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Chang Y, Zhao C, Liu X, He L. Mapping multi-seasonal habitats of giant pandas to identify seasonal shifts. iScience 2024; 27:109115. [PMID: 38384834 PMCID: PMC10879713 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
As a flagship species of biodiversity conservation globally, the giant panda has seasonal migration to cope with seasonal changes in available resources. Here, we have mapped the spatial distribution of multi-seasonal habitats of the giant panda across the Baishuijiang reserve in China. Results show that the spatial patterns are different in different seasons, generally, large patches are observed in the western part, while staggered clusters occur in the middle and eastern parts. That is, suitable habitats for giant pandas are mostly distributed in the west part. More than 75% of the predicted suitable habitats are within the core zone of the reserve year-round, indicating the core zone essentially meet giant panda's ecological needs, although this range could potentially be expanded. This study provides valuable insights into the spatiotemporal migration patterns of endangered species and helps to guide conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yapeng Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Chuanyan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Xingming Liu
- Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, Wenxian, Gansu 746400, China
| | - Liwen He
- Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, Wenxian, Gansu 746400, China
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Guan D, Sun S, Song L, Zhao P, Nie Y, Huang X, Zhou W, Yan L, Lei Y, Hu Y, Wei F. Taking a color photo: A homozygous 25-bp deletion in Bace2 may cause brown-and-white coat color in giant pandas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317430121. [PMID: 38437540 PMCID: PMC10945837 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317430121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Brown-and-white giant pandas (hereafter brown pandas) are distinct coat color mutants found exclusively in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China. However, its genetic mechanism has remained unclear since their discovery in 1985. Here, we identified the genetic basis for this coat color variation using a combination of field ecological data, population genomic data, and a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout mouse model. We de novo assembled a long-read-based giant panda genome and resequenced the genomes of 35 giant pandas, including two brown pandas and two family trios associated with a brown panda. We identified a homozygous 25-bp deletion in the first exon of Bace2, a gene encoding amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme, as the most likely genetic basis for brown-and-white coat color. This deletion was further validated using PCR and Sanger sequencing of another 192 black giant pandas and CRISPR-Cas9 edited knockout mice. Our investigation revealed that this mutation reduced the number and size of melanosomes of the hairs in knockout mice and possibly in the brown panda, further leading to the hypopigmentation. These findings provide unique insights into the genetic basis of coat color variation in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengfeng Guan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang330045, China
| | - Shuyan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Lingyun Song
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Pengpeng Zhao
- Shaanxi (Louguantai) Rescue and Breeding Center for Rare Wildlife, Xi’an710402, China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Wenliang Zhou
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou511458, China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Yinghu Lei
- Shaanxi (Louguantai) Rescue and Breeding Center for Rare Wildlife, Xi’an710402, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang330045, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou511458, China
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Ning R, Li C, Xia M, Zhang Y, Gan Y, Huang Y, Zhang T, Song H, Zhang S, Guo W. Pseudomonas-associated bacteria play a key role in obtaining nutrition from bamboo for the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0381923. [PMID: 38305171 PMCID: PMC10913395 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03819-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays a vital role in obtaining nutrition from bamboo for giant pandas. However, low cellulase activity has been observed in the panda's gut. Besides, no specific pathway has been implicated in lignin digestion by gut microbiota of pandas. Therefore, the mechanism by which they obtain nutrients is still controversial. It is necessary to elucidate the precise pathways employed by gut microbiota of pandas to degrade lignin. Here, the metabolic pathways for lignin degradation in pandas were explored by comparing 209 metagenomic sequencing data from wild species with different feeding habits. Lignin degradation central pathways, including beta-ketoadipate and homogentisate pathway, were enriched in the gut of wild bamboo-eating pandas. The gut microbiome of wild bamboo-eating specialists was enriched with genes from pathways implicated in degrading ferulate and p-coumarate into acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA, which can potentially provide the raw materials for metabolism in pandas. Specifically, Pseudomonas, as the most dominant gut bacteria genus, was found to be the main bacteria to provide genes involved in lignin or lignin derivative degradation. Herein, three Pseudomonas-associated strains isolated from the feces of wild pandas showed the laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase activity and extracellular lignin degradation ability in vitro. A potential mechanism for pandas to obtain nutrition from bamboo was proposed based on the results. This study provides novel insights into the adaptive evolution of pandas from the perspective of lignin metabolism. IMPORTANCE Although giant pandas only feed on bamboo, the mechanism of lignin digestion in pandas is unclear. Here, the metabolic pathways for lignin degradation in wild pandas were explored by comparing gut metagenomic from species with different feeding habits. Results showed that lignin degradation central pathways, including beta-ketoadipate and homogentisate pathway, were enriched in the gut of wild bamboo-eating pandas. Genes from pathways involved in degrading ferulate and p-coumarate via beta-ketoadipate pathway were also enriched in bamboo-eating pandas. The final products of the above process, such as acetyl-CoA, can potentially provide the raw materials for metabolism in pandas. Specifically, Pseudomonas, as the most dominant gut bacteria genus, mainly provides genes involved in lignin degradation. Herein, Pseudomonas-associated strains isolated from the feces of pandas could degrade extracellular lignin. These findings suggest that gut microbiome of pandas is crucial in obtaining nutrition from lignin via Pseudomonas, as the main lignin-degrading bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihong Ning
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Caiwu Li
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration (SFGA) on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Chengdu, China
| | - Maohua Xia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technology, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yunong Gan
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration (SFGA) on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Chengdu, China
| | - Tianyou Zhang
- Chimelong Safari Park in Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Song
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration (SFGA) on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Chengdu, China
| | - Siyuan Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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Ruan T, Wei W, Zhang Z, Zhou H. Research on the Changes in Distribution and Habitat Suitability of the Chinese Red Panda Population. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:424. [PMID: 38338067 PMCID: PMC10854785 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of the dynamics of species habitat is of great significance for maintaining or adjusting the current habitat protection management strategy. However, the current research on the Chinese red panda's habitat is limited to the analysis of a single period, which makes it difficult to quantify the changes in its habitat on a temporal scale and greatly hinders the formulation of the overall protection and management strategies that are to be used for the Chinese red panda. This study simulated habitat suitability at different temporal scales to quantify the trend of changes in habitat quality and analyzed the reasons for the changes in habitat suitability in certain regions. The results showed that the overall suitability of the Chinese red panda's habitat increased and that the area of suitable habitats expanded. Suitable Chinese red panda habitats in the mountains of Qionglai (1662.73 km2), Daxiangling (230.30 km2), Xiaoxiangling (549.47 km2), and Liangshan (50.39 km2) increased by a total of 2452.89 km2. The suitability of habitats in the central part of the Liangshan Mountains has declined significantly, which is positively correlated with changes in temperature seasonality (BIO4, R = 0.18) and negatively correlated with changes in annual average temperature (BIO1, R = -0.03) as well as changes in the proportion of farmland (FARMLAND, R = -0.14). The local extinction of isolated populations of Chinese red pandas in the Minshan Mountains is the main factor leading to their distribution retreat rather than a decrease in habitat quality. The research results help us to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of conservation and management strategies for Chinese red pandas at different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ruan
- College of Giant Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China; (T.R.); (W.W.); (Z.Z.)
- Liziping Giant Panda’s Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Wei Wei
- College of Giant Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China; (T.R.); (W.W.); (Z.Z.)
- Liziping Giant Panda’s Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- College of Giant Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China; (T.R.); (W.W.); (Z.Z.)
- Liziping Giant Panda’s Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- College of Giant Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China; (T.R.); (W.W.); (Z.Z.)
- Liziping Giant Panda’s Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637009, China
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Tang J, Swaisgood RR, Owen MA, Zhao X, Wei W, Hong M, Zhou H, Zhang Z. Assessing the effectiveness of protected areas for panda conservation under future climate and land use change scenarios. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 342:118319. [PMID: 37290306 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
While the relatively stable land use and land cover (LULC) patterns is an important feature of protected areas (PAs), the influence of this feature on future species distribution and the effectiveness of the PAs has rarely been explored. Here, we assessed the role of land use patterns within PAs on the projected range of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) by comparing projections inside and outside of PAs for four model configurations: (1) only climate covariates, (2) climate and dynamic land use covariates, (3) climate and static land use covariates and (4) climate and hybrid dynamic-static land use covariates. Our objectives were twofold: to understand the role of protected status on projected panda habitat suitability and evaluate the relative efficacy of different climate modeling approaches. The climate and land use change scenarios used in the models include two shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) scenarios: SSP126 [an optimistic scenario] and SSP585 [a pessimistic scenario]. We found that models including land-use covariates performed significantly better than climate-only models and that these projected more suitable habitat than climate-only models. Static land-use models projected more suitable habitat than both the dynamic and hybrid models under SSP126, while these models did not differ under SSP585. China's panda reserve system was projected to effectively maintain suitable habitat inside PAs. Panda dispersal ability also significantly impacted outcomes, with most models assuming unlimited dispersal forecasting range expansion and models assuming zero dispersal consistently forecasting range contraction. Our findings highlight that policies targeting improved land-use practices should be an effective means for offsetting some of the negative effects of climate change on pandas. As the effectiveness of PAs is projected to be maintained, we recommend the judicious management and expansion of the PA system to ensure the resilience of panda populations into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Institute of Ecology, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Liziping Giant Panda's Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA, USA.
| | - Megan A Owen
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA, USA.
| | - Xuzhe Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Institute of Ecology, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Liziping Giant Panda's Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Liziping Giant Panda's Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Mingsheng Hong
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Liziping Giant Panda's Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Hong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Liziping Giant Panda's Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China; Liziping Giant Panda's Ecology and Conservation Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, China.
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Zhou W, Wang M, Ma Y, Wang L, Hu Y, Wei F, Nie Y. Community structure of the solitary giant pandas is maintained by indirect social connections. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:53. [PMID: 36457062 PMCID: PMC9716724 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00354-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Indirect interactions between individual solitary mammals, such as the giant panda, are often overlooked because of their nature, yet are important for maintaining the necessary sociality in solitary species. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we determined the genetic identity of all giant panda individuals in a local population and matched these identities with their associations to determine social network of this solitary animal. Total thirty-five giant panda individuals were found in our field survey, and we constructed genetic and social networks for thirty-three individuals who successfully obtained genetic, age and sex information. The results showed that sex had great impact on both social network and genetic network, and age may have the potential to influence the social network of the giant pandas. Adult males, mostly in the central of the social network, which appeared significantly larger network connections than adult females. Due to the female-biased dispersal pattern of wild giant pandas, male-male pairs showed higher relatedness than female-female ones and multi-generational patrilinear assemblages are expected in the study area. CONCLUSIONS The relatedness of individuals has an influence on the formation of community social structure of giant pandas, and indirect interactions among solitary giant pandas potentially function to reduce competition for resources and inbreeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenliang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjie Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
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Chen Y, Wang X, Zheng X, Gong Y, Chen M, Qiu L, Zhou H, Wei W, Han H. Space use and microhabitat selection of wild giant pandas in Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve, China. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1000841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a special rare and endangered species in China and is the flagship species for global biodiversity conservation. This study used different methods including Kernel density, statistical analysis, and logistic regression analysis to investigated the spatial distribution, migration in different seasons and different distribution areas, as well as the foraging patch selection strategies of wild giant pandas in Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve in the Liangshan Mountains. The results demonstrated that, in the study area, giant pandas were mainly distributed in the Wahei-Yizi Yakou Habitat Corridor with an activity area of 144.93 km2, which accounted for 28.59% of the whole reserve. The core distribution area of the species was 92.07 km2 and the population density was 0.24 pcs km–2. There were two significant seasonal domains for the activities of giant pandas: the low-altitude winter habitat of Yushania maculata Yi and Yushania ailuropodina Yi bamboo species, as well as the high-altitude summer habitat of Bashania fangiana species. With seasonal changes, giant pandas migrated among different bamboo distribution regions. Giant pandas were mainly distributed in high-altitude areas that had secondary forest, tall trees with a large diameter at breast height (DBH) and bamboo forest. The spatial distribution pattern and microhabitat selection of giant pandas in Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve were determined. The findings of this study provide scientific implications for the local conservation and management of the habitat of wild giant pandas.
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Comparison of methods for estimating density and population trends for low-density Asian bears. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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Abstract
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.
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Wang L, Yuan S, Nie Y, Zhao J, Cao X, Dai Y, Zhang Z, Wei F. Dietary flavonoids and the altitudinal preference of wild giant pandas in Foping National Nature Reserve, China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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He X, Hsu WH, Hou R, Yao Y, Xu Q, Jiang D, Wang L, Wang H. Comparative genomics reveals bamboo feeding adaptability in the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Zookeys 2020; 923:141-156. [PMID: 32292275 PMCID: PMC7142162 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.923.39665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the world's most endangered mammals and remains threatened as a result of intense environmental and anthropogenic pressure. The transformation and specialization of the giant panda's diet into a herbivorous diet have resulted in unique adaptabilities in many aspects of their biology, physiology and behavior. However, little is known about their adaptability at the molecular level. Through comparative analysis of the giant panda's genome with those of nine other mammalian species, we found some genetic characteristics of the giant panda that can be associated with adaptive changes for effective digestion of plant material. We also found that giant pandas have similar genetic characteristics to carnivores in terms of olfactory perception but have similar genetic characteristics to herbivores in terms of immunity and hydrolytic enzyme activity. Through the analysis of gene family expansion, 3752 gene families were found, which were enriched in functions such as digestion. A total of 93 genes under positive selection were screened out and gene enrichment identified these genes for the following processes: negative regulation of cellular metabolic process, negative regulation of nitrogen compound metabolic process, negative regulation of macromolecule metabolic process and negative regulation of metabolic process. Combined with the KEGG pathway, it was found that genes such as CREB3L1, CYP450 2S1, HSD11B2, LRPAP1 play a key role in digestion. These genes may have played a key role in the pandas' adaptation to its bamboo diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin He
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Walter H Hsu
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Rong Hou
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Ying Yao
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Dandan Jiang
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Longqiong Wang
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Hairui Wang
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu, 610081, China.,Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
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12
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Dong X, Chu YMR, Gu X, Huang Q, Zhang J, Bai W. Suitable habitat prediction of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) and its implications for conservation in Baihe Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:32374-32384. [PMID: 31602599 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06369-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
As an endemic primate species with one of the highest priorities in wildlife conservation in China, Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) have undergone a sharp decline and range reduction in recent centuries. Here, we used maximum entropy modelling (MaxEnt) integrated with four types of environmental variables, including three biological climate variables (Bio17, precipitation of the driest quarter; Bio6, min. temperature of the coldest month; and Bio2, mean diurnal range), three topographic variables (altitude, slope, and aspect), two anthropogenic variables (Human Footprint Index and human disturbance), and three vegetation-related variables (enhanced vegetation index, normalized difference vegetation index, and Wet Index) to identify the spatial distribution of suitable habitats for Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys in Baihe Nature Reserve (BNR), which is located in the Minshan Mountains. The average training AUC of our model performance is 0.929 ± 0.003. The model predicted 9.6 km2 of high suitability habitats and 14.1 km2 of moderate suitability habitats for Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys, adding up to only 11.7% of the total area of concern for the study in the BNR. The top four variables ranked in the model (altitude, Human Footprint Index, human disturbance, and Bio17) accounted for relative gain contributions of 23.3%, 19.3%, 14.2%, and 13.4%, respectively. The predicted suitable habitats were confined to an altitude range of 1971-3198 m, Human Footprint Index of mainly 3-5 values, low human disturbance (mainly livestock), and precipitation of the driest (or coldest) quarter of 9-22 mm. Additionally, the suitable habitats were mainly distributed in the core zone (36.1%), buffer zone (26.8%), and experimental zone (29.5%). The remaining habitats (7.6%) were distributed in the 0.5-km buffer zone of the reserve border. The predicted suitable habitats indicated limited suitable habitat space for the Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys, with most of the suitable habitat distributed outside the core zone in the BNR. Our findings highlighted that human activities in all three functional zones could be the most negative factor on suitable habitat distribution of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys in the BNR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
| | - Yuan-Meng-Ran Chu
- School of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Gu
- Wildlife Resource Conservation and Management Station of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiongyu Huang
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology, Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Jindong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Wenke Bai
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
- Institute of Ecology, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
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13
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Michelot T, Gloaguen P, Blackwell PG, Étienne M. The Langevin diffusion as a continuous‐time model of animal movement and habitat selection. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Théo Michelot
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | | | - Paul G. Blackwell
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
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14
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He K, Dai Q, Foss-Grant A, Gurarie E, Fagan WF, Lewis MA, Qing J, Huang F, Yang X, Gu X, Huang Y, Zhang H, Li D, Zhou X, Yang Z. Movement and activity of reintroduced giant pandas. URSUS 2019. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-17-00030.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ke He
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry Of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Qiang Dai
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Andrew Foss-Grant
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Mark A. Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Jing Qing
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry Of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Feng Huang
- Sichuan Liziping National Nature Reserve, Shimian, China
| | - Xuyu Yang
- Sichuan Station of Wildlife Survey and Management, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaodong Gu
- Sichuan Station of Wildlife Survey and Management, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, China
| | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, China
| | - Xiao Zhou
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, China
| | - Zhisong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry Of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
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15
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Zhu H, Yang B, He K, Qing J, Zhang Z, Zhang K, Tang B, Yang Z, Dai Q, Gu X, Yang X, Huang Y, Li D, Zhang H. Habitat utilization and release-site fidelity of translocated captive-bred giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.072.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hongmin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, 637002 Nanchong, China; e-mail: , , , , , yan
| | - Biao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, 637002 Nanchong, China; e-mail: , , , , , yan
| | - Ke He
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, 637002 Nanchong, China; e-mail: , , , , , yan
| | - Jing Qing
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, 637002 Nanchong, China; e-mail: , , , , , yan
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, 637002 Nanchong, China; e-mail: , , , , , yan
| | - Kan Zhang
- Liziping National Nature Reserve, 625400 Shimian, China; e-mail: ,
| | - Bo Tang
- Liziping National Nature Reserve, 625400 Shimian, China; e-mail: ,
| | - Zhisong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, 637002 Nanchong, China; e-mail: , , , , , yan
| | - Qiang Dai
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 610041 Chengdu, China; e-mail:
| | - Xiaodong Gu
- Sichuan Station of Wildlife Survey and Management, 610082 Chengdu, China; e-mail: ,
| | - Xuyu Yang
- Sichuan Station of Wildlife Survey and Management, 610082 Chengdu, China; e-mail: ,
| | - Yan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 623006 Wolong, China; e-mail: , ,
| | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 623006 Wolong, China; e-mail: , ,
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 623006 Wolong, China; e-mail: , ,
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16
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Yan X, Zhang H, Li D, Wu D, Zhou S, Sun M, Hu H, Liu X, Mou S, He S, Owen MA, Huang Y. Acoustic recordings provide detailed information regarding the behavior of cryptic wildlife to support conservation translocations. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5172. [PMID: 30914700 PMCID: PMC6435668 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41455-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
For translocated animals, behavioral competence may be key to post-release survival. However, monitoring behavior is typically limited to tracking movements or inferring behavior at a gross scale via collar-mounted sensors. Animal-bourne acoustic monitoring may provide a unique opportunity to monitor behavior at a finer scale. The giant panda is an elusive species of Ursid that is vulnerable to extinction. Translocation is an important aspect of the species' recovery, and survival and recruitment for pandas likely hinge on behavioral competence. Here we tested the efficacy of a collar-mounted acoustic recording unit (ARU) to remotely monitor the behavior of panda mothers and their dependent young. We found that trained human listeners could reliably identify 10 behaviors from acoustic recordings. Through visual inspection of spectrograms we further identified 5 behavioral categories that may be detectable by automated pattern recognition, an approach that is essential for the practical application of ARU. These results suggest that ARU are a viable method for remotely observing behaviors, including feeding. With targeted effort directed towards instrumentation and computing advances, ARU could be used to document how behavioral competence supports or challenges post-release survival and recruitment, and allow for research findings to be adaptively integrated into future translocation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yan
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Daifu Wu
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China.
| | - Shiqiang Zhou
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Mengmeng Sun
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Haiping Hu
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Shijie Mou
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Shengshan He
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
| | - Megan A Owen
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, California, United States.
| | - Yan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China.
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17
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Qiao M, Connor T, Shi X, Huang J, Huang Y, Zhang H, Ran J. Population genetics reveals high connectivity of giant panda populations across human disturbance features in key nature reserve. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1809-1819. [PMID: 30847074 PMCID: PMC6392360 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant panda is an example of a species that has faced extensive historical habitat fragmentation, and anthropogenic disturbance and is assumed to be isolated in numerous subpopulations with limited gene flow between them. To investigate the population size, health, and connectivity of pandas in a key habitat area, we noninvasively collected a total of 539 fresh wild giant panda fecal samples for DNA extraction within Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Seven validated tetra-microsatellite markers were used to analyze each sample, and a total of 142 unique genotypes were identified. Nonspatial and spatial capture-recapture models estimated the population size of the reserve at 164 and 137 individuals (95% confidence intervals 153-175 and 115-163), respectively. Relatively high levels of genetic variation and low levels of inbreeding were estimated, indicating adequate genetic diversity. Surprisingly, no significant genetic boundaries were found within the population despite the national road G350 that bisects the reserve, which is also bordered with patches of development and agricultural land. We attribute this to high rates of migration, with four giant panda road-crossing events confirmed within a year based on repeated captures of individuals. This likely means that giant panda populations within mountain ranges are better connected than previously thought. Increased development and tourism traffic in the area and throughout the current panda distribution pose a threat of increasing population isolation, however. Maintaining and restoring adequate habitat corridors for dispersal is thus a vital step for preserving the levels of gene flow seen in our analysis and the continued conservation of the giant panda meta-population in both Wolong and throughout their current range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiju Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Resource and Eco‐Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant PandaDujiangyanChina
| | - Thomas Connor
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichigan
| | | | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Resource and Eco‐Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant PandaDujiangyanChina
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant PandaDujiangyanChina
| | - Jianghong Ran
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Resource and Eco‐Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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18
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Charlton BD, Owen MA, Keating JL, Martin-Wintle MS, Zhang H, Swaisgood RR. Sound transmission in a bamboo forest and its implications for information transfer in giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) bleats. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12754. [PMID: 30237569 PMCID: PMC6148275 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31155-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mammal vocalisations signal attributes about the caller that are important in a range of contexts, relatively few studies have investigated the transmission of specific types of information encoded in mammal calls. In this study we broadcast and re-recorded giant panda bleats in a bamboo plantation, to assess the stability of individuality and sex differences in these calls over distance, and determine how the acoustic structure of giant panda bleats degrades in this species’ typical environment. Our results indicate that vocal recognition of the caller’s identity and sex is not likely to be possible when the distance between the vocaliser and receiver exceeds 20 m and 10 m, respectively. Further analysis revealed that the F0 contour of bleats was subject to high structural degradation as it propagated through the bamboo canopy, making the measurement of mean F0 and F0 modulation characteristics highly unreliable at distances exceeding 10 m. The most stable acoustic features of bleats in the bamboo forest environment (lowest % variation) were the upper formants and overall formant spacing. The analysis of amplitude attenuation revealed that the fifth and sixth formant are more prone to decay than the other frequency components of bleats, however, the fifth formant still remained the most prominent and persistent frequency component over distance. Paired with previous studies, these results show that giant panda bleats have the potential to signal the caller’s identity at distances of up to 20 m and reliably transmit sex differences up to 10 m from the caller, and suggest that information encoded by F0 modulation in bleats could only be functionally relevant during close-range interactions in this species’ natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Charlton
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA, 92027-7000, USA.
| | - Megan A Owen
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA, 92027-7000, USA
| | - Jennifer L Keating
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA, 92027-7000, USA
| | | | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujianyan, Sichuan, China
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA, 92027-7000, USA
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19
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Yu L, Nie Y, Yan L, Hu Y, Wei F. No evidence for MHC-based mate choice in wild giant pandas. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8642-8651. [PMID: 30271533 PMCID: PMC6157678 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex genes (MHC), a gene cluster that controls the immune response to parasites, are regarded as an important determinant of mate choice. However, MHC-based mate choice studies are especially rare for endangered animals. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), a flagship species, has suffered habitat loss and fragmentation. We investigated the genetic variation of three MHC class II loci, including DRB1, DQA1, and DQA2, for 19 mating-pairs and 11 parent-pairs of wild giant pandas based on long-term field behavior observations and genetic samples. We tested four hypotheses of mate choice based on this MHC variation. We found no supporting evidence for the MHC-based heterosis, genetic diversity, genetic compatibility and "good gene" hypotheses. These results suggest that giant pandas may not use MHC-based signals to select mating partners, probably because limited mating opportunities or female-biased natal dispersal restricts selection for MHC-based mate choice, acknowledging the caveat of the small sample size often encountered in endangered animal studies. Our study provides insight into the mate choice mechanisms of wild giant pandas and highlights the need to increase the connectivity and facilitate dispersal among fragmented populations and habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yonggang Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Li Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yibo Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Fuwen Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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20
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Ma T, Hu Y, Russo IRM, Nie Y, Yang T, Xiong L, Ma S, Meng T, Han H, Zhang X, Bruford MW, Wei F. Walking in a heterogeneous landscape: Dispersal, gene flow and conservation implications for the giant panda in the Qinling Mountains. Evol Appl 2018; 11:1859-1872. [PMID: 30459834 PMCID: PMC6231463 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between life history, demography and population genetics in threatened species is critical for the conservations of viable populations. In the context of habitat loss and fragmentation, identifying the factors that underpin the structuring of genetic variation within populations can allow conservationists to evaluate habitat quality and connectivity and help to design dispersal corridors effectively. In this study, we carried out a detailed, fine‐scale landscape genetic investigation of a giant panda population from the Qinling Mountains for the first time. With a large microsatellite data set and complementary analysis methods, we examined the role of isolation‐by‐barriers (IBB), isolation‐by‐distance (IBD) and isolation‐by‐resistance (IBR) in shaping the pattern of genetic variation in this giant panda population. We found that the Qinling population comprises one continuous genetic cluster, and among the landscape hypotheses tested, gene flow was found to be correlated with resistance gradients for two topographic factors, slope aspect and topographic complexity, rather than geographical distance or barriers. Gene flow was inferred to be facilitated by easterly slope aspect and to be constrained by topographically complex landscapes. These factors are related to benign microclimatic conditions for both the pandas and the food resources they rely on and more accessible topographic conditions for movement, respectively. We identified optimal corridors based on these results, aiming to promote gene flow between human‐induced habitat fragments. These findings provide insight into the permeability and affinities of giant panda habitats and offer important reference for the conservation of the giant panda and its habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxiao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | | | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Tianyou Yang
- School of Life Sciences Guizhou Normal University Guiyang Guizhou China
| | - Lijuan Xiong
- School of Life Sciences Guizhou Normal University Guiyang Guizhou China
| | - Shuai Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Tao Meng
- Guangxi Forest Inventory & Planning Institute Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Han Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | | | - Michael W Bruford
- Cardiff School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK.,Sustainable Places Research Institute Cardiff University Cardiff UK
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
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21
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22
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Zhang Y, Mathewson PD, Zhang Q, Porter WP, Ran J. An ecophysiological perspective on likely giant panda habitat responses to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:1804-1816. [PMID: 29251797 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Threatened and endangered species are more vulnerable to climate change due to small population and specific geographical distribution. Therefore, identifying and incorporating the biological processes underlying a species' adaptation to its environment are important for determining whether they can persist in situ. Correlative models are widely used to predict species' distribution changes, but generally fail to capture the buffering capacity of organisms. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) live in topographically complex mountains and are known to avoid heat stress. Although many studies have found that climate change will lead to severe habitat loss and threaten previous conservation efforts, the mechanisms underlying panda's responses to climate change have not been explored. Here, we present a case study in Daxiangling Mountains, one of the six Mountain Systems that giant panda distributes. We used a mechanistic model, Niche Mapper, to explore what are likely panda habitat response to climate change taking physiological, behavioral and ecological responses into account, through which we map panda's climatic suitable activity area (SAA) for the first time. We combined SAA with bamboo forest distribution to yield highly suitable habitat (HSH) and seasonal suitable habitat (SSH), and their temporal dynamics under climate change were predicted. In general, SAA in the hottest month (July) would reduce 11.7%-52.2% by 2070, which is more moderate than predicted bamboo habitat loss (45.6%-86.9%). Limited by the availability of bamboo and forest, panda's suitable habitat loss increases, and only 15.5%-68.8% of current HSH would remain in 2070. Our method of mechanistic modeling can help to distinguish whether habitat loss is caused by thermal environmental deterioration or food loss under climate change. Furthermore, mechanistic models can produce robust predictions by incorporating ecophysiological feedbacks and minimizing extrapolation into novel environments. We suggest that a mechanistic approach should be incorporated into distribution predictions and conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuke Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Qiongyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jianghong Ran
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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23
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Zhang M, Zhang Z, Li Z, Hong M, Zhou X, Zhou S, Zhang J, Hull V, Huang J, Zhang H. Giant panda foraging and movement patterns in response to bamboo shoot growth. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:8636-8643. [PMID: 29322387 PMCID: PMC5854758 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0919-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Diet plays a pivotal role in dictating behavioral patterns of herbivorous animals, particularly specialist species. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is well-known as a bamboo specialist. In the present study, the response of giant pandas to spatiotemporal variation of bamboo shoots was explored using field surveys and GPS collar tracking. Results show the dynamics in panda-bamboo space-time relationships that have not been previously articulated. For instance, we found a higher bamboo stump height of foraged bamboo with increasing elevation, places where pandas foraged later in spring when bamboo shoots become more fibrous and woody. The time required for shoots to reach optimum height for foraging was significantly delayed as elevation increased, a pattern which corresponded with panda elevational migration patterns beginning from the lower elevational end of Fargesia robusta distribution and gradually shifting upward until the end of the shooting season. These results indicate that giant pandas can respond to spatiotemporal variation of bamboo resources, such as available shoots. Anthropogenic interference of low-elevation F. robusta habitat should be mitigated, and conservation attention and increased monitoring should be given to F. robusta areas at the low- and mid-elevation ranges, particularly in the spring shooting season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingchun Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China
| | - Zhizhong Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China
| | - Zhong Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China
| | - Mingsheng Hong
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, Sichuan, 637009, China
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhou
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China
| | - Shiqiang Zhou
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China
| | - Jindong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, Sichuan, 637009, China
| | - Vanessa Hull
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jinyan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, 611870, China.
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24
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Guo W, Mishra S, Zhao J, Tang J, Zeng B, Kong F, Ning R, Li M, Zhang H, Zeng Y, Tian Y, Zhong Y, Luo H, Liu Y, Yang J, Yang M, Zhang M, Li Y, Ni Q, Li C, Wang C, Li D, Zhang H, Zuo Z, Li Y. Metagenomic Study Suggests That the Gut Microbiota of the Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) May Not Be Specialized for Fiber Fermentation. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:229. [PMID: 29503636 PMCID: PMC5820910 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bamboo-eating giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an enigmatic species, which possesses a carnivore-like short and simple gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Despite the remarkable studies on giant panda, its diet adaptability status continues to be a matter of debate. To resolve this puzzle, we investigated the functional potential of the giant panda gut microbiome using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples. We also compared our data with similar data from other animal species representing herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores from current and earlier studies. We found that the giant panda hosts a bear-like gut microbiota distinct from those of herbivores indicated by the metabolic potential of the microbiome in the gut of giant pandas and other mammals. Furthermore, the relative abundance of genes involved in cellulose- and hemicellulose-digestion, and enrichment of enzymes associated with pathways of amino acid degradation and biosynthetic reactions in giant pandas echoed a carnivore-like microbiome. Most significantly, the enzyme assay of the giant panda's feces indicated the lowest cellulase and xylanase activity among major herbivores, shown by an in-vitro experimental assay of enzyme activity for cellulose and hemicellulose-degradation. All of our results consistently indicate that the giant panda is not specialized to digest cellulose and hemicellulose from its bamboo diet, making the giant panda a good mammalian model to study the unusual link between the gut microbiome and diet. The increased food intake of the giant pandas might be a strategy to compensate for the gut microbiome functions, highlighting a strong need of conservation of the native bamboo forest both in high- and low-altitude ranges to meet the great demand of bamboo diet of giant pandas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sudhanshu Mishra
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiangchao Zhao
- Division of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Jingsi Tang
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fanli Kong
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruihong Ning
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Miao Li
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hengzhi Zhang
- Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yutian Zeng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
| | - Yuanliangzi Tian
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
| | - Yihang Zhong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
| | - Hongdi Luo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
| | - Yunhan Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
| | - Jiandong Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
| | - Mingyao Yang
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingwang Zhang
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Li
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qingyong Ni
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Caiwu Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, China
| | - Chengdong Wang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, China
| | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, China
| | - Zhili Zuo
- Chengdu Zoo, Chengdu Institute of Wildlife, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Li
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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25
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Wu Q, Wang X, Ding Y, Hu Y, Nie Y, Wei W, Ma S, Yan L, Zhu L, Wei F. Seasonal variation in nutrient utilization shapes gut microbiome structure and function in wild giant pandas. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0955. [PMID: 28904137 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild giant pandas use different parts of bamboo (shoots, leaves and stems) and different bamboo species at different times of the year. Their usage of bamboo can be classified temporally into a distinct leaf stage, shoot stage and transition stage. An association between this usage pattern and variation in the giant panda gut microbiome remains unknown. Here, we found associations using a gut metagenomic approach and nutritional analyses whereby diversity of the gut microbial community in the leaf and shoot stages was significantly different. Functional metagenomic analysis showed that in the leaf stage, bacteria species over-represented genes involved in raw fibre utilization and cell cycle control. Thus, raw fibre utilization by the gut microbiome was guaranteed during the nutrient-deficient leaf stage by reinforcing gut microbiome robustness. During the protein-abundant shoot stage, the functional capacity of the gut microbiome expanded to include prokaryotic secretion and signal transduction activity, suggesting active interactions between the gut microbiome and host. These results illustrate that seasonal nutrient variation in wild giant pandas substantially influences gut microbiome composition and function. Nutritional interactions between gut microbiomes and hosts appear to be complex and further work is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Ding
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nanchang, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuai Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Lifeng Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
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26
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Hu Y, Nie Y, Wei W, Ma T, Van Horn R, Zheng X, Swaisgood RR, Zhou Z, Zhou W, Yan L, Zhang Z, Wei F. Inbreeding and inbreeding avoidance in wild giant pandas. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5793-5806. [PMID: 28792640 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Inbreeding can have negative consequences on population and individual fitness, which could be counteracted by inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. However, the inbreeding risk and inbreeding avoidance mechanisms in endangered species are less studied. The giant panda, a solitary and threatened species, lives in many small populations and suffers from habitat fragmentation, which may aggravate the risk of inbreeding. Here, we performed long-term observations of reproductive behaviour, sampling of mother-cub pairs and large-scale genetic analyses on wild giant pandas. Moderate levels of inbreeding were found in 21.1% of mating pairs, 9.1% of parent pairs and 7.7% of panda cubs, but no high-level inbreeding occurred. More significant levels of inbreeding may be avoided passively by female-biased natal dispersal rather than by breeding dispersal or active relatedness-based mate choice mechanisms. The level of inbreeding in giant pandas is greater than expected for a solitary mammal and thus warrants concern for potential inbreeding depression, particularly in small populations isolated by continuing habitat fragmentation, which will reduce female dispersal and increase the risk of inbreeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxiao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Russell Van Horn
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA, USA
| | - Zhixin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenliang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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27
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Li G, Song H, Altigani LAA, Zheng X, Bu S. Changes of foraging patch selection and utilization by a giant panda after bamboo flowering. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:16418-16428. [PMID: 28551740 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9164-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The bamboo flowering leads to the habitat fragmentation and food quality decline of a giant panda. Few empirical research has been conducted about the giant panda's response to the bamboo flowering. Here, we investigated the characteristics of bamboo stands, giant panda's activity, and selection and utilization of bamboo stands by giant panda in Taibaishan National Nature Reserve, China, over a 3-year period (September 2013-May 2016) during the Fargesia qinlingensis flowering period. Our results indicated that the proportion of whole bamboo stands flowering has gradually expanded from 26.7% in 2013 and 33.9% in 2014 to 52.3% in 2015. Although the flowering bamboo has lower crude protein and higher crude fiber than a non-flowering bamboo, the giant panda still fed on flowering bamboo from the evidence of droppings. The giant panda left its feeding sites and moved to the high elevation along river when the proportion of flowering reached 69.2% at elevation of 2350-2450 m in the third year. With the decline of the quality of bamboo stand of Fargesia qinlingensis, the giant panda abandoned its feeding sites when the threshold value of bamboo flowering reached 56.9-69.2%. Flexibility in foraging strategy and spatial behavior can help the giant panda to better adapt to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guochun Li
- College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Huadong Song
- College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Latifa A A Altigani
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Forestry, Zalingei University, Zalingei, Cental Darfur Sate, P.O.Box:6, Sudan
| | - Xueli Zheng
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Shuhai Bu
- College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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28
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Zhang J, Hull V, Ouyang Z, He L, Connor T, Yang H, Huang J, Zhou S, Zhang Z, Zhou C, Zhang H, Liu J. Modeling activity patterns of wildlife using time-series analysis. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2575-2584. [PMID: 28428848 PMCID: PMC5395454 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of wildlife activity patterns is an effective approach to understanding fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes. However, traditional statistical approaches used to conduct quantitative analysis have thus far had limited success in revealing underlying mechanisms driving activity patterns. Here, we combine wavelet analysis, a type of frequency‐based time‐series analysis, with high‐resolution activity data from accelerometers embedded in GPS collars to explore the effects of internal states (e.g., pregnancy) and external factors (e.g., seasonal dynamics of resources and weather) on activity patterns of the endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Giant pandas exhibited higher frequency cycles during the winter when resources (e.g., water and forage) were relatively poor, as well as during spring, which includes the giant panda's mating season. During the summer and autumn when resources were abundant, pandas exhibited a regular activity pattern with activity peaks every 24 hr. A pregnant individual showed distinct differences in her activity pattern from other giant pandas for several months following parturition. These results indicate that animals adjust activity cycles to adapt to seasonal variation of the resources and unique physiological periods. Wavelet coherency analysis also verified the synchronization of giant panda activity level with air temperature and solar radiation at the 24‐hr band. Our study also shows that wavelet analysis is an effective tool for analyzing high‐resolution activity pattern data and its relationship to internal and external states, an approach that has the potential to inform wildlife conservation and management across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources ConservationChina West Normal UniversityMinistry of EducationNanchong, Sichuan 637009China
- Center for Systems Integration and SustainabilityDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI 48823USA
| | - Vanessa Hull
- Center for Systems Integration and SustainabilityDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI 48823USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFL 32611USA
| | - Zhiyun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional EcologyResearch Center for Eco–environmental SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085China
| | - Liang He
- National Meteorological CenterBeijing 100081China
| | - Thomas Connor
- Center for Systems Integration and SustainabilityDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI 48823USA
| | - Hongbo Yang
- Center for Systems Integration and SustainabilityDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI 48823USA
| | - Jinyan Huang
- Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP)Wolong Nature ReserveSichuan 623006China
| | - Shiqiang Zhou
- Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP)Wolong Nature ReserveSichuan 623006China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources ConservationChina West Normal UniversityMinistry of EducationNanchong, Sichuan 637009China
| | - Caiquan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources ConservationChina West Normal UniversityMinistry of EducationNanchong, Sichuan 637009China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP)Wolong Nature ReserveSichuan 623006China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Center for Systems Integration and SustainabilityDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI 48823USA
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29
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Li Y, Swaisgood RR, Wei W, Nie Y, Hu Y, Yang X, Gu X, Zhang Z. Withered on the stem: is bamboo a seasonally limiting resource for giant pandas? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:10537-10546. [PMID: 28281076 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8746-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In response to seasonal variation in quality and quantity of available plant biomass, herbivorous foragers may alternate among different plant resources to meet nutritional requirements. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are reliant almost exclusively on bamboo which appears omnipresent in most occupied habitat, but subtle temporal variation in bamboo quality may still govern foraging strategies, with population-level effects. In this paper, we investigated the possibility that temporal variation in the quality of this resource is involved in population regulation and examined pandas' adaptive foraging strategies in response to temporal variation in bamboo quality. Giant pandas in late winter and early spring consumed a less optimal diet in Foping Nature Reserve, as the availability of the most nutritious and preferred components and age classes of Bashania fargesii declined, suggesting that bamboo may be a seasonally limiting resource. Most panda mortalities and rescues occurred during the same period of seasonal food limitation. Our findings raised the possibility that while total bamboo biomass may not be a limiting factor, carrying capacity may be influenced by subtle seasonal variation in bamboo quality. We recommend that managers and policy-makers should consider more than just the quantity of bamboo in the understory and that carrying capacity estimates should be revised downward to reflect the fact that all bamboos are not equal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, China
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Applied Animal Ecology, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuyu Yang
- Wildlife Conservation Division, Sichuan Forestry Bureau, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaodong Gu
- Wildlife Conservation Division, Sichuan Forestry Bureau, Chengdu, China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, China.
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30
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Gong M, Guan T, Hou M, Liu G, Zhou T. Hopes and challenges for giant panda conservation under climate change in the Qinling Mountains of China. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:596-605. [PMID: 28116056 PMCID: PMC5243786 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
One way that climate change will impact animal distributions is by altering habitat suitability and habitat fragmentation. Understanding the impacts of climate change on currently threatened species is of immediate importance because complex conservation planning will be required. Here, we mapped changes to the distribution, suitability, and fragmentation of giant panda habitat under climate change and quantified the direction and elevation of habitat shift and fragmentation patterns. These data were used to develop a series of new conservation strategies for the giant panda. Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China. Data from the most recent giant panda census, habitat factors, anthropogenic disturbance, climate variables, and climate predictions for the year 2050 (averaged across four general circulation models) were used to project giant panda habitat in Maxent. Differences in habitat patches were compared between now and 2050. While climate change will cause a 9.1% increase in suitable habitat and 9% reduction in subsuitable habitat by 2050, no significant net variation in the proportion of suitable and subsuitable habitat was found. However, a distinct climate change-induced habitat shift of 11 km eastward by 2050 is predicted firstly. Climate change will reduce the fragmentation of suitable habitat at high elevations and exacerbate the fragmentation of subsuitable habitat below 1,900 m above sea level. Reduced fragmentation at higher elevations and worsening fragmentation at lower elevations have the potential to cause overcrowding of giant pandas at higher altitudes, further exacerbating habitat shortage in the central Qinling Mountains. The habitat shift to the east due to climate change may provide new areas for giant pandas but poses severe challenges for future conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Gong
- Research Institute of WetlandBeijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
| | | | - Meng Hou
- Academy of Forestry Inventory and PlanningState Forestry AdministrationBeijingChina
| | - Gang Liu
- Research Institute of WetlandBeijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Academy of Forestry Inventory and PlanningState Forestry AdministrationBeijingChina
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31
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Hull V, Zhang J, Huang J, Zhou S, Viña A, Shortridge A, Li R, Liu D, Xu W, Ouyang Z, Zhang H, Liu J. Habitat Use and Selection by Giant Pandas. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162266. [PMID: 27627805 PMCID: PMC5023135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals make choices about where to spend their time in complex and dynamic landscapes, choices that reveal information about their biology that in turn can be used to guide their conservation. Using GPS collars, we conducted a novel individual-based analysis of habitat use and selection by the elusive and endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). We constructed spatial autoregressive resource utilization functions (RUF) to model the relationship between the pandas' utilization distributions and various habitat characteristics over a continuous space across seasons. Results reveal several new insights, including use of a broader range of habitat characteristics than previously understood for the species, particularly steep slopes and non-forest areas. We also used compositional analysis to analyze habitat selection (use with respect to availability of habitat types) at two selection levels. Pandas selected against low terrain position and against the highest clumped forest at the at-home range level, but no significant factors were identified at the within-home range level. Our results have implications for modeling and managing the habitat of this endangered species by illustrating how individual pandas relate to habitat and make choices that differ from assumptions made in broad scale models. Our study also highlights the value of using a spatial autoregressive RUF approach on animal species for which a complete picture of individual-level habitat use and selection across space is otherwise lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Hull
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jindong Zhang
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, China
| | - Jinyan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China
| | - Shiqiang Zhou
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China
| | - Andrés Viña
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Ashton Shortridge
- Department of Geography, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Rengui Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China
| | - Dian Liu
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China
| | - Weihua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco–environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco–environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
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32
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Tao Y, Börger L, Hastings A. Dynamic Range Size Analysis of Territorial Animals: An Optimality Approach. Am Nat 2016; 188:460-74. [PMID: 27622879 DOI: 10.1086/688257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Home range sizes of territorial animals are often observed to vary periodically in response to seasonal changes in foraging opportunities. Here we develop the first mechanistic model focused on the temporal dynamics of home range expansion and contraction in territorial animals. We demonstrate how simple movement principles can lead to a rich suite of range size dynamics, by balancing foraging activity with defensive requirements and incorporating optimal behavioral rules into mechanistic home range analysis. Our heuristic model predicts three general temporal patterns that have been observed in empirical studies across multiple taxa. First, a positive correlation between age and territory quality promotes shrinking home ranges over an individual's lifetime, with maximal range size variability shortly before the adult stage. Second, poor sensory information, low population density, and large resource heterogeneity may all independently facilitate range size instability. Finally, aggregation behavior toward forage-rich areas helps produce divergent home range responses between individuals from different age classes. This model has broad applications for addressing important unknowns in animal space use, with potential applications also in conservation and health management strategies.
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33
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Zheng X, Owen MA, Nie Y, Hu Y, Swaisgood RR, Yan L, Wei F. Individual identification of wild giant pandas from camera trap photos – a systematic and hierarchical approach. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- X. Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - M. A. Owen
- Institute for Conservation Research San Diego Zoo Global San Diego CA USA
| | - Y. Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Y. Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - R. R. Swaisgood
- Institute for Conservation Research San Diego Zoo Global San Diego CA USA
| | - L. Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - F. Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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Gilad O, Swaisgood RR, Owen MA, Zhou X. Giant pandas use odor cues to discriminate kin from nonkin. Curr Zool 2016; 62:333-336. [PMID: 29491921 PMCID: PMC5804277 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sociality is an important factor in both the mechanism and function of kin recognition, yet it is little explored in solitary species. While there may be future opportunities for nepotistic functions of kin discrimination among solitary species, the ability to discriminate kin from nonkin may still have important roles in social regulation. The solitary giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca offers a good model system to explore kin discrimination in a solitary mammal. As kin discrimination in many other mammals is olfactorily mediated, we investigated whether giant pandas are able to discriminate odor cues from daughters even after months and years of separation. Our results indicate that giant pandas are capable of discriminating between kin and nonkin using odor cues available in urine and body odor. Daughters preferentially investigated the odors of unrelated adult female pandas over the odors of their mothers, and mothers spent more time investigating the odors of unrelated age-matched female pandas over those from their daughters. Because these studies were conducted months or years after the mother–daughter period of dependency ended, it is still unclear what mechanism is used for recognition. Long-term olfactory memories and phenotype matching should both be considered, and further studies are required for such determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oranit Gilad
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA 92027, USA, and
| | - Megan A Owen
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA 92027, USA, and
| | - Xiaoping Zhou
- China Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
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35
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Connor T, Hull V, Liu J. Telemetry research on elusive wildlife: A synthesis of studies on giant pandas. Integr Zool 2016; 11:295-307. [PMID: 26940046 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Telemetry studies that track animals through space and time can lead to advances in scientific understanding that are vital in conservation efforts. For example, telemetry studies of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) have shed light on many aspects of panda biology, but small sample sizes in each separate study make it difficult to draw broad conclusions. To overcome this problem we conducted the first synthesis of all 5 panda telemetry studies conducted to date. Using these data we investigated patterns in 6 main topics: home range, space-use interactions, core areas, movement patterns, seasonal migration and natal dispersal. We found that panda home range sizes do not vary between 2 main mountain ranges (Qionglai and Qinling), as was previously believed. Our results also suggest that female pandas increase their movement in the mating season: a behavior typically attributed only to males. We found and summarized telemetry and genetic evidence for female natal dispersal in the giant panda. Our synthesis highlights the need for additional research relating panda behavior to human disturbance factors, and can aid future studies on giant pandas as well as other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Connor
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
| | - Vanessa Hull
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
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36
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Signalling behaviour is influenced by transient social context in a spontaneously ovulating mammal. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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37
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Wei F, Swaisgood R, Hu Y, Nie Y, Yan L, Zhang Z, Qi D, Zhu L. Progress in the ecology and conservation of giant pandas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2015; 29:1497-1507. [PMID: 26372302 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) conservation is a possible success story in the making. If extinction of this iconic endangered species can be avoided, the species will become a showcase program for the Chinese government and its collaborators. We reviewed the major advancements in ecological science for the giant panda, examining how these advancements have contributed to panda conservation. Pandas' morphological and behavioral adaptations to a diet of bamboo, which bear strong influence on movement ecology, have been well studied, providing knowledge to guide management actions ranging from reserve design to climate change mitigation. Foraging ecology has also provided essential information used in the creation of landscape models of panda habitat. Because habitat loss and fragmentation are major drivers of the panda population decline, efforts have been made to help identify core habitat areas, establish where habitat corridors are needed, and prioritize areas for protection and restoration. Thus, habitat models have provided guidance for the Chinese governments' creation of 67 protected areas. Behavioral research has revealed a complex and efficient communication system and documented the need for protection of habitat that serves as a communication platform for bringing the sexes together for mating. Further research shows that den sites in old-growth forests may be a limiting resource, indicating potential value in providing alternative den sites for rearing offspring. Advancements in molecular ecology have been revolutionary and have been applied to population census, determining population structure and genetic diversity, evaluating connectivity following habitat fragmentation, and understanding dispersal patterns. These advancements form a foundation for increasing the application of adaptive management approaches to move panda conservation forward more rapidly. Although the Chinese government has made great progress in setting aside protected areas, future emphasis will be improved management of pandas and their habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ronald Swaisgood
- Applied Animal Ecology, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, 92027, U.S.A
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Dunwu Qi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lifeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
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38
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Slavenko A, Itescu Y, Ihlow F, Meiri S. Home is where the shell is: predicting turtle home range sizes. J Anim Ecol 2015; 85:106-14. [PMID: 26395451 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Home range is the area traversed by an animal in its normal activities. The size of home ranges is thought to be tightly linked to body size, through size effect on metabolic requirements. Due to the structure of Eltonian food pyramids, home range sizes of carnivores are expected to exceed those of herbivorous species. The habitat may also affect home range size, with reduced costs of locomotion or lower food abundance in, for example, aquatic habitats selecting for larger home ranges. Furthermore, home range of males in polygamous species may be large due to sexual selection for increased reproductive output. Comparative studies on home range sizes have rarely been conducted on ectotherms. Because ectotherm metabolic rates are much lower than those of endotherms, energetic considerations of metabolic requirements may be less important in determining the home range sizes of the former, and other factors such as differing habitats and sexual selection may have an increased effect. We collected literature data on turtle home range sizes. We used phylogenetic generalized least squares analyses to determine whether body mass, sex, diet, habitat and social structure affect home range size. Turtle home range size increases with body mass. However, body mass explains relatively little of the variation in home range size. Aquatic turtles have larger home ranges than semiaquatic species. Omnivorous turtles have larger home ranges than herbivores and carnivores, but diet is not a strong predictor. Sex and social structure are unrelated to home range size. We conclude that energetic constraints are not the primary factor that determines home range size in turtles, and energetic costs of locomotion in different habitats probably play a major role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Slavenko
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuval Itescu
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Flora Ihlow
- Herpetology Department, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Shai Meiri
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Nie Y, Speakman JR, Wu Q, Zhang C, Hu Y, Xia M, Yan L, Hambly C, Wang L, Wei W, Zhang J, Wei F. ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY. Exceptionally low daily energy expenditure in the bamboo-eating giant panda. Science 2015; 349:171-4. [PMID: 26160943 DOI: 10.1126/science.aab2413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The carnivoran giant panda has a specialized bamboo diet, to which its alimentary tract is poorly adapted. Measurements of daily energy expenditure across five captive and three wild pandas averaged 5.2 megajoules (MJ)/day, only 37.7% of the predicted value (13.8 MJ/day). For the wild pandas, the mean was 6.2 MJ/day, or 45% of the mammalian expectation. Pandas achieve this exceptionally low expenditure in part by reduced sizes of several vital organs and low physical activity. In addition, circulating levels of thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) averaged 46.9 and 64%, respectively, of the levels expected for a eutherian mammal of comparable size. A giant panda-unique mutation in the DUOX2 gene, critical for thyroid hormone synthesis, might explain these low thyroid hormone levels. A combination of morphological, behavioral, physiological, and genetic adaptations, leading to low energy expenditure, likely enables giant pandas to survive on a bamboo diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - John R Speakman
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Qi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenglin Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Maohua Xia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Catherine Hambly
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Lu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinguo Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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40
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Hull V, Zhang J, Zhou S, Huang J, Li R, Liu D, Xu W, Huang Y, Ouyang Z, Zhang H, Liu J. Space use by endangered giant pandas. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyu031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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41
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Liu X, Wang T, Wang T, Skidmore AK, Songer M. How do two giant panda populations adapt to their habitats in the Qinling and Qionglai Mountains, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:1175-1185. [PMID: 25119280 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3412-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The spatial separation of the Qinling Mountains from the western mountains has caused morphological and genetic distinctions of giant pandas. Could this separation also cause the pandas' behavior change? In this research, we focused on the pandas' movement pattern and selected two wild panda groups in Foping and Wolong Nature Reserves (NR) to represent the populations in the Qinling and Qionglai Mountains, respectively. We hypothesized that the Qinling pandas have developed a different seasonal movement pattern compared with the pandas in the western mountains. We analyzed the radio tracking data from two NRs by using GIS. Our results showed the following significant differences: (1) The Foping pandas live most of the year in the low elevation areas and move higher during June and remain through August while the Wolong pandas live most of the year in the high elevation areas and move lower in April and stay through June; (2) Comparing their low and high elevational areas shows the distinct spatial patterns between reserves, forming two obviously separated clusters in Foping but a single-compact cluster in Wolong; (3) Foping pandas move an average of 425 m ± 147 s.d. daily, while Wolong pandas move an average of 550 m ± 343 s.d. daily; and (4) Three habitat factors (i.e., terrain, temperature, and bamboo nutrient) were taken as the driving forces and analyzed, and they showed a strong support explanation to these different movement behaviors of pandas in two NRs. Our findings have important implications for management, for instance, it needs to be careful considering the behavior difference of the pandas when reintroducing them to the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehua Liu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China,
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42
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Wei F, Hu Y, Yan L, Nie Y, Wu Q, Zhang Z. Giant pandas are not an evolutionary cul-de-sac: evidence from multidisciplinary research. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 32:4-12. [PMID: 25274274 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the world's most endangered mammals and remains threatened by environmental and anthropogenic pressure. It is commonly argued that giant pandas are an evolutionary cul-de-sac because of their specialized bamboo diet, phylogenetic changes in body size, small population, low genetic diversity, and low reproductive rate. This notion is incorrect, arose from a poor understanding or appreciation of giant panda biology, and is in need of correction. In this review, we summarize research across morphology, ecology, and genetics to dispel the idea, once and for all, that giant pandas are evolutionary dead-end. The latest and most advanced research shows that giant pandas are successful animals highly adapted to a specialized bamboo diet via morphological, ecological, and genetic adaptations and coadaptation of gut microbiota. We also debunk misconceptions around population size, population growth rate, and genetic variation. During their evolutionary history spanning 8 My, giant pandas have survived diet specialization, massive bamboo flowering and die off, and rapid climate oscillations. Now, they are suffering from enormous human interference. Fortunately, continued conservation effort is greatly reducing impacts from anthropogenic interference and allowing giant panda populations and habitat to recover. Previous ideas of a giant panda evolutionary cul-de-sac resulted from an unsystematic and unsophisticated understanding of their biology and it is time to shed this baggage and focus on the survival and maintenance of this high-profile species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Tracey JA, Sheppard J, Zhu J, Wei F, Swaisgood RR, Fisher RN. Movement-based estimation and visualization of space use in 3D for wildlife ecology and conservation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101205. [PMID: 24988114 PMCID: PMC4079284 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in digital biotelemetry technologies are enabling the collection of bigger and more accurate data on the movements of free-ranging wildlife in space and time. Although many biotelemetry devices record 3D location data with x, y, and z coordinates from tracked animals, the third z coordinate is typically not integrated into studies of animal spatial use. Disregarding the vertical component may seriously limit understanding of animal habitat use and niche separation. We present novel movement-based kernel density estimators and computer visualization tools for generating and exploring 3D home ranges based on location data. We use case studies of three wildlife species – giant panda, dugong, and California condor – to demonstrate the ecological insights and conservation management benefits provided by 3D home range estimation and visualization for terrestrial, aquatic, and avian wildlife research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff A. Tracey
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego Field Station, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - James Sheppard
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California, United States of America
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Statistics and Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ronald R. Swaisgood
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California, United States of America
| | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego Field Station, San Diego, California, United States of America
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44
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Nie Y, Zhang Z, Raubenheimer D, Elser JJ, Wei W, Wei F. Obligate herbivory in an ancestrally carnivorous lineage: the giant panda and bamboo from the perspective of nutritional geometry. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Nie
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Veterinary Science and School of Biological Science The University of Sydney Sydney New South WalesAustralia
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287‐4501 USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences 1‐5 Beichenxi RoadChaoyang Beijing 100101 China
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