Suitable habitat prediction and desertified landscape remediation potential of three medicinal Glycyrrhiza species in China

Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Glycyrrhiza inflata are significant medicinal plants in traditional Chinese medicine. They also contribute to ecological protection and restoration in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China. This study employed the MaxEnt model to predict the potential habitats of these three species in China under climate change, and examined the relationship between their distribution and desert ecosystems. The results indicated that (1) G. uralensis has a broad distribution, primarily in Northeast, North, and Northwest China. Glycyrrhiza glabra and G. inflata are predominantly found in the northwest provinces. (2) Under current climate conditions, the distribution of the most suitable habitats for these species closely mirrors that of deserts. However, future climate change is expected to reduce the spatial range of all three species. (3) These three species are effective psammophytes, capable of thriving in desert margins and other highly suitable habitats on a large scale. This research offers a theoretical basis for the conservation of plant resources, the restoration and protection of desertified areas, and the advancement of deserticulture.