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