Expanding Ranges Yet Shrinking Refugia: Protected-Area Mismatch with Early-Spring Ephemerals Under Climate Change Scenarios in Xinjiang, China
Early-spring ephemeral plants constitute a dominant photosynthetic functional group during the critical early-spring moisture window (March–April) in the desert ecosystems of Xinjiang. They provide the primary energy base for pollinators and granivores and stabilize soils before perennial vegetation is activated. Despi...