*3.3. Potential Distribution of Three Species under Future Climate Scenarios*

There were significant differences in the distribution area of low suitable habitat, moderately suitable habitat and high suitable habitat under future climate scenarios as compared to current. The high suitable habitat for *Picea crassifolia* decreased under SSP2.6, SSP4.5 and SSP8.5 in the 2070s. Especially, the high suitable habitat for *Sabina przewalskii* declined to zero under SSP8.5 in the 2050s. The total suitable habitat for three species *all* decreased under SSP8.5 in the 2050s (Figure 4). The total suitable habitat for *Picea crassifolia* shrank under SSP2.6, SSP4.5 and SSP7.0 and enlarged under SSP8.5 in the 2070s. On the contrary, the total suitable habitat for *Sabina przewalskii* enlarged under SSP2.6, SSP4.5 and SSP7.0 and shrank under SSP8.5 in the 2070s. The total suitable habitat for *Potentilla parvifolia* continued increasing from SSP2.6 to SSP8.5 in the 2070s (Table 3, Figure 5)).


**Figure 3.** The current potential geographical distribution of the three species.

**Figure 4.**

Prediction results of potential

geographical

 distribution

 of *three species* in 2050s.

The average elevation in potentially suitable habitat for three species showed a slight upward shift under many climate scenarios in the 2050s and 2070s as compared to the average elevation of their potential distribution at current. For instance, the average elevation in potentially suitable habitat for *Potentilla parvifolia* all increased except under SSP8.5 (3552 m) in the 2050s. The average elevation of high suitable habitat for *Picea crassifolia* was 2758 m at current. However, the average elevation of highly suitable habitat for *Picea crassifolia* varied from 2773 m (SSP2.6) to 2849 m (SSP8.5) in the 2050s and increased to 2961 m (SSP2.6), 2891 m (SSP4.5) and 3043 m (SSP8.5) in the 2070s. The average elevation of highly suitable habitat, medium suitable habitat and low suitable habitat for *Sabina przewalskii* was 2951 m, 3175 m and 3083 m, respectively, at current. However, the average elevation of potentially suitable habitat for *Sabina przewalskii* varied from 2597 m to 3487 m in future climate scenarios. The changes of the average elevation in potentially suitable habitat for *Picea crassifolia* and *Sabina przewalskii* under different climate scenarios were not obvious, while the mean elevation in potentially suitable habitat for *Potentilla parvifolia* basically rose from the current period to the 2070s (Table 4).

**Table 4.** The average elevation of suitable habitat for three species under different climate scenarios.

