5 Conclusion
This study investigated the spatial patterns of rodent species richness
in China and possible interpretations of the results based on multiple
environmental and human factors. This study found that the highest
species richness values of non-endemic and endemic species of rodents in
China were in and around the Hengduan Mountains in southwest China. The
lowest number of rodent-endemic species was in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
and northern China. Habitat heterogeneity was the most effective
variable to reflect changes in the potential distribution of all rodents
and non-endemic species, as well as species richness in China. Endemic
species richness patterns are most vulnerable to seasonal changes in
climate, they are least influenced by human factors, and the effect of
energy-water on the three response variables showed a consistent level
of importance.