Landscape connectivity of Cercidiphyllum japonicum, an endangered species and its implications for conservation

•LCP analysis is used to identify dispersal corridors of Cercidiphyllum japonicum during the late Quaternary.•C. japonicum spread from the western edge of the Sichuan Basin through the Qinling Mountains and further northeast.•We predict that the specie will probably continue to colonize northeastward with global warming.•The estimation of the dispersal route based on cpDNA may be more reliable.•The area with the highest degree of dispersal area should be prioritized for conservation.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum, a Tertiary relict, recolonized areas north of the Yangtze River after the last glacial; however, little is known about its specific colonization corridors. Together with distribution models, the least cost path (LCP) analysis has been used to reveal the landscape connectivity of species. In this study, we utilized the categorical LCP method, combining the species distribution with genetic data from cpDNA and nuclear markers, to identify the possible dispersal routes of C. japonicum after the LGM. Across time periods and genetic markers, the results revealed that the species generally spread from the western edge of the Sichuan Basin, while the highest degree of dispersal potential corresponds with the year 2080 and the cpDNA haplotype. Furthermore, shifts in the species' range and the indication of an area of low genetic divergence further support the existence of a dispersal corridor. Overall, we believe that a dispersal route from the western edge of the Sichuan Basin through the Qinling Mountains and further to the northeast could exist, and therefore, the results are an important supplement to the evolutionary history of C. japonicum. In the future, we believe species distribution models (SDM) and connectivity assessment in relation to climate change will provide increasingly useful information and new implications for prioritizing the conservation of the endangered species.