Minimum habitat of wild giant pandas： 114.7 square kilometers.

　　What is the minimum size of the wild giant panda population to survive for a long time? The paper "Practical Research: Minimum Area Requirements for Giant Pandas" published in Science Report, an online journal of Nature magazine, on the 8th thinks that 114.7 square kilometers is the minimum area.

　　Dai Qiang, an associate researcher at Chengdu Institute of Biology, China Academy of Sciences, Yang Zhisong, an associate professor at School of Life Sciences, and Zhang Zejun, a researcher, used the distribution sites of giant pandas (including feces and foraging trails) to calculate that the minimum habitat area needed for the long-term survival of wild giant panda populations in five mountain ranges in Sichuan Province is 114.7 square kilometers. "This means that it is difficult for giant panda populations living in less than this area to survive for a long time." Yang Zhisong said.

　　All the data in this paper come from the fourth national panda survey. By the end of 2013, the number of wild giant pandas in China was 1,864, and the number of captive giant pandas was 375. Wild giant pandas have a habitat area of 2.58 million hectares and a potential habitat of 910,000 hectares, which are distributed in 17 cities (states), 49 counties (cities, districts) and 196 townships in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. The number of protected areas with giant panda distribution and habitat distribution has increased to 67.

　　The wild giant panda population was originally distributed in southern China, most of eastern China in China, and northern areas of Myanmar and Viet Nam. Due to natural disasters and the increase of human activities, the existing wild giant panda population is only distributed in six separated mountain systems on the east side of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

　　In this paper, the minimum areas of wild giant panda populations in five mountain regions in Sichuan Province are calculated by using the data sets about the occurrence of giant pandas (including feces, footprints and foraging traces). Giant pandas in these five areas account for more than 74% of the total number of giant pandas in the wild.

　　"In addition to collecting the parameters of giant panda feces, we must also consider factors such as slope, temperature and vegetation. Because wild giant pandas are not only picky about food sources, but also particularly dependent on forests. For example, the bamboo it eats should grow under the forest, otherwise it won’t eat it. But not all forest pandas are willing to go. These factors must be input into the computer in the form of parameters. " Dai Qiang, one of the authors of the paper, from Chengdu Institute of Biology, China Academy of Sciences, said that he used machine learning algorithm to generate a model, from which he could find out which places are suitable for giant pandas to live, compare the relationship between habitat size and giant panda population, and then analyze the smallest area of giant panda habitat. The minimum area is calculated, but it cannot be said to be "completely accurate".

　　From the last 10 years, the habitat area of wild giant pandas has increased, but from the perspective of the reproduction and long-term survival of giant pandas, the habitat fragmentation is still quite serious. According to the research, the habitat fragmentation is serious in the large and small Xiangling mountain systems in China. "Habitat fragmentation will isolate the giant panda population." Researchers say that isolated small populations will inevitably lead to inbreeding and eventually lead to genetic decline. "If the habitat is too small, the quality of life of giant pandas will decline, which is not conducive to population protection. Therefore, it is necessary to restore the Giant Panda Corridor. "