Habitat Suitability Distribution of Genus Gynoxys Cass. (Asteraceae): An Approach to Conservation and Ecological Restoration of the Andean Flora in Peru

In this research, species distribution prediction models (i.e., MaxEnt) were applied to analyze the suitability of the ecological environment among the clades of the genus Gynoxys in Peru. Bioclimatic, edaphic, and topographic variables were integrated to predict the areas with the most significant potential for optimal development of this genus. These data were combined to generate potential distribution maps, taking into account the most relevant variables for each clade. The validation of the MaxEnt model showed an outstanding performance, reaching AUC indices above 0.9, reflecting the high accuracy of the predictions. The results reveal that the key variables influencing the selection of the clade occurrence areas are: mintempwarmest (47.70% contribution) in the Discoide clade, topowet (33.20%) in the Gynoxys clade, and monthcountbytemp10 (33.30%) in the Praegynoxys clade. The potential distribution areas of these clades were 132,594 km 2 for Discoide , 168,574 km 2 for Gynoxys , and 37,392 km 2 for Praegynoxys . The areas with the highest probability of presence of the genus were found in the Andean regions of northern and central Peru. However, a significant proportion of these areas were threatened by habitat fragmentation and land degradation. In terms of conservation, it was found that 32.05, 35.46, and 61.02% of the potential distribution areas of the discoid, Gynoxys , and Praegynoxys clades, respectively, are conserved, which could be a relevant factor for the preservation of this genus. These findings underscore the relevance of safeguarding key areas for conserving Gynoxys and montane ecosystems in Peru, emphasizing the need for protection strategies that guarantee the long-term sustainability of these species and their associated habitats.