Feeding habitat characteristics of giant pandas at different scales: A case study in the Wanglang Nature Reserve

Abstract

To describe the characteristics of feeding sites of giant pandas, we carried out a field survey in the Wanglang Nature Reserve of China. We studied the feeding habitat characteristics of giant pandas at three scales: plot, clump and stem. We found that plots used by giant pandas as feeding sites were characterized by a greater number of bamboo clumps and taller bamboo. The eaten clumps were characterized by a greater abundance of bamboo, more young bamboo stems, and taller average height. The number of bamboo stems eaten had a significantly positive correlation with the total number of bamboo stems in the eaten bamboo clumps. Based on the feeding habitat characteristics at different scales, we considered that giant panda is selective in the use of feeding habitat. They are inclined to use habitat with higher quality bamboo, and feed on more stems in clumps with a greater total number of stems. This study could provide basic data and a reference for understanding the habitat requirements of this species. Keywords: Wanglang nature reserve, Feeding habitat, Eaten plot, Bamboo clump, Bamboo stem, Feeding strategy