Predicting habitat suitability of Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. (Indian rosewood) using MaxEnt: implications for conservation and sustainable forest management.

backgroundDalbergia latifolia Roxb. (Indian rosewood) is a leguminous tropical hardwood of high ecological and economic value, native to India’s tropical and subtropical forests. Its richly coloured, durable heartwood and acoustic qualities make it a prized timber in domestic and international markets. Ecologically, the species contributes to forest health by stabilising soils, fixing atmospheric nitrogen, and supporting associated biodiversity. However, populations have sharply declined due to illegal logging, unsustainable harvesting, and habitat loss. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (2020, Criteria A1cd), Near Threatened in India (IUCN, 2018), and has been listed in CITES Appendix II since 2016. India remains the largest global supplier, with Karnataka contributing over 50% of national output. Yet, less than 1% of its standing stock is under managed cultivation due to slow growth, long rotations, and restrictive harvest policies. While initiatives such as CAMPA and the National Agroforestry Policy have encouraged enrichment planting, efforts remain fragmented and lack spatially explicit data for prioritisation.

resultsUsing Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modelling with high-resolution climate data, we generated the first range-wide habitat suitability maps for D. latifolia in India. The model showed high predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.912), identifying tropical dry and moist deciduous zones as primary habitats. High-suitability areas were concentrated in the southern Western Ghats, especially Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, with additional patches in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Among 19 bioclimatic variables, annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, and precipitation of the driest quarter were most influential. Accuracy improved through spatial filtering and validation of occurrence records. Despite broad climatically suitable areas, only 17.2% overlapped with existing Protected Areas, revealing major conservation gaps.

conclusionsThis study provides the first high-resolution, range-wide habitat suitability assessment for Dalbergia latifolia in India. The findings offer a scientific basis for conservation prioritisation, in-situ restoration, ex-situ conservation, and ecologically informed plantation design. The results are directly relevant to national initiatives such as CAMPA and the CAMPA-funded AICRP-28 on D. latifolia, where spatially explicit data can guide resource allocation, site prioritisation, and restoration planning. Beyond rosewood, the MaxEnt framework demonstrated here can be applied to other threatened or commercially important tropical tree species. Future modelling that integrates land-use change and high-resolution climate projections will further strengthen adaptive management and ensure the long-term conservation of climate-sensitive species under changing environments.