Hydrocera triflora is a perennial herb found in southeastern and southern Asia. In China, it is only found in Hainan Province. With global climate change, studying the impact of climate change on the distribution of H. triflora can provide a theoretical basis for the scientific protection of this species. In this study, the MaxEnt model was used to predict the potential distribution area of H. triflora in China under historical, current, and future periods based on 66 distribution points and 12 environmental variables. The results were as follows: (i) The main environmental variables affecting the distribution of H. triflora were precipitation in the coldest month and in the wettest quarter, with elevation also being a significant factor. (ii) Over the past three periods, the last interglacial, last glacial maximum, and mid-Holocene, the suitable area for H. triflora initially decreased and then increased. The suitable area reached the lowest value in the last glacial maximum period, at only 27.03 × 10⁴ km². (iii) The current potential distribution area is 67.81 × 10⁴ km², and the optimal area is mainly distributed in the Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hainan provinces. (iv) Under future climate scenarios, the potential distribution area of H. triflora is projected to increase by 11.27~90.83 × 10⁴ km². It is expected to reach a maximum value (158.64 × 10⁴ km²) in 2081~2100 under the SSP-585 climate scenario, with the distribution centroid shifting to higher latitudes. The newly gained optimal habitats will provide potential areas for introduction and ex situ conservation of this species.

Human activities exert both beneficial and detrimental impacts on the ecosystem. In recent years, greenhouse gas emissions have significantly increased due to global climate change, causing profound alterations in ecosystem distribution and productivity. The synergistic interplay between climatic shifts and anthropogenic activities is intensifying ecological transformations and disturbances, and accelerating biodiversity depletion. The Plantago genus (Plantaginaceae family) includes 14 herbaceous species among China’s flora. This study was conducted to elucidate the spatial distribution of Plantago species patterns across China and evaluate their differential responses to impending climate change and human interventions. In this study, we projected the potential distributions of Plantago species under three climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585) across current and future temporal intervals (2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100) using the MaxEnt model integrated with ArcGIS V10.8 spatial analysis. A spatial trend analyses was also conducted to assess habitat suitability dynamics by incorporating anthropogenic influence parameters. The model validation yielded AUC values exceeding 0.9, demonstrating excellent model performance and predictive reliability. Precipitation variability and anthropogenic pressure emerged as the most predominant determinants shaping Plantago distributions. Centroid migration analyses further indicated the progressive northward displacement of optimal habitats under the projected climate scenarios. These findings significantly advance our understanding of Plantago species’ adaptive responses to environmental changes. This study also offers an invaluable scientific foundation for sustainable resource management and ecological conservation strategies.

Camellia oleifera Abel (C. oleifera) is an evergreen shrub classified under the Camellia genus. It is an important oil species and has great economic benefits. At present, C. oleifera is widely cultivated in the Yangtze River Basin in South China, and its wild species are mainly distributed in the native forests of Hainan Province. Therefore, in the current study, we used the MaxEnt model to predict the suitable habitat for C. oleifera and different environmental factors affecting its current and future distribution. The AUC values exceeded 0.98, showing that the simulation of the model was good, and the TSS values were all above 0.96, indicating that the model was feasible. The results showed that C. oleifera was mainly distributed in Southern China, with a total area of 56.68 × 10⁴ km². The suitable habitats of Camellia oleifera are affected by the precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18), human activity, soil available water content (awc_class), and minimum temperature of the coldest month and seasonal temperature (bio04). Furthermore, rainfall in the warmest quarter (bio18) was recognized as a crucial factor impacting its distribution. Under future climate conditions, the suitable habitat area of C. oleifera is projected to expand with a slight northward shift in its distribution center. Therefore, in addition to maintaining the current planting area of C. oleifera, the planting area can be appropriately expanded upward along the current area and along the Yangtze River Basin.

Global warming has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges. Concurrently, plant invasion has been exacerbated by ongoing climate change, posing a severe ecological threat. This study investigates the distribution patterns of both invasive and native species within the Bidens genus and their responses to projected climate change. The MaxEnt model, was used to predict the potential distribution ranges under both current and future climate conditions. The results showed a distinct difference in suitable area distributions between invasive and native species. Under future climate scenarios, most studied species (except B. pilosa, B. maximowicziana, and B. radiata) showed an expansion in their suitable habitats. Notably, we observed a latitudinal migration pattern in Bidens species distribution, with invasive species primarily influenced by precipitation during the warmest quarter, while native species were more affected by anthropogenic factors. These results underscore the need for enhanced public awareness of invasion risks and the establishment of dedicated protection zones for both invasive and native species. This study provides critical insights into the potential distribution patterns of Bidens species under climate change. It also, offers valuable scientific support for development of invasive species management strategies and native species conservation mechanisms.

Climate change has significantly altered in the distribution of plant and animal species, potentially resulting in either species expansion or extinction. The genus Chimonanthus, an economically significant and endemic group in China, holds substantial medicinal and ornamental value; however, its wild resources are limited. There is a paucity of knowledge regarding the distribution characteristics of the genus Chimonanthus species and the critical ecological factors influencing habitat suitability. Utilizing species distribution data and environmental variables, we performed simulations and analyses to identify suitable habitats, evaluate the primary environmental factors influencing distribution, determine potential distribution areas and centroids, and predict changes in suitable areas under three future climate scenarios (SSP-126, SSP-245, SSP-585) employing MaxEnt and ArcGIS. These findings indicated that the Area Under Curve (AUC) values exceeded 0.97 for all five Chimonanthus species, suggesting that the model predictions are highly accurate. The primary environmental variables influencing the distribution of C. grammatus are temperature, particularly isothermality (BIO3), and the mean temperature of warmest quarter (BIO10). However, precipitation of warmest quarter (BIO18) was an important environmental factor limiting the distributions of C. praecox, C. nitens, C. salicifolius and C. zhejiangensis. In the current period, the area of habitat suitability for C. praecox is the largest, at 2,498,600 km², while that for C. zhejiangensis is the smallest, at 700,400 km². The five Chimonanthus species are distributed mainly in southern China under the current climate scenario and will migrate to higher latitudes under future climate scenarios. C. nitens had high niche overlap and range overlap with C. zhejiangensis and C. salicifolius, respectively. A similar situation occurs between C. zhejiangensis and C. salicifolius. These findings suggest that there may be strong interspecific competition among adjacent species. Our results indicate that the establishment of nature reserves at current distribution sites within optimal areas is crucial for the conservation of germplasm resources, particularly for C. grammatus and C. salicifolius. The data generated from this research can serve as a valuable reference for the selection of in situ conservation sites, the determination of appropriate planting locations, the scientific introduction of species, and the development of long-term conservation and management strategies for Chimonanthus.

Corolla movement is a typical plant movement behavior that enables plants to optimize pollination and adapt to environmental changes. Nevertheless, its molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. In the present study, we conduct a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae) corolla at five stages (AG-EG) to elucidate the regulatory networks underlying movement. The results showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly associated with cellular processes, catalytic activity, MAPK signaling, plant hormone signal transduction, and photosynthesis-related pathways, highlighting their involvement in corolla dynamics. Transcriptome profiling further demonstrated that auxin, ethylene, and abscisic acid signaling pathways were key hormonal regulators of corolla movement. Moreover, Ca²⁺ transport genes (CNGCs and CMLs) and respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs) were significantly enriched, indicating that Ca²⁺–ROS signaling oscillations also play an important role in driving differential cell expansion and turgor changes. Transcription factor analysis also revealed the upregulation of WRKY2, WRKY22, and WRKY33, suggesting that WRKYs act as the critical transcriptional regulators linking ROS–Ca²⁺ signals with downstream gene expression. The reliability of RNA-Seq data was confirmed by RT-qPCR, which showed high consistency with transcriptome profiles. These findings suggested that corolla movement in M. jalapa is carried through the integration of hormonal pathways, Ca²⁺–ROS signaling, and WRKY-mediated transcriptional regulation. This research provided novel insights into the molecular basis of plant movement and established a foundation for further study on floral dynamics and adaptive strategies in angiosperms.