Morchella species, economically significant edible fungi, are affected by numerous environmental factors; however, details concerning their ecological niche are poorly understood. Consequently, this study aims to fill this deficiency by applying a modeling approach to the fundamental niche of the Morchella genus, incorporating species from the elata and esculenta clades. In this work, we examined the distribution patterns of Morchella species in relation to significant environmental factors. The MaxEnt algorithm was utilized to conclude habitat validity. The environmental variables incorporated into the final models comprised isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of the warmest month, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation seasonality, slope, and aspect. The PCA‐env analysis revealed that the first two axes accounted for 69.55% of the overall variation in climatic conditions across the ranges of the two clades (PC1 = 41.36% and PC2 = 28.19%). An analysis and comparison of the climatic space engaged by the two primary clades, along with their overlap, were conducted. These findings emphasized the utility of ecological niche modeling for understanding how climatic conditions can influence the dispersal of Morchella clades. These results aid in formulating enhanced conservation strategies and in informed decision‐making across different ecosystems. It is essential to adopt a holistic approach to ecological modeling to foster sustainable conservation, evaluate diversity, and manage the valuable Morchella resources.
Muhammad et al. (Sun,) studied this question.