Abstract
This study aims to reveal the vascular plant species hotspots in Kyushu. Using niche-based modeling techniques, vegetation records and environmental variables, we build models for both the total and rareplant speciesnumber.Theresultsshowedthat theclimaticvariablesrestrictedthedistribution ofboththe total and rare species richness. Non-climatic factors, including landform, soil type and cloudy index, was also affected to the distribution of low-frequency species richness. The hotspots of total species are mainly found in the warm and humid conditions, such as Pacific Ocean side of southern Kyushu. The hotspots of rare species are not only found in the warm and humid conditions but also in the unique conditions (e.g. volcanic topography), such as Aso-Kuju regions. These findings indicate that the hotspots of total species were not alwayscongruent with thehotspotsofrare species in Kyushu.
