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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Distribution and habitat suitability of Gnetum gnemon L. in Assam

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15763
Submitted
30 May 2026
Published
28-08-2026 — Updated on 08-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

Gnetum gnemon L. is an economically and culturally significant gymnosperm widely distributed in tropical Asia. In Assam, this species is typically found in humid forest ecosystems and it is utilised by many communities for food and other uses, resulting in overexploitation. Habitat loss due to changes in land use patterns is another threat to the survival of the species in the state. The present study aims to assess its current distribution and predict the potential climatically suitable habitats in Assam using an ensemble species distribution modelling technique (employing MaxEnt and Random Forest algorithms). The model showed satisfactory performance and revealed a high degree of reliability in discriminating between suitable habitats. The study documents the presence of G. gnemon in seven districts of the state with several new areas previously not reported. Habitat suitability analysis revealed that approximately 11.68 % of the study area can be considered excellent habitat for the species, while 17.77 % and 26.52 % are classified as highly and moderately suitable habitats respectively. The most significant climatic factors influencing the distribution of this species were annual mean temperature, precipitation seasonality, precipitation in the driest quarter and elevation. The suitable habitats for this species are concentrated in the central and eastern parts of Assam with warm and humid climatic conditions and forested landscapes. The results of this study provide a better insight into the ecological requirement of this species and can be a useful baseline for the conservation and sustainable management of this ecologically and socio-economically significant species in Assam.

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