The Research Results of the Giant Panda Research Team in China West Normal University on the Minimum Habitat Area Required for the Survival of Wild Giant Panda Populations have Attracted Widespread Attention

A giant panda is taking a walk [Photo by Xu Jun]

On December 8, 2016, at 14:00 London time, the Scientific report magazine under Nature Publishing Group published online the research results of the Giant Panda Research Team at China West Normal University on the minimum habitat area required for the survival of wild giant panda populations. This is another important achievement published by the research team of the School of Life Sciences at China West Normal University in international mainstream academic journals, following the publication of Dr. Zhou Zhaomin's "Rescued wildlife in China remains at risk" in the Letters column of Science in September this year.

This study used data from actual investigations of giant panda entities, feces, and foraging traces to calculate the minimum required habitat area (MAR) for wild giant panda populations in five mountain ranges in Sichuan Province, China. The results indicate that the minimum habitat area required to maintain the survival of the wild giant panda population is 114.7 square kilometers. Although the overall habitat area of wild giant pandas is increasing, the fragmentation of giant panda habitats is still quite severe in some areas, especially in the Xiaoxiangling Mountains. If the habitat area is lower than MAR, even increasing the number of small populations through reintroduction is not enough to ensure the long-term survival of the local giant panda population. Research has shown that establishing corridors between habitat patches can help reduce the impact of fragmentation, but in areas with the most severe fragmentation, it is still necessary to expand the habitat area to ensure long-term population survival.