Habitat suitability assessment of crested ibis in southern Qinling Mountains by MaxEnt modeling

The crested ibis is China’s first-level protected animal and is at the top of the list of “Four Treasures in the Qinling Mountains”． Due to habitat degradation, the crested ibis was once on the brink of extinction． Since then, the population of crested ibis has recovered to some extent, but the habitat distribution is still limited． Conducting habitat suitability assessments is of great significance for their protection and management． The distribution data of crested ibis in southern Qinling Mountains from 2018 to 2023 and environmental variable data were used here to construct a suitable habitat simulation model for crested ibis by MaxEnt． The dominant environmental factors affecting the distribution of crested ibis are analyzed． The habitat area suitable for crested ibis was found to account for 39.17% of the study area, mainly distributed in Yang county, Chenggu county, Hantai district, Xixiang county, Liuba county, Foping county and Ningshan county． The relative contribution rate and importance of seasonal precipitation changes are relatively high, making it the most important environmental factor． The habitat suitability is highly correlated with precipitation, temperature, altitude, and land use factors． The most suitable seasonal precipitation variation rate for habitat was found to be 72%-77%, and the most suitable altitude 400-700 m． The most suitable land use types are wetlands, paddy fields, and forest land． It is important to strengthen the protection and restoration of similar habitats located at lower altitudes．