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[Display omitted] • The climate suitability of cotton distribution is mapped using MaxEnt model. • The areas of improved climatic suitability comprised 38.08 % of the entire country. • Cotton production moved northward and expanded westward. • Consistency between climate suitability and production showed a decreasing trend. Understanding the varying distribution of climate-suitable areas of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) can greatly aid in optimizing distribution of cotton production and sustainable production. Based on occurrence records, national meteorological data and the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model (a species distribution model), we investigated for the first time the interdecadal variations in climate-suitable areas of cotton with changing climate in China from 1961 to 2017. Then, the gravity center and concentration index were employed to investigate the spatial-temporal variations of cotton production. The results revealed the dominant meteorological predictors affecting climate suitability of cotton to be ≥ 28℃ accumulated maximum temperature from April to October, average temperature in the warmest month, continuous days with daily average temperature ≥15 ℃ and annual precipitation days. The climate optimum areas were generally distributed in the eastern and northern parts of the Huanghe Valley and Northwest Inland cotton regions, respectively. The climatic suitability of cotton has increased in China in recent decades. In particular, the areas of improved climatic suitability of cotton encompassed 38.08 % of the whole country from the 1960s to 2010s. This increase was concentrated in the Huanghe Valley and Northwest Inland cotton regions. The distribution of climate-suitable areas moved northward and expanded westward. Meanwhile, the gravity center of the cotton production moved to the northwest at a distance of approximately 1283 km from 1985 to 2015. Although both the production and distribution of climate-suitable areas of cotton shifted towards the northwest, the proportions of inconsistency between planting areas and climate-suitable areas increased from 22.76 % in the 1980s to 32.38 % in the 2010s. The increasing planting acreage in areas of low climate suitability may pose a risk to cotton production, especially in emerging major planting areas of the Northwest Inland cotton region. The results of the present study can provide a theoretical reference for the optimization of planting distribution and ensure the sustainable production of the cotton industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Zingiber species distribution and richness were studied based on accession records. • Key bioclimatic determinants of Zingiber species distribution were identified. • Present and future potential distribution of Zingiber species were examined. • Some species may will be considerably reduced, necessitating conservation efforts. Climate change has a crucial impact on plant resources distribution, especially on agricultural crops. Species belonging to genus Zingiber are important crop resources in China, and their rhizomes are widely used in medicine and food. In this study, the ecological distribution and richness of the genus Zingiber were analyzed using a DIVA-GIS analysis of 967 georeferenced herbarium records to produce present and future distribution simulations using the MaxEnt model. The results showed that the genus Zingiber is widely distributed in 28 provinces in China, with the greatest richness in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan. Based on our model, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and the minimum temperature of the coldest month were the most significant bioclimatic variables controlling the distribution of five selected Zingiber species. Future climate change will likely result in the increase of suitable habitat area for Zingiber officinale by 2.85%, but dramatically decrease that for Zingiber striolatum by 18.04%, Zingiber zerumbet by 17.87%, Zingiber corallinum by 12.40%, and Zingiber mioga by 9.46%. Thus, conservation measures should be taken to preserve these valuable resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]