The minimum area requirements (MAR) for giant panda: an empirical study

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation can reduce population viability, especially for area-sensitive species. The Minimum Area Requirements (MAR) of a population is the area required for the population’s long-term persistence. In this study, the response of occupancy probability of giant pandas against habitat patch size was studied in five of the six mountain ranges inhabited by giant panda, which cover over 78% of the global distribution of giant panda habitat. The probability of giant panda occurrence was positively associated with habitat patch area, and the observed increase in occupancy probability with patch size was higher than that due to passive sampling alone. These results suggest that the giant panda is an area-sensitive species. The MAR for giant panda was estimated to be 114.7 km2 based on analysis of its occupancy probability. Giant panda habitats appear more fragmented in the three southern mountain ranges, while they are large and more continuous in the other two. Establishing corridors among habitat patches can mitigate habitat fragmentation, but expanding habitat patch sizes is necessary in mountain ranges where fragmentation is most intensive.

Assessing the health status of released, captive-bred giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) through activity patterns

“…A ROC illustrates the diagnostic ability of a binary classifier system as its discrimination threshold is varied. ROC analyses has been used in medicine (Levy et al 2006), radiology (Obuchowski 2003), biometrics (Toh et al 2008), model performance assessment (Qing et al 2016), and other areas for many decades. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is a measure of how well a parameter can distinguish between two diagnostic groups (diseased/normal).…”

“…The study area is located in the LNNR (Fig. 1) (Qing et al 2016). The releasing enclosure, where the soft release projects were implemented, is located in the natural forest in the LNNR reserve.…”

“…The giant panda, arguably the most popular flagship species in the world, had its IUCN Red List status changed from "Endangered" to "Vulnerable" (Swaisgood et al 2016) because of its continuous increase in population size for the past 30 years. However, some local populations of giant pandas are small and isolated in heavily fragmented habitat patches, especially in the southern area of their range (Qing et al 2016). Those small, isolated populations are vulnerable to extinction as a result of genetic erosion and a variety of demographic and environmental issues (Schonewald-Cox et al 1983, Soulé 1987, Loeschcke et al 1994.…”

Dogs and Disease Threats to Giant Pandas in China

“…The Xiaoxiangling Mountains contained the most fragmented habitats, and the giant panda populations were the smallest and most threatened within the species' range (Qing et al 2016). Liziping is currently the primary site of giant panda translocations and releases into the wild; several individuals have been released in the reserve since 2009 (Yang et al 2018).…”

Habitat utilization and release-site fidelity of translocated captive-bred giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

“…Even though studies have shown that the size of the home range, activity range, and activity patterns of translocated giant panda individuals are similar to wild giant pandas (Gu et al 2011, Yang et al 2018, because of natal habitat preferences and unfamiliarity with the new environment, the movement and spread of translocated giant pandas may be affected. Habitat fragmentation is the most important threat to the sustainable survival of the giant panda (Pan 1995, Qing 2016. The wild giant panda is distributed in twenty-four habitat patches along six mountain ranges in western China (State Forestry Administration 2015, Swaisgood et al 2018).…”