Geographic distributions shape the functional traits in a large mammalian family

Identifying priority protection areas of key food resources of the giant panda

Animals that live in seasonal environments adjust their reproduction cycle to optimize seasonal forage quality. Giant pandas ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are seasonal altitudinal migrants that feed on bamboo shoots and leaves with different nutritional quality. However, the importance of bamboo shoots to giant pandas, especially small and isolated populations, is not fully appreciated. Here, we explored whether mating time of giant pandas is shaped by bamboo shoot phenology. We also assessed the intensity of ongoing bamboo shoot harvesting by local communities in 42 giant panda reserves based on questionnaire surveys. Varying intensity and protection levels of bamboo shoot harvesting were found. From these data, we developed a priority ranking scheme of protection areas for this key food resource. Our study showed that pandas time their mating behavior to coincide with bamboo shoot phenology due to the high nutritional demands associated with mating and pregnancy. We also found that bamboo shoots were not well protected in many places. Liangshan, Daxiangling, and Xiaoxiangling, containing the most isolated panda populations, were identified as the areas with the most urgent need of protection. Furthermore, equal attention should be paid to the QiongL-B population, as this region holds considerable potential to serve as a corridor between the Minshan and Qionglai populations. To address the challenges posed by bamboo shoot harvesting, we recommend establishing more practical bamboo shoot management policies, increasing public awareness of bamboo shoot protection, and providing alternative sources of income for local communities.

Understanding Species–Habitat Associations: A Case Study with the World’s Bears

Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.