Complementing Habitat Distribution Model with Land Use Land Cover for Conservation of the Rare and Threatened Tree Magnolia Punduana Hk. F Th. in Northeast India

Predictive distribution models are widely used in species conservation planning. However, identifying specific sites for undertaking conservation action such as reintroduction pose a practical challenge for practitioners. We demonstrate that the potential habitat distribution models intersected with existing land use and land cover (LULC) map helped in identifying the specific conservation areas with greater confidence. We used a case of Magnolia punduana Hk. f Th. (Magnoliaceae)—a threatened and rare tree species distributed in the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills of northeast India at an elevation range of 800–1600 m asl. We modeled the distribution of potential habitats of the species using maximum entropy (Maxent) software, moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) imageries, and ASTER-based digital elevation data. Amongst the environmental variables, elevation and the EVI for the months of May, June and July had a collective contribution of > 70