Metabolic rates of giant pandas inform conservation strategies

Abstract

The giant panda is an icon of conservation and survived a large-scale bamboo die off in the 1980s in China. Captive breeding programs have produced a large population in zoos and efforts continue to reintroduce those animals into the wild. However, we lack sufficient knowledge of their physiological ecology to determine requirements for survival now and in the face of climate change. We measured resting and active metabolic rates of giant pandas in order to determine if current bamboo resources were sufficient for adding additional animals to populations in natural reserves. Resting metabolic rates were somewhat below average for a panda sized mammal and active metabolic rates were in the normal range. Pandas do not have exceptionally low metabolic rates. Nevertheless, there is enough bamboo in natural reserves to support both natural populations and large numbers of reintroduced pandas. Bamboo will not be the limiting factor in successful reintroduction.

An ecophysiological perspective on likely giant panda habitat responses to climate change

“…Differences in pelage properties may have contributed to the divergence between the Fei et al. () and Nie, Speakman et al. () studies.…”

“…Based on metabolic chamber simulations using the data of metabolic rates for pandas from two previous studies (Fei et al., ; Nie, Speakman et al., ), we assumed a resting metabolic rate (RMR) of 50 W, and an assumed minimal active metabolic rate of 1.5× RMR (to satisfy basic foraging and standing requirements) for a 100 kg panda (see Appendix S2 for details). A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the influence of various animal properties (hair density, fur depth/length and weight) on Niche Mapper's metabolic rate predictions.…”

“…Pandas also have a relatively small brain, liver, and kidney and lower levels of several hormones that contribute to exceptionally low daily energy expenditure (Nie, Zhang, Swaisgood, & Wei, 2012;Nie, Speakman et al, 2015). One case study (Fei et al, 2016) reported 3.5 times higher field metabolic rates of panda than Nie, Speakman et al (2015). Although their pandas' metabolic rates still below predicted values for mammals of similar size, it seems extraordinarily high for pandas considering their low-nutrition food and low activity.…”

“…Pandas in the wild prefer 18-21°C and maintain the mean monthly temperatures they experience lower than 25.6°C via seasonal movements, and they are known to reduce activity in the summer when it is hot (Liu, Guan, Dai, Li, & Gong, 2016;Zhang et al, 2014). Furthermore, captive pandas were found to reduce activity and accelerate their respiratory rate when the temperature exceeds 25°C (Hu, 2001;Zhu, 1983), and experience health problems after long exposure to temperatures higher than 25°C (Fei et al, 2016).…”

Comparative skeletal anatomy of neonatal ursids and the extreme altriciality of the giant panda

“…One such candidate is the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Compared with other mammals of similar body size, the giant panda has significantly lower daily energy expenditure (Nie et al 2015a; although see Fei et al 2016 for contradictory BMR results). However, among therian mammals, BMR does not correlate with life history unless body size is accounted for (Harvey et al 1991), and an unusual neonatalÀmaternal mass ratio is not observed in other mammals with exceptionally low BMR (Nie et al 2015a).…”