Sympatric Distribution of Giant Pandas and Red Pandas in Sichuan Province: Habitat Overlap Patterns and Implications...

In the context of limited biodiversity conservation resources, the umbrella species strategy is considered an efficient conservation approach. This study focuses on the sympatric distribution areas of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the red panda (Ailurus fulgens), examining whether giant panda-centered conservation frameworks may confer spatially coincident habitat protection for the red panda. Using the MaxEnt models, this study quantified the spatial overlap of suitable habitats and analyzed differences in habitat selection driven by environmental factors. All analyses were conducted within Sichuan Province, a key region of sympatry between the two species, and conclusions are restricted to this regional context. Results showed that the suitable habitat overlap between the two species was 9057 km², accounting for 60.2% of the total red panda suitable habitat and 81.1% of the total giant panda suitable habitat, indicating a substantial degree of spatial overlap between the suitable habitats of the two species. Elevation was the primary factor driving habitat differentiation, with red pandas favoring elevations of 2000-3500 m and giant pandas preferring 1800-3200 m. Mixed forests formed the core habitat (53.45% of the overlap area). However, red pandas were more sensitive to farmland disturbance (21.5% contribution) and proximity to roads (5.8% contribution) than giant pandas, which also exhibited a significant response to agricultural encroachment (farmland contribution: 15.4%), and their high-altitude habitats (> 3200 m) were weakly represented within the giant panda suitable habitat, revealing conservation gaps. These results suggest that giant panda-focused reserves spatially coincide with a considerable proportion of red panda suitable habitat within Sichuan Province, but attention should be paid to high-altitude areas and disturbance-sensitive zones, with priority given to managing mixed forests and shrublands to potentially improve the effectiveness of panda-centered conservation strategies.