essential for the development of appropriate policies and preventive measures. In this work, the MaxEnt niche model and ArcGIS software were used to predict the potential geographic distribution of O. rhinoceros in the world based on occurrence data and related environmental variables and to speculate on the influence of environmental variables on the distribution of O. rhinoceros. The results showed that the suitable areas of O. rhinoceros beetle were mainly distributed in 30° N–30° S, and the highly suitable areas were concentrated in South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and northern Oceania. The key environmental variables that determine the distribution location of O. rhinoceros are Precipitation of Wettest Month (bio13), Temperature of July (tmin7), Minimum Temperature of November (tmin11), and Precipitation of September (prec9). The prediction results of the MaxEnt model can reflect the global distribution of O. rhinoceros. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of O. rhinoceros and the development of relevant quarantine measures.

The Chinese Caterpillar Fungus (CCF) is a precious and rare traditional Chinese medicinal material that is extremely sensitive to environmental changes, making wild resources scarce. Therefore, studying the impact of climate change on the potential distribution and changes of the CCF is of great significance. Employing an enhanced MaxEnt approach (optimized with ENMeval), this study determined the primary ecological constraints on CCF and mapped its potential present and future ranges. The results indicated that elevation, bio05, bio04, bio12, bio11, slope, d1_ph_water, and hf were the driving environmental factors influencing the survival of the CCF. The ideal habitat zones for the CCF were mainly distributed in the plateau and alpine climate zones of northwestern and southwestern China, covering an area of 7.42 × 10⁴ km². Compared with the current climate scenario, the area of suitable habitats for the CCF was expected to increase in the future. In the 2090s, under the SSP1–2.6 scenario, the highly suitable areas for the CCF will have increased the most, by 67.54%, while the low–suitability areas will have decreased by 6.87%. Overall, the highly suitable areas for the CCF will shift towards higher latitudes. The outcomes of this study can inform subsequent conservation strategies for CCF resources and facilitate research on other ecological variables affecting CCF distribution patterns.

Magnolia officinalis Rehder & E.H. Wilson is a deciduous tree in the Magnoliaceae family with extensive medicinal uses in China and Japan, being used to treat symptoms such as indigestion, insomnia, and anxiety. In this study, we used the MaxEnt model to (1) simulate the suitable spatial distribution areas of M. officinalis in China in the current and future periods (2050s and 2090s) and, (2) identify the key environmental variables affecting its spatial distributions by comparing the changes in the center of mass of the suitable areas under the current and projected future climate. The research results show that the current distribution range of M. officinalis is mainly between east longitude 102.2° to 122.2° and north latitude 23.7° to 33.9°, and it is located in the subtropical region of China. In the future, only the high-suitability area under scenario SSP1-2.6 and the low-suitability area under scenario SSP5-8.5 decreased in the 2050s, while the area increased under all other conditions. In the 2050s, the high- and medium-suitability areas under the SSP5-8.5 scenario increased the most, by 54.76% and 20.90%, respectively. Most of the key bio-climatic variables affecting the spatial distributions of M. officinalis are related to temperature and precipitation, and soil, terrain, chemical, and human variables that are also key environmental variables affecting the spatial distributions of M. officinalis. Currently, the suitable spatial distribution centroid of M. officinalis is at (111.71° E, 28.52° N), but it will change in the future climate; although, it will still be located in Hunan Province. This study predicts the spatial distribution areas that are favorable for the cultivation of M. officinalis with the intention of offering an objectively informed identification of suitable areas for the current and future development of this tree crop’s industry.

Graphium sarpedon is a significant foliar pest of Laurel plants in China. In this study, the MaxEnt model was used to investigate the distribution of G. sarpedon and predict its potential distribution areas in China in the future (2050s and 2090s) based on three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5, and SSP5‐8.5), and key environmental variables affecting its distribution were identified. The results showed that under the current climatic conditions, the suitable distribution areas of G. sarpedon were 92.17°–134.96° E and 18.04°–33.61° N, including Yangtze Plain (Middle and Lower), Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Lingnan areas. Under the future climate conditions, the total suitable distribution area of G. sarpedon decreased, but the area of medium suitable area increased. The study identified 11 key environmental variables affecting the distribution of G. sarpedon, the most critical of which was Precipitation of Warmest Quarter (bio18) and precipitation in April, May, June, and September (prec4, prec5, prec6, and prec9). This study is beneficial for monitoring and preventing the possible changes of G. sarpedon and provides theoretical references for its prevention and control.