Large-scale
Genetic Surveys of a main extant population of wild giant panda
(Ailuropoda melanoleuca), reveals a urgent need of human
management
Wanyu Li1,2, Chuang Zhou1,2, Meiling
Cheng2,3, Hongmei Tu1, Guannan
Wang1, Yeming Mao4, Yaohua
Huang5, Minghua Chen6,
Megan
Price1.2, Yang Meng1.2, Bisong
Yue2, Xiuyue Zhang1,2*
1Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment
(Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University,
Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
2Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on
Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University,
Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
3State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key
Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Rare Animals of the Giant Panda
State Park, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda,
Dujiangyan 611830, Sichuan, China
4Sichuan Heizhugou National Nature Reserve
Administration, Ebian 614300, Sichuan,China
5Sichuan Mabian National Nature Reserve
Administration, Leshan 614600, Sichuan, China
6Sichuan Meigu National Nature Reserve Administration,
Meigu 616450, Sichuan, China
*Corresponding author: Xiuyue Zhang
(zhangxiuyue@scu.edu.cn)
Abstract
There are only six isolated living giant panda populations, and a
comprehensive understanding their genetic health status is crucial for
the conservation of this vulnerable species. Liangshan Mountains is one
of the main distribution areas of living giant pandas and is outside the
newly established Giant panda national Park. In this study, 971 giant
panda fecal samples were collected in the heartland of Liangshan
Mountains (Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve: MB; Meigu Dafengding Nature
Reserve: MG; and Heizhugou Nature Reserve: HZG). Microsatellite makers
and mitochondrial D-loop sequences were used to estimate population size
and genetic diversity. We identified 92 individuals (MB: 27, MG: 22,
HZG: 43) from the three reserves. Our results showed that: 1) Genetic
diversity of three giant panda populations was medium-low; 2) Quite a
few loci deviated significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and
almost all these deviated loci showed significant heterozygote
deficiencies and inbreeding; 3) Three giant panda populations have
substantial genetic differentiation with the most
differentiation between MB and the two other populations; 4) a large
amount of giant panda feces outside the three reserves were found,
implying the existence of protection gap.
These results indicated that
the giant panda population in
Liangshan Mountains is at an risk of genetic decline or extinction given
stochastic events and urgent need of human management.
This study revealed that high
attention should be paid to the protection of these giant panda
populations outside the Giant panda national Park, to ensure them
survival in their distribution areas.
Keywords: Liangshan Mountains, Ailuropoda melanoleuca ,
population size, genetic diversity,
genetic
differentiation, conservation