5 Conclusion
This study investigated the spatial patterns of rodent species richness in China and possible interpretations of the results based on multiple environmental and human factors. This study found that the highest species richness values of non-endemic and endemic species of rodents in China were in and around the Hengduan Mountains in southwest China. The lowest number of rodent-endemic species was in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and northern China. Habitat heterogeneity was the most effective variable to reflect changes in the potential distribution of all rodents and non-endemic species, as well as species richness in China. Endemic species richness patterns are most vulnerable to seasonal changes in climate, they are least influenced by human factors, and the effect of energy-water on the three response variables showed a consistent level of importance.