Editing Giant panda (section)

== Distribution and habitat ==
The giant panda is endemic to [[China]]. It is found in small, fragmented populations in six mountainous regions in the country, mainly in [[Sichuan]], and also in neighbouring [[Shaanxi]] and [[Gansu]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Scheff |first=D. |title=Giant Pandas |publisher=Heinemann-Raintree Library |year=2002 |isbn=0-7398-5529-8 |edition=illustrated |series=Animals of the rain forest |pages=7–8}}</ref> Successful habitat preservation has seen a rise in panda numbers, though [[Habitat loss|loss of habitat]] due to human activities remains its biggest threat. In areas with a high concentration of medium-to-large-sized mammals{{emdash}}such as [[domestic cattle]], a species known to degrade the landscape{{emdash}}the giant panda population is generally low. This is mainly attributed to the panda's avoidance of [[interspecific competition]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Z.-X. |last2=Dayananda |first2=B. |last3=Jeffree |first3=R. A. |last4=Tian |first4=C. |last5=Zhang |first5=Y.-Y. |last6=Yu |first6=B. |last7=Zheng |first7=Y. |last8=Jing |first8=Y. |last9=Si |first9=P.-Y. |last10=Li |first10=J.-Q. |date=2020 |title=Giant panda distribution and habitat preference: The influence of sympatric large mammals |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |volume=24 |pages=e01221 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01221 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2020GEcoC..2401221L}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bai |first1=W. |last2=Connor |first2=T. |last3=Zhang |first3=J. |last4=Yang |first4=H. |last5=Dong |first5=X. |last6=Gu |first6=X. |last7=Zhou |first7=C. |date=2018 |title=Long-term distribution and habitat changes of protected wildlife: giant pandas in Wolong Nature Reserve, China |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research |volume=25 |issue=12 |pages=11400–11408 |doi=10.1007/s11356-018-1407-6 |pmid=29423692 |bibcode=2018ESPR...2511400B}}</ref> 

The species has been located at elevations of {{cvt|2400|to|3000|m}} above sea level.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Z. |last2=Wang |first2=X. |last3=Kang |first3=D. |date=2023 |title=Characteristics and Roles of Large Trees in Giant Panda Habitat of Wanglang Nature Reserve |journal=Forests |volume=14 |issue=10 |pages=1993 |doi=10.3390/f14101993 |doi-access=free}}</ref> They frequent habitats with a healthy concentration of bamboos, typically [[old-growth forest]]s, but may also venture into [[secondary forest]] habitats.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hull |first1=V. |last2=Roloff |first2=G. |last3=Zhang |first3=J. |last4=Liu |first4=W. |last5=Zhou |first5=S. |last6=Huang |first6=J. |last7=Xu |first7=W. |last8=Ouyang |first8=Z. |last9=Zhang |first9=H. |last10=Liu |first10=J. |date=2014 |title=A synthesis of giant panda habitat selection |journal=Ursus |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=148–162 |doi=10.2192/URSUS-D-13-00011.1 |jstor=24643781}}</ref> The Daxiangling Mountain population inhabits both coniferous and broadleaf forests.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Y. |last2=Wu |first2=Y. |last3=Zhang |first3=Q. |last4=Ran |first4=J. |last5=Price |first5=M. |date=2018 |title=Distribution of a giant panda population influenced by land cover |url=|journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=82 |issue=6 |pages=1199–1209 |doi=10.1002/jwmg.21477 |bibcode=2018JWMan..82.1199Z}}</ref> Additionally, the Qinling population often selects evergreen broadleaf and conifer forests, while pandas in the Qionglai mountainous region exclusively select upland conifer forests. The remaining two populations, namely those occurring in the Liangshan and Xiaoxiangling mountains, predominantly occur in broadleaf evergreen and conifer forests.<ref name="Lindburg, Donald G.; Baragona, Karen 2004" />{{Rp|137-148}}

Giant pandas once roamed across [[Southeast Asia]] from [[Myanmar]] to northern [[Vietnam]]. Their range in China spanned much of the southeast region. By the [[Pleistocene]], climate change affected panda populations, and the subsequent domination of [[modern human]]s led to large-scale habitat loss.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Songer |first1=M. |last2=Delion |first2=M. |last3=Biggs |first3=A. |last4=Huang |first4=Q. |date=2012 |title=Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Giant Panda Habitat |journal=International Journal of Ecology |volume=2012 |page=e108752 |doi=10.1155/2012/108752 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=He |first1=K. |last2=Dai |first2=Qiang |last3=Gu |first3=Xianghui |last4=Zhang |first4=Zejun |last5=Zhou |first5=Jiang |last6=Qi |first6=D. |last7=Gu |first7=X. |last8=Yang |first8=X. |last9=Zhang |first9=W. |last10=Yang |first10=B. |last11=Yang |first11=Z. |date=2019 |title=Effects of roads on giant panda distribution: a mountain range scale evaluation |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=1110 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-37447-0 |pmid=30710093 |pmc=6358623 |bibcode=2019NatSR...9.1110H}}</ref> In 2001, it was estimated that the range of the giant panda had declined by about 99% of its range in earlier millenniums.<ref name=climate-change>{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=R. |last2=Xu |first2=M. |last3=Wong |first3=M. H. G. |last4=Qiu |first4=S. |last5=Li |first5=X. |last6=Ehrenfeld |first6=Davis |last7=Li |first7=Dianmo |date=2015 |title=Climate change threatens giant panda protection in the 21st century |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=182 |pages=93–101 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.037 |bibcode=2015BCons.182...93L}}</ref>