Giant Panda Microhabitat Study in the Daxiangling Niba Mountain Corridor

Monitoring the world-oldest zoo-housed male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca): A case-study on pathway utilization

Habitat use monitoring is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the biological and psychological requirements of animals under human care, facilitating improved exhibit designs and promoting animal welfare. Current studies focused on the space use of the exhibit while limited studies examined the pathway use of the zoo-housed animals. This study aimed to investigate the habitat use of An An, the world-oldest male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) at Ocean Park Hong Kong using a pathway utilization monitoring method. The result showed uneven utilization of pathways favoring the upper area near his den over the lower area which required longer walking in the hilly exhibit. Moreover, the comparisons of walking directions showed a preference for gentle slopes during uphill movement and a favor for steep slopes during downhill movement. Our study also compared the walking distance between uphill and downhill movements and the results showed that An An walked longer distances heading upward than moving downward due to his choice of pathways. Our results are in line with the findings in the wild population, showing a preference for gentle slopes, especially in uphill movement. Our study demonstrated the value of the pathway monitoring technique. Due to its easy and time-effective use, this technique can be incorporated into the care teams' operation, providing valuable information on daily activity (e.g. accessing the walking ability of the aged animals by investigating the pathway use and walking distance) and habitat use. Consequently, the pathway monitoring technique can help improve exhibit designs promoting welfare.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of the Szechwan Rat Snake (Euprepiophis perlacea) and Its Response to Climate Change in the Yingjing Area of the Giant Panda National Park

Climate change is a significant driver of changes in the distribution patterns of species and poses a threat to biodiversity, potentially resulting in species extinctions. Investigating the potential distribution of rare and endangered species is crucial for understanding their responses to climate change and for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem management. The Szechwan rat snake (Euprepiophis perlacea) is an endemic and endangered species co-distributed with giant pandas, and studying its potential distribution contributes to a better understanding of the distribution pattern of endangered species. In this study, we confirmed seven presence points of this species in the Yingjing Area of the Giant Panda National Park, and selected eleven key factors to predict the potential distribution of E. perlacea under current and future scenarios using MaxEnt models. Our study consistently achieved AUC values exceeding 0.79, meeting the precision requirements of the models. The results indicated that the high potential distribution area of E. perlacea is mainly located near Yunwu mountain and the giant panda rewilding and reintroduction base, accounting for approximately 12% of the protected area. Moreover, we identified the primary environmental factors influencing the distribution of E. perlacea as the distance from streams and the slope degree, with their contribution rates exceeding 41% and 31%, respectively. In comparison to the current scenario, the potential habitat range for E. perlacea did not show an overall reduction in the context of future climate scenarios. To ensure the long-term preservation of E. perlacea, it is advisable to validate its actual distribution based on the models' results. Particular attention should be given to safeguarding its core distribution areas and raising awareness among residents within the potential distribution range about the conservation of E. perlacea.

Giant pandas are losing their edge: Population trend and distribution dynamic drivers of the giant panda

Comprehending the population trend and understanding the distribution range dynamics of species are necessary for global species protection. Recognizing what causes dynamic distribution change is crucial for identifying species' environmental preferences and formulating protection policies. Here, we studied the rear-edge population of the flagship species, giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), to (1) assess their population trend using their distribution patterns, (2) evaluate their distribution dynamics change from the second (1988) to the third (2001) survey (2-3 Interval) and third to the fourth (2013) survey (3-4 Interval) using a machine learning algorithm (eXtremely Gradient Boosting), and (3) decode model results to identify driver factors in the first known use of SHapley Additive exPlanations. Our results showed that the population trends in Liangshan Mountains were worst in the second survey (k = 1.050), improved by the third survey (k = 0.97), but deteriorated by the fourth survey (k = 0.996), which indicates a worrying population future. We found that precipitation had the most significant influence on distribution dynamics among several potential environmental factors, showing a negative correlation between precipitation and giant panda expansion. We recommend that further research is needed to understand the microenvironment and animal distribution dynamics. We provide a fresh perspective on the dynamics of giant panda distribution, highlighting novel focal points for ecological research on this species. Our study offers theoretical underpinnings that could inform the formulation of more effective conservation policies. Also, we emphasize the uniqueness and importance of the Liangshan Mountains giant pandas as the rear-edge population, which is at a high risk of population extinction.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Naturally and Experimentally Assembled Communities

Numerous studies have proved that biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) are closely linked [...].