Habitat of giant panda

Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China, where they subsist
almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what
part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable
thumbs.

Eating habit of GP

A panda's daily diet consists almost entirely of the leaves, stems and shoots of various bamboo
species. Bamboo contains very little nutritional value so pandas must eat 12-38kg every day to meet
their energy needs. But they do branch out, with about 1% of their diet comprising other plants and
even meat.

Population and distribution of GP

The distribution of species and their causes are key questions for population ecology and
conservation. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in the Daxiangling Mountains, China are part of an
isolated population on the edge of the species’ range and little is known regarding their distribution.
Based on land cover, topography, human disturbance, and panda occurrence data in 2 national giant
panda surveys, we used a species distribution model (i.e., MaxEnt) to simulate habitat distribution
changes of the local panda population between 2001 and 2012. During this time the area of coniferous
forest and broadleaf forest increased by 16.4% and 5.8%, respectively, whereas the shrub-grass and
agricultural land decreased by 45.1% and 4.0%, respectively. Panda habitat increased from 460.3 km2 in
2001 to 591.3 km2 in 2012. Panda distribution in the Daxiangling Mountains was primarily influenced by
land cover, topography, and human activities. Our study demonstrates that habitat recovery in the
Daxiangling Mountains created a favorable environment for the local panda population; thus, the
boundary of panda reserves should be adjustable based on their use of the landscape. Future research
should focus on dispersal and distribution of pandas to better understand their land use for effective
conservation. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Body of GP

Citing LiteratureGiant pandas have a distinctive black and white coat, with black fur around
their eyes and on their ears, muzzle, legs and shoulders. Their thick, wooly coat helps to keep them
warm in their cool mountain homes. Adult pandas are about 150cm from nose to rump, with a 10-15cm
tail.

Changes in population of GP

Reasons for being endangered

One the main reasons that panda populations have declined is habitat destruction. As the
human population in China continues to grow, pandas' habitat gets taken over by development, pushing
them into smaller and less livable areas. Habitat destruction also leads to food shortages.
Donate
When you donate to WWF, you will be donating to panda conservation
projects on the ground in China. Your donation will contribute towards
a variety of initiatives, including:
 Nature reserve protection to ensure that the reserve borders
are patrolled and no illegal hunting or logging takes place inside
them
 Community development projects such as providing wood
saving stoves to limit the impact of wood-fuel harvesting on the
panda's forests.
 Research and monitoring work, such as setting up infrared
cameras to record panda movements in the Minshan and Qinling
Mountains.
Donate now to help conserve pandas and their habitat >>