Assessment of potential distribution of shorea robusta gaertn. f. in dumka district of jharkhand through ecological niche modelling

Jharkhand is India's most biologically diverse state due to its location and different physiographical and climatic situations. It is well-known for its indigenous peoples, mineral riches, and extensive forest cover. Sal (Shorea robusta) is one of the essential and the most important Dipterocarp species in ecology and commerce, but it is also one of the most threatened species. Due to its socio-economic and cultural significance, it has been recognized as Jharkhand's" State Tree”. The study entitled" Assessment of potential distribution of Shorea robusta Gaertn.f. in the District of Dumka, Jharkhand through Ecological Niche Modelling is aimed at assessing the potential distribution and forecasting the future distribution of Shorea robusta Gaertn.f. in the Diistrict of Dumka. The modelling and the MAXENT method are utilised for forecasting the present (2020) and future (2040) distribution of the Shorea robusta ecological niche. In order to examine the distribution of the target species, 19 bioclimatic variables were employed. The data were analysed from the jack knife test after running the 19 variables in the MAXENT. Then eight bioclimatic factors were eliminated in accordance with their contribution to the Shorea robusta distribution. Finally, just 11 bioclimatic variables were used to provide the actual contribution of the model. The potential distribution of the Shorea robusta in the study area was predicted by Max Ent model which involved multiple predictor variable is bioclimatic variables, elevation, slope, soil, LULC, and human influence index, where the maximum contribution of minimum temperature of coldest month was 33.9 % having followed by precipitation seasonality 11.9% respectively.