Abstract
L. chinensis is a National Grade II Protected Animal in China, and predicting its suitable habitats in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. This study uses methods such as the MaxEnt model to predict suitable habitats for L. chinensis in the region, providing a scientific basis for species conservation. The model results show that the AUC value of MaxEnt is 0.989, indicating excellent predictive performance. Under current climatic conditions, the area of highly suitable habitats for L. chinensis in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is 75.1 × 10(3) km(2), accounting for 8.8% of the total area of the region. However, under the SSP2-4.5 climate scenario, the predicted results indicate a general decline in suitable habitats for the species. This change signals that the survival of L. chinensis will face significant risks in the future, highlighting the urgent need to develop and implement scientifically effective conservation measures.