Identification of Potential Distribution Areas for Energy Plant Jatropha curcas L. Using the Maxent Entropy Model

As a traditional energy species, Jatropha curcas L. is a promising biodiesel plant resource. In this study, we collected the latitude and longitude data of J. curcas distribution, and used the Maxent entropy model to predict potentially suitable areas for J. curcas based on 37 ecological factors, including climate, soil, and topography, and analyzed which of these factors most affected the growth of J. curcas. Results showed that the most suitable growth areas for J. curcas were in Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Sichuan. The main environmental factors affecting the distribution of J. curcas included precipitation of warmest quarter (contribution rate of 53.5%), Standard deviation of temperature seasonality (15.8%), coefficient of variation of precipitation seasonality (9.3%), annual temperature range (5.8%), precipitation of wettest quarter (3.6%), and precipitation of driest month (3.2%). The areas under the ROC curves were all above 0.9, indicating that the predictive results with the Maxent model were highly precise. These results reveal the potential distribution areas and bioclimatic conditions for J. curcas habitat and growth, which can provide a scientific basis for its planting.