Habitat suitability evaluation for giant panda in Liziping National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province

Liziping National Nature Reserve in the Xiaoxiangling Mountain, Sichuan Province, is a core distribution area and critical habitat of the giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Determining a suitable habitat distribution pattern within the protected area is essential to formulate a scientific and reasonable giant pandas' conservation and management plan. Habitat suitability, influencing factors, and habitat selection of giant pandas were surveyed from May 2016 to July 2017 in Liziping National Nature Reserve. These data were assessed using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) and environmental factor evaluation analysis. Results show that the habitat suitable for the giant pandas is mainly concentrated in the east of the reserve, with a coverage of about 127.19 km(2) (26.58% of the total area). Meanwhile, the model results show that factors including road interference, average annual temperature, altitude, and slope gradient greatly influence giant pandas' distribution. In this region, habitat selection results show wild giant pandas prefer areas far from anthropogenic interference with an average annual temperature of 10-11 degrees C, gentle slope, and high altitude. The findings provide a reference for scientists to formulate practical habitat conservation and management measures for giant pandas in the reserve.