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Abstract
As both a flagship and umbrella species, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most heavily invested species in conservation. Here, we report the wide distribution range retreat of the leopard (Panthera pardus, 81% loss), snow leopard (P. uncia, 38%), wolf (Canis lupus, 77%) and dhole (Cuon alpinus, 95%) from protected areas in the giant panda distribution range since the 1960s. The present findings indicate the insufficiency of giant panda conservation for protecting these large carnivore species and suggest that future conservation efforts should target restoring ecosystems with high trophic complexity to facilitate the recovery of large carnivore populations.
Comparing historical records with contemporary camera trap surveys, the authors report widespread declines in the occurrence of four large carnivore species from protected areas within the distributional range of the giant panda.
Details
; Shen Xiaoli 6
1 Peking University, School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.11135.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 2256 9319)
2 Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, USA (GRID:grid.419531.b)
3 The Forestry and Grassland Administration of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China (GRID:grid.450296.c) (ISNI:0000 0000 9558 2971)
4 The Forestry Administration of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an, China (GRID:grid.450296.c)
5 Beijing Normal University, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education; Institute of Ecology, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.20513.35) (ISNI:0000 0004 1789 9964)
6 Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.9227.e) (ISNI:0000000119573309)