Red panda fine‐scale habitat selection along a Central Himalayan longitudinal gradient

Abstract

Red panda Ailurus fulgens , an endangered habitat specialist, inhabits a narrow distribution range in bamboo abundance forests along mountain slopes in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains. However, their habitat use may be different in places with different longitudinal environmental gradients, climatic regimes, and microclimate. This study aimed to determine the habitat variables affecting red panda distribution across different longitudinal gradients through a multivariate analysis. We studied habitat selection patterns along the longitudinal gradient in Nepal's Himalaya which is grouped into the eastern, central, and western complexes. We collected data on red panda presence and habitat variables (e.g., tree richness, canopy cover, bamboo abundance, water availability, tree diameter, tree height) by surveys along transects throughout the species’ potential range. We used a multimodal inference approach with a generalized linear model to test the relative importance of environmental variables. Although the study showed that bamboo abundance had a major influence, habitat selection was different across longitudinal zones. Both canopy cover and species richness were unimportant in eastern Nepal, but their influence increased progressively toward the west. Conversely, tree height showed a decreasing influence on habitat selection from Eastern to Western Nepal. Red panda's habitat selection revealed in this study corresponds to the uneven distribution of vegetation assemblages and the dry climatic gradient along the eastern‐western Himalayas which could be related to a need to conserve energy and thermoregulate. This study has further highlighted the need of importance of bamboo conservation and site‐specific conservation planning to ensure long‐term red panda conservation.

Landscape variables affecting the Himalayan red panda Ailurus fulgens occupancy in wet season along the mountains in Nepal

“…Bamboo cover, elevation, and distance to water sources appeared in the top two models (cumulative weightage, cw ~92%) for occupancy and appeared to be important determinants of red panda distribution. Supporting our apriori , bamboo cover positively influences red panda occupancy with strong effect (95% CI did not overlap 0) and our finding is comparable to previous results [ 52 , 56 – 59 ] where the availability of bamboo cover was identified as a significant predictor. The major contribution of the red panda diet comprised of Bamboo [ 13 , 28 ] where leaves and shoots constitute 83% of the overall diet of red pandas [ 18 ].…”

“…Prioritized conservation actions can bring indirect relevance with improving the red panda occupancy in the complex as observed in this study. Thus, the inclusion of Bamboo cover in defining the site occupancy does corroborate with earlier studies [5,52,55]. Opposite to our apriori, an increase in elevation range found to be positively influencing the red panda occupancy with a significant effect.…”

“…Thus, low structural response of habitat with more open tree canopies might be contributing low productivity influencing high detection. Bista et al [ 55 ] found a high preference of red panda with a high tree with low canopy cover especially in the eastern part of the country. This could be attributed to their adaptation to conserve energy and thermoregulation by ensuring maximum exposure to the sun in temperate habitat.…”

An assessment of human impacts on endangered red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) living in the Himalaya

“…In addition to conserving large habitat patches, restoring the unsuitable area around small habitat patches and improving habitat quality is recommend for long-term conservation of the red panda. Similar to the recommendation of Bista et al (2019), we recommend preparing and implementing site-specific conservation plans to conserve this species and its habitat. Although this study only considered a single species, we showed that wildlife of the Himalayan region faces anthropogenic pressure.…”

Assessment of the Impacts of Livestock Grazing on Endangered Red Panda (<i>Ailurus fulgens</i>) Habitat in Eastern Nepal

“…Although red panda is protected by national laws in all the range countries, their numbers in the wild continue to decline due to habitat loss, fragmentation and poaching [13] [14] [15]. Traditional transhumance grazing method is the major cause of habitat loss and fragmentation in Nepal [6].…”