An assessment of the potential range shift of the species Aporrectodea caliginosa in Western Siberia under the influence of global climate change was conducted. The Maximum Entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) was used to model the species' distribution. The study region is defined by a rectangle bounded by 60°–95° E and 48°–75° N, encompassing parts of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. Four climatic variables, selected through expert judgment and statistical evaluation, were used as predictors: mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the wettest quarter. A model (AUC = 0.87) was built using current species occurrence data and subsequently used for forecasting. Projections were based on the climate change scenarios SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 for the years 2040 and 2060, utilizing three global climate models: BCC-CSM2-MR, CMCC-ESM2, and MPI-ESM1-2-HR. We found that the temperature of the coldest quarter is the key limiting factor for the species' current distribution. The predictive models indicate an expansion of suitable habitat for the species in northern and eastern directions under the considered scenarios by 2040, associated with projected climate warming. By 2060, under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, a decrease in habitat suitability in Western Siberia is projected compared to 2040, potentially linked to an increase in unsuitable areas in the southwestern part of the region. This reduction in habitat suitability is explained by the approaching of the species' ecological optimum limits. The obtained data can be used to assess the risks of ecosystem change in the region, as well as to select sites for qualitative and quantitative sampling. Global climate change is creating favorable conditions for the invasion of Aporrectodea caliginosa into the northeastern part of Western Siberia, which could lead to the transformation of local soil ecosystems and the displacement of native species of the genus Eisenia.
Romanchuk et al. (Mon,) studied this question.