Giant panda distribution and habitat preference: the influence of sympatric large mammals

Abstract: Understanding the relationships between giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and their sympatric species is an important component in their conservation. In this study we evaluate the impact of sympatric species with three ranges of body size on the distribution and habitat selection of giant panda. We surveyed giant panda and their sympatric species occurrences by camera trapping and field survey in the Wanglang Nature Reserve, Sichuan, from May 2018 to June 2019. Ten wild species and one domestic species with high photographic presences were selected and clustered by body size indicators. Generalized linear models and redundancy analysis showed that the distribution of giant panda was significantly influenced by the presence of large- and medium-sized species and domestic cattle, but less so by small-sized species. Giant panda tend to avoid cattle by choosing more inferior habitats. Differences in the impact of the ten sympatric species and cattle on the giant panda habitat selection are reflected in three variables: slope, tree density and herb coverage. Our study suggests that; i) more attention should be paid to habitat protection and restoration, particularly for those habitats identified as most suitable for giant pandas; ii) as body size of other species present is a factor which adversely influences giant panda distribution, reductions in large-sized grazing species will be necessary to support giant pandas in nature reserves, and iii) residents should consider replacing cattle with smaller-sized domestic species.