[Habitat assessment of giant panda in Qingmuchuan Nature Reserve, Shaanxi Province of Northwest China].

Based on field survey and data collection, this paper studied the characteristics of habitat selection of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Qingmuchuan National Nature Reserve, and assessed the core and buffer zones of habitats from the aspects of topography, vegetation, food, and human disturbance, with the assistance of hierarchy analysis and Geographic Information System software (ArcMap and ArcView). In the study area, the suitable and secondary suitable habitats for Ailuropoda melanoleuca covered 62.1% and 31.0%, respectively, and the unsuitable habitats covered 6.9%. The suitable habitats were mainly distributed in the west and north parts with high altitudes, while the unsuitable habitats were mainly affected by vegetation coverage, bamboo distribution, and human disturbance. To reduce the unsuitable habitats, management mechanism should be further improved, e. g., controlling human disturbances, especially the grazing, bamboo-cutting, and firewood collection in the regions with altitude 900-1600 m.