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Recent Advances in Giant Panda and Umbrella Species Conservation: Management...
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Recent Advances in Giant Panda and Umbrella Species Conservation: Management and Strategies

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Wildlife".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 3774

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wei Wei

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, China
Interests: endangered animals; conservation; mammals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on conservation efforts and research initiatives dedicated to protecting the iconic giant panda and other umbrella species. It explores various facets of conservation, including habitat preservation, breeding programs, behavioral studies, and community engagement. By combining scientific research with practical conservation strategies, this Special Issue emphasizes the importance of preserving these species and their natural habitats. Through this collection of articles, we aim to highlight ongoing advancements in the management and conservation of giant pandas as umbrella species, contributing to global efforts in biodiversity conservation and sustainable wildlife management. We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Wei Wei
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • endangered animals
  • conservation
  • mammals
  • giant panda
  • umbrella species
  • habitat preservation
  • biodiversity conservation
  • sustainable wildlife management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5144 KiB  
Article
Grazing-Induced Habitat Degradation: Challenges to Giant Panda Survival Resulting from Declining Bamboo and Soil Quality
by Huawei Tian, Ying Zeng, Zejun Zhang, Ming Lu and Wei Wei
Animals 2025, 15(2), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020202 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1031
Abstract
Grazing is the primary human-induced disturbance affecting giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitats and has a severe impact on the long-term sustainability of the giant panda population. To address the lack of quantitative studies on grazing’s impact on habitat quality, we selected [...] Read more.
Grazing is the primary human-induced disturbance affecting giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitats and has a severe impact on the long-term sustainability of the giant panda population. To address the lack of quantitative studies on grazing’s impact on habitat quality, we selected China’s most heavily grazed giant panda nature reserve. Utilizing the Maxent model and stoichiometric analysis, we investigated habitat quality degradation caused by grazing and quantified changes in bamboo nutritional quality and soil physicochemical properties. The results indicate that grazing has significantly reduced the suitable habitat area for giant pandas from 101.87 km2 to 80.64 km2. Specifically, high-suitability habitats declined by 14.14%, moderate-suitability habitats declined by 22.70%, and low-suitability habitats declined by 22.88%. Grazing has forced pandas to move to higher altitudes (2650–3057 m) with taller (12–20 m) trees, denser (28–55 plants) shrubs, and sparser (30–69%) bamboo. Additionally, the soil water content has decreased, while soil bulk density, total N, available N, and pH have significantly increased. Reductions in crude protein and ether extract, along with increased crude fiber and ash, have lowered bamboo’s nutritional value and palatability. This study elucidates how grazing degrades giant panda habitat quality and provides a scientific basis for its conservation management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Giant Panda and Umbrella Species Conservation: Management and Strategies)
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11 pages, 944 KiB  
Article
Relationship Between Population Size and Habitat Area of Giant Pandas in China
by Dongwei Kang
Animals 2025, 15(2), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020117 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1034
Abstract
This study analyzed survey result data of giant panda populations and habitats in the third and fourth giant panda surveys to reveal the population size–habitat area relationship and assess the habitat status at the county and nature reserve levels. Results showed that a [...] Read more.
This study analyzed survey result data of giant panda populations and habitats in the third and fourth giant panda surveys to reveal the population size–habitat area relationship and assess the habitat status at the county and nature reserve levels. Results showed that a significant linear relationship existed between the logarithm of population size (lnS) and the logarithm of habitat area (lnA), with an equation of lnS = 1.145 × lnA − 4.022. Based on this relationship, this study determined that 557.43 km2 was the minimum habitat area for maintaining a sustainable survival population of 25 pandas (the minimum population size to ensure sustainable survival with a relatively low extinction probability). This study selected 20 counties and 16 nature reserves containing ≥25 pandas and found that 30.0% of counties and 87.5% of reserves had habitat areas less than 557.43 km2. More habitat restoration efforts are needed to increase the habitat. The habitat area remained stable in the selected counties but decreased in the selected reserves between the third and fourth surveys. The causes of habitat decline in counties and reserves should be identified so that targeted conservation measures can be implemented. This study provides a theoretical basis and scientific reference for giant panda conservation and habitat management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Giant Panda and Umbrella Species Conservation: Management and Strategies)
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13 pages, 2034 KiB  
Article
Comparison Study on the Trophic Niche of Red Pandas Using Stable Isotope Analysis
by Yuyu Zhang, Wanxin Lei, Wei Luo, Qinlong Dai, Han Han and Yonggang Nie
Animals 2024, 14(23), 3512; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14233512 - 5 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1029
Abstract
The red panda (Ailurus), a rare and endangered mammal native to the Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains, has a specialized bamboo diet. Combining morphological and genomic evidence, red pandas have been classified as Ailurus fulgens and Ailurus styani. However, previous studies focused on ecological aspects [...] Read more.
The red panda (Ailurus), a rare and endangered mammal native to the Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains, has a specialized bamboo diet. Combining morphological and genomic evidence, red pandas have been classified as Ailurus fulgens and Ailurus styani. However, previous studies focused on ecological aspects such as foraging behaviors, habitat use and threats within specific distributions; hence, there is still a gap in quantitative comparative studies on the trophic niches of these two species. In this study, we calculated and compared the isotopic trophic niche widths of A. styani and A. fulgens by measuring carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in hair keratin of 102 red pandas, then conducting a fecal analysis to explore the diet of a population. The results showed that (1) there was no significant difference in δ13C values between A. styani (−24.73 ± 1.26‰, N = 86) and A. fulgens (−24.43 ± 1.20‰, N = 16); however, A. styani had 1.4‰ higher average δ1⁵N value than that of A. fulgens, and the isotopic niche widths converted by Bayesian ellipse model were A. styani SEAC = 4.40‰2, A. fulgens SEAC = 4.70‰2, which might be caused by their lower and narrower altitude distribution. (2) Niche widths of three genetic populations in A. styani were XXL-LS (5.16‰2), EH-GLG (3.40‰2), QL (2.31‰2), and the comparison of the fecal composition suggested their diet diversity, which might imply a degree of competitive pressure with sympatric animals. (3) Sichuan red pandas occupied a lower trophic position compared to other herbivores but higher than giant pandas in the same ecosystem, and the niche width of red pandas was two times larger than that of sympatric giant pandas, which was related to the foraging strategies and microhabitat selection of the giant and red panda. This research provides basic stable isotopic data for red pandas, offers scientific support for the differentiated and refined conservation and management of the red panda and its habitat, and develops the application of stable isotope analysis in the ecological studies of endangered species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Giant Panda and Umbrella Species Conservation: Management and Strategies)
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