Giant Panda Population Research Articles

Development of Giant Panda Nature Reserves in China: Achievements and Problems

This paper provides a review of the history and development of Giant Panda Nature Reserves in China over the past 56 years. Four challenging issues facing the Giant Panda Nature Reserves are discussed. (i) Although the total population of wild giant pandas is increasing, the local populations are declining in small isolated reserves. This is concerning because the current population structure of wild giant panda shows a trend of continuing fragmentation and isolation. These phenomena are driven by the combined effects of natural geography and human disturbance. (ii) The full range of giant panda habitat is not currently under the protection of the network of nature reserves. Although Giant Panda Nature Reserves cover a total area of 35,326 km2, only 25,765 km2 of panda habitat overlaps with the reserves, with large areas of panda habitat (with documented evidence of giant panda activity) not included in the reserves. Conservation regulations have limited effects on human activities in these areas, resulting in further habitat fragmentation and reduced connectivity among giant panda populations. (iii) The pressure of the management system of Giant Panda Nature Reserves. Because of the lack of regulation outside reserves, stress is being transferred to these areas from the reserves, resulting in their being exposed to continuously increasing human pressure and aggravating conflicts between giant panda conservation and economic development. (iv) There are ongoing conflicts between giant panda conservation and the livelihoods of people who live within or around the reserves. On one hand, resource utilization conflict exacerbates the change of land cover. The grain growing industry and deforestation place great pressure on efforts to conserve the giant panda. On the other hand, a shortage of funds for conservation and lack of balanced policies have exacerbated existing conflicts between the conservation of giant pandas and the livelihoods of people. The main conclusions related to the development of Giant Panda Natural Reserves are: (1) The management system and regulatory regime of Giant Panda Nature Reserves in China have continuously evolved and improved, (2) The level of socioeconomic development in the communities within and surrounding the Giant Panda Nature Reserves have progressively increased, and (3) A Giant Panda National Park is currently under development.

Functional zoning of China's protected area needs to be optimized for protecting giant panda

Management zone designations are important to improving the core function of biodiversity conservation in any protected area. However, land managers of most protected areas can barely identify whether the zones they manage are ideally designated due to lack of clear information related to the protected objects as well as other related in-situ conservation information on a regional scale. Here we focused on 26 protected areas at national and local levels that have mainly been designated to protect the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Sichuan Province, China. The management zones of these protected areas included core, buffer, and experiment zones. We used five indicators to test the spatial differentiation among management zones, including the area of each management zone (Area), the proportion of a zone that overlapped with other protected areas (Overlap proportion), the number of giant pandas present (Panda number), the density of giant pandas (Panda density), and the proportion of the concentrated distribution areas for giant panda (CDA proportion). The results showed that Area and Panda number of the core zone were significantly higher than the buffer zone (P = 0.000) and the experiment zone (0.000 ≤ P ≤ 0.001); Panda density in the core zone (P = 0.006) and buffer zone (P = 0.009) were significantly higher than in the experiment zone. Meanwhile, the buffer zone had the highest Panda density (7.71 individuals/100 km2) and the experiment zone had the highest CDA proportion (42.19%). Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed in the five indicators between the national and local protected areas (0.058 ≤ P ≤ 1). The concentrated distribution area for giant panda accounted for 36.66% of these 26 protected areas, covering nearly 80% of the population of wild giant pandas, while the previous core zones (accounting for 62.84% of the 26 protected areas) only covered 66.12% of the population of wild giant pandas. Thus, we suggested that the concentrated distribution area of giant panda should be designated as the main area of the functional zone and be designated mainly for conserving biodiversity that is represented by giant panda in the Sichuan area of Giant Panda National Park; in addition, the local protected areas should be given more attention during the reform of China's protected area system.

Geographic pattern of antibiotic resistance genes in the metagenomes of the giant panda.

The rise in infections by antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a serious public health problem worldwide. The gut microbiome of animals is a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the correlation between the gut microbiome of wild animals and ARGs remains controversial. Here, based on the metagenomes of giant pandas (including three wild populations from the Qinling, Qionglai and Xiaoxiangling Mountains, and two major captive populations from Yaan and Chengdu), we investigated the potential correlation between the constitution of the gut microbiome and the composition of ARGs across the different geographic locations and living environments. We found that the types of ARGs were correlated with gut microbiome composition. The NMDS cluster analysis using Jaccard distance of the ARGs composition of the gut microbiome of wild giant pandas displayed a difference based on geographic location. Captivity also had an effect on the differences in ARGs composition. Furthermore, we found that the Qinling population exhibited profound dissimilarities of both gut microbiome composition and ARGs (the highest proportion of Clostridium and vancomycin resistance genes) when compared to the other wild and captive populations studies, which was supported by previous giant panda whole-genome sequencing analysis. In this study, we provide an example of a potential consensus pattern regarding host population genetics, symbiotic gut microbiome and ARGs. We revealed that habitat isolation impacts the ARG structure in the gut microbiome of mammals. Therefore, the difference in ARG composition between giant panda populations will provide some basic information for their conservation and management, especially for captive populations.

What drove giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca expansion in the Qinling Mountains? An analysis comparing the influence of climate, bamboo, and various landscape variables in the past decade

The role of climate and aclimatic factors on species distribution has been debated widely among ecologists and conservationists. It is often difficult to attribute empirically observed changes in species distribution to climatic or aclimatic factors. Giant pandas (A. melanoleuca) provide a rare opportunity to study the impact of climatic and aclimatic factors, particularly the food sources on predicting the distribution changes in the recent decade, as well-documented information on both giant panda and bamboos exist. Here, we ask how the climate metrics compare to the bamboo suitability metric in predicting the giant panda occurrences outside the central areas in the Qinling Mountains during the past decade. We also seek to understand the relative importance of different landscape-level variables in predicting giant panda emigration outside areas of high giant panda densities. We utilize data from the 3rd and 4th National Giant Panda Surveys (NGPSs) for our analysis. We evaluate the performance of the species distribution models trained by climate, bamboo suitability, and the combination of the two. We then at 4 spatial scales identify the optimal models for predicting giant panda emigration between the 3rd and the 4th NGPSs using a list of landscape-level environmental variables. Our results show that the models utilizing the bamboo suitability alone consistently outperform the bioclimatic and the combined models; the distance to high giant panda density core area and bamboo suitability show high importance in predicting expansion probability across all four scales. Our results also suggest that the extrapolated bamboo distribution using bamboo occurrence data can provide a practical and more reliable alternative to predict potential expansion and emigration of giant panda along the range edge. It suggests that restoring bamboo forests within the vicinity of high giant panda density areas is likely a more reliable strategy for supporting shifting giant panda populations.

Relationship between giant panda populations and selected ecosystem services

The Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Targets address both biodiversity and ecosystem services. We explore the relationship between giant panda populations and three ecosystem services: carbon sequestration, water retention, and soil retention. Do pandas prefer areas with higher than average values of these services? Areas may be good for pandas but not for these ecosystem services, and vice versa. Answering these questions can focus panda conservation.We map their spatial distribution and temporal changes from 2000 to 2015, by watershed, to target future protected areas for both pandas and these ecosystem services. Pandas occupy watersheds with above-average carbon sequestration and water retention.There is no tendency for pandas to be increasing in watersheds that have higher than average values of these ecosystem services or in watersheds where they are improving. Protected areas represented watersheds with higher than average values of these ecosystem services but without pandas only poorly. Watersheds with pandas do provide higher than average ecosystem services, but watersheds above average for these ecosystem services often lack pandas. Those areas might be potentially important for pandas, but obstacles block their way. We identified conservation areas combining habitats, population, activity range, and higher than average values of these ecosystem services and then proposed new protected areas.

Giant Panda National Park, a step towards streamlining protected areas and cohesive conservation management in China

The Chinese government recently finalized a plan to establish a Giant Panda National Park in 2020, one of the first national parks in the country. The plan will extend protection status to a significant amount of areas that were previously unprotected; it will also bring many of the existing giant panda protected areas under one authority in order to improve effectiveness and reduce inconsistencies in management. We provide an overview of the history and status of giant panda conservation and the rationale for creating the park. We also give first-hand information on details of the park design, including its general objectives, geographic range, zone divisions, management and funding structure, as well as analysis of the challenges and opportunities ahead. As a new conservation model for China, the Giant Panda National Park has the ambitious goal of standardizing conservation across a large region. It is a major step toward significantly expanding the amount of area protected and establishing a cohesive conservation network for a sustainable giant panda population in the wild.

Genetic Diversity and Prediction Analysis of Small Isolated Giant Panda Populations After Release of Individuals.

Release of individuals is an effective conservation approach to protect endangered species. To save this small isolated giant panda population in Liziping Nature Reserve, a few giant pandas have been released to this population. Here we assess genetic diversity and future changes in the population using noninvasive genetic sampling after releasing giant pandas. In this study, a total of 28 giant pandas (including 4 released individuals) were identified in the Liziping, China. Compared with other giant panda populations, this population has medium-level genetic diversity; however, a Bayesian-coalescent method clearly detected, quantified, and dated a recent decrease in population size. The predictions for genetic diversity and survival of the population in the next 100 years indicate that this population has a high risk of extinction. We show that released giant pandas can preserve genetic diversity and improve the probability of survival in this small isolated giant panda population. To promote the recovery of this population, we suggest that panda release should be continued and this population will need to release 10 males and 20 females in the future.

Disturbance control can effectively restore the habitat of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Expanding human disturbances on a global scale are encroaching upon wildlife habitat. Management of human–wildlife conflict is an important issue in biodiversity conservation. Conservation decisions are supported by information on how many habitats could be recovered by controlling human disturbances, yet it has rarely been quantitatively studied. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are still confronted with threats of human disturbance even though populations have been restored in recent decades. In this study, the impact of four types of human disturbance, including livestock, infrastructure, farming and other disturbances were assessed based on a dataset that covers 75% of total giant panda population. Five scenarios where disturbances are controlled were used to evaluate the habitat area that can be restored by controlling disturbance. Results revealed that 2102 km2 of suitable habitat can be restored if all these disturbances were completely controlled. Controlling livestock alone can restore up to 830 km2 of habitat, much more than controlling farming or infrastructure. Controlling infrastructure restored more habitat than the other disturbances in the Daxiangling and Qionglai Mountains. Moreover, in the Minshan Mountains, controlling agriculture resulted in the most habitat restoration. It appears, the reserves system does work in controlling the three types of human disturbance, however, more control is needed over human disturbances in order to restore wildlife habitat outside of the reserves. These results not only calculate how much giant panda habitat can be restored by controlling disturbance, but also provide insights for other species habitat management.

Estimating the social and ecological impact of community-based ecotourism in giant panda habitats

Community-based ecotourism (CBET) is considered an efficient mechanism for alleviating conflicts between conservation and development. It is particularly important in the conservation of the giant panda population, which faces the primary threat of habitat fragmentation. Although studies have assessed livelihood changes of households participating in CBET, research on ecological effects is lacking. To address the gaps in the literature, we conducted propensity score matching on data from households at different altitudes in giant panda habitats in Sichuan Province, China. The results show that CBET has achieved desirable social outcomes, significantly increasing local households' income and well-being, especially for those at high altitudes. With respect to ecological impacts, CBET has significantly raised households’ conservation attitudes, but has also increased natural resource extraction, especially at high altitudes. Overall, CBET in the giant panda habitat has not led to a win–win situation between social and ecological outcomes, especially at high altitudes. Our results indicate that the ecological impact of CBET is significant, and policies aimed at promoting the conservation of natural resources should account for this effect.

Movement and activity of reintroduced giant pandas

Wild populations of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) have steadily increased in the past 2 decades, but the species' distribution remains highly fragmented. Since 2009, an introduction program has worked to rescue the giant panda population of Liziping National Nature Reserve in southwestern Sichuan Province, China. Using Global Positioning System and activity collar data collected between May 2011 and March 2016, we investigated the post-release behavior of the first 5 pandas introduced to Liziping, 4 of which were bred in captivity. Using a change-point analysis, we tested several models of post-release adjustment to the habitat. We found that it took 3–4 months for captive-bred individuals to exhibit movement patterns characteristic of their long-term behavior. Furthermore, we found that, for these individuals, post-adjustment behavior varied by season, with activity levels peaking between May and July, a period of high resource availability. This also corresponded with a decrease in large movement events, where individuals were less likely to travel long distances quickly during these months. Unlike wild giant pandas in more northerly reserves, the 5 pandas released in Liziping (both captive-bred and translocated) did not exhibit any seasonal migration between elevations. Finally, we found that our study individuals had 2 daily periods of activity, which was comparable to those reported in the literature for wild individuals. Our results suggest that captive-bred giant pandas are able to successfully adjust to the wild and, after a period of adjustment, settle into long-term behavior patterns.

Assessing the health status of released, captive-bred giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) through activity patterns

Translocation is believed to be one of the important methods to protect small and isolated populations of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) from local extinction. Dynamic monitoring of the giant pandas' health statuses after release allows timely rescue measures or termination of the release procedure when necessary, thereby reducing the risk of death. However, it is difficult to diagnose the health of a giant panda after translocation by routine veterinary examinations. Based on data collected from GPS tracking collars, we analyzed the behaviours of six giant pandas after release. We compared the behavioural differences between the giant panda Xuexue (XU), which died due to disease, and four healthy giant pandas after release into the wild to identify a new method to assess the health statuses of giant pandas after release. Our results showed that daily activity levels of the healthy giant pandas were higher than XU after released into the wild; the healthy giant pandas were diurnal, but XU tended to be nocturnal. All healthy giant pandas and XU were not active in the crepuscular phase. These results suggest that daily activity levels and circadian rhythms can be used to assess the health status of giant pandas during the translocation project.

Paleogenome Reveals Genetic Contribution of Extinct Giant Panda to Extant Populations

Historically, the giant panda was widely distributed from northern China to southwestern Asia [1]. As a result of range contraction and fragmentation, extant individuals are currently restricted to fragmented mountain ranges on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, where they are distributed among three major population clusters [2]. However, little is known about the genetic consequences of this dramatic range contraction. For example, were regions where giant pandas previously existed occupied by ancestors of present-day populations, or were these regions occupied by genetically distinct populations that are now extinct? If so, is there any contribution of these extinct populations to the genomes of giant pandas living today? To investigate these questions, we sequenced the nuclear genome of an ∼5,000-year-old giant panda from Jiangdongshan, Tengchong County in Yunnan Province, China. We find that this individual represents a genetically distinct population that diverged prior to the diversification of modern giant panda populations. We find evidence of differential admixture with this ancient population among modern individuals originating from different populations as well as within the same population. We also find evidence for directional gene flow, which transferred alleles from the ancient population into the modern giant panda lineages. A variable proportion of the genomes of extant individuals is therefore likely derived from the ancient population represented by our sequenced individual. Although extant giant panda populations retain reasonable genetic diversity, our results suggest that this represents only part of the genetic diversity this species harbored prior to its recent range contractions.

The “wildness” of the giant panda gut microbiome and its relevance to effective translocation

Since 2005, 12 captive pandas have been translocated into the wild. Of these, three were killed by conditional pathogen infections after release. Given that the gut microbiome is important to host health and environmental adaptation, increasing the “wildness” of the gut microbiomes of captive pandas might improve translocation success. Here, we analyzed the long-term monitoring data (16S MISEQ data about 700 samples) of two wild giant panda populations (Xiaoxiangling and Minshan Mountains populations), five GPS-collared translocated giant pandas (TPs), and their living environment (dietary bamboos and soils) in the Liziping Reserve, China. We found that panda gut microbiome composition shifted dramatically after translocation: in the captive panda gut microbiome, Enterobacteriaceae dominated, while in the wild panda gut microbiome, Pseudomonadaceae dominated. More “wild” gut microbes were identified in the wild and semi-wild translocated panda guts than in the panda guts prior to release. However, under the current translocation strategy, the semi-wild stage lasts only 2–3 months, which might not be long enough to establish a stable “wild” gut microbial community. The observed changes in the translocated panda gut microbial communities (i.e., the proportional increase in Pseudomonadaceae abundance) and metagenomic function (i.e., the higher proportion of essential amino acid metabolic activity) might reflect a putative evolutionary adaptation to the local environment at the translocation site. We suggest that candidate pandas live with their mothers in a fenced area at the translocation site for an additional year prior to release. This is also more similar to the typical life cycle of the local wild giant pandas.

Seasonal competition between sympatric species for a key resource: Implications for conservation management

Competition often occurs between two or more sympatric species that use similar ecological niches. During competition, a superior species may exclude the competitor from parts of its fundamental niche or make it go extinct. Determining the potential competition between two sympatric species including an endangered one has important implications for conservation management. We evaluated potential food competition between the wild boar and the giant panda in a key national nature reserve established primarily for the giant panda protection. We monitored foraging plots for 9 years, conducted food macronutrient analysis, and combined our analysis with long-term population monitoring results for two species. The wild boar population increased dramatically in the past 18 years, benefiting from conservation policies of the Chinese government, whereas the giant panda population decreased. We found evidence for competition for bamboo shoots, an important seasonally limiting resource. The wild boar had a higher utilization rate at foraging plots than giant panda, which also avoided plots used by wild boar. This study indicates key seasonal food competition may exist between wild boar and giant panda. This competition for a key food resource may have negative impacts on giant panda populations, particularly under the substantial increase of the wild boar, yet this possibility has not figured prominently in conservation planning and policy for panda reserves. We suggest long-term monitoring of this competitive relationship across reserves to determine when and where management intervention is needed. And, we might need more flexible policies instead of the current “one size fits all” one.

Effects of roads on giant panda distribution: a mountain range scale evaluation

Few studies have focused on the mountain ranges scale effects of roads on wildlife. This lack of data could lead to an underestimation of the negative impact of roads on animal populations. We analyzed a dataset that included 74.4% of the giant panda population and covered 78.7% of the global giant panda habitat to estimate road-effect zones for major roads, and to investigate how these major roads influenced the distribution of giant pandas on a mountain range spatial scale. We found that the density of giant panda signs was significantly decreased by proximity to major roads. The effect zone reached 5,000 m from national roads and 1,500 m from provincial roads. Structural equation model analysis revealed that the strongest negative impact of major roads on giant pandas was via the reduction of nearby forest cover. The results should provide a better understanding of the impact of anthropogenic infrastructure and regional economic development on wildlife, thus providing a basis for conservation policy decisions. We suggest that the environmental impact assessment of proposed roadways or further researches on road ecological effects should expand to a larger scale and consider the possible habitat degradation caused by road access.

Population genetics reveals high connectivity of giant panda populations across human disturbance features in key nature reserve.

The giant panda is an example of a species that has faced extensive historical habitat fragmentation, and anthropogenic disturbance and is assumed to be isolated in numerous subpopulations with limited gene flow between them. To investigate the population size, health, and connectivity of pandas in a key habitat area, we noninvasively collected a total of 539 fresh wild giant panda fecal samples for DNA extraction within Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Seven validated tetra‐microsatellite markers were used to analyze each sample, and a total of 142 unique genotypes were identified. Nonspatial and spatial capture–recapture models estimated the population size of the reserve at 164 and 137 individuals (95% confidence intervals 153–175 and 115–163), respectively. Relatively high levels of genetic variation and low levels of inbreeding were estimated, indicating adequate genetic diversity. Surprisingly, no significant genetic boundaries were found within the population despite the national road G350 that bisects the reserve, which is also bordered with patches of development and agricultural land. We attribute this to high rates of migration, with four giant panda road‐crossing events confirmed within a year based on repeated captures of individuals. This likely means that giant panda populations within mountain ranges are better connected than previously thought. Increased development and tourism traffic in the area and throughout the current panda distribution pose a threat of increasing population isolation, however. Maintaining and restoring adequate habitat corridors for dispersal is thus a vital step for preserving the levels of gene flow seen in our analysis and the continued conservation of the giant panda meta‐population in both Wolong and throughout their current range.

Palaeogenome Reveals Genetic Contribution of Extinct Giant Panda to Extant Populations

Historically, the giant panda was widely distributed from northern China to southwestern Asia. As a result of range contraction and fragmentation, extant individuals are currently restricted to fragmented mountain ranges on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, where they are distributed among three major population clusters. However, little is known about the genetic consequences of this dramatic range contraction. For example, were regions where giant pandas previously existed occupied by ancestors of present-day populations, or were these regions occupied by genetically distinct populations which are now extinct? If so, is there any contribution of these extinct populations to the genomes of giant pandas living today? To investigate these questions, we sequenced the nuclear genome of a 5,025 ± 35 years old giant panda from Jiangdongshan, Tengchong County in Yunnan Province, China to approximately 1.2-fold coverage. We find that this individual represents a genetically distinct population that diverged prior to the diversification of modern giant panda populations. We find evidence of differential admixture with this ancient population among modern individuals originating from different populations as well as within the same population. We also find evidence for directional gene flow, which transferred alleles from the ancient population into the modern giant panda lineages. A variable proportion of the genomes of extant individuals is therefore likely derived from the ancient population represented by our sequenced individual. Although extant giant panda populations retain reasonable genetic diversity, our results suggest that this represents only part of the genetic diversity this species harbored prior to its recent range contractions.

Comprehensive Breeding Techniques for the Giant Panda.

The dramatic growth of the captive giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population exemplifies how the application of scientific findings to animal care and reproductive management can improve conservation breeding outcomes. Detailed behavioral studies of giant panda estrus, pregnancy and cub rearing have demonstrated the importance of husbandry management that supports natural reproductive behavior to enhance breeding success. Natural breeding has been valuably augmented by the development of assisted reproductive techniques founded through detailed studies of the reproductive physiology of the giant panda and outlining fundamental information about reproductive seasonality, male fertility and characterization of the estrous cycle. The resultant holistic understanding of giant panda reproduction has improved reproductive success in the captive population to such an extent that it is now self-sustaining and provides surplus animals for reintroduction. Despite these significant advances, there are knowledge gaps and remaining challenges to be addressed. Pregnancy detection remains the single biggest challenge when determining if natural mating or assisted breeding have been successful. Because pregnancy can only be determined in the few weeks prior to parturition, there are gaps in understanding and detecting delayed implantation and early embryonic loss. Additionally, dynamic management practices and standard of care for reproductive assistance needs to be developed. Only large breeding centers in China have the ability to promote normal reproductive behaviors and allow mate choice for the giant panda. These challenges need to be addressed in the near future in order to maintain a self-sustaining, genetically diverse and behaviorally competent captive population. This chapter documents the development of successful giant panda managed breeding programs by focusing on three key areas, (1) the development of science-driven reproductive techniques to improve fecundity in a species where the mating system was poorly understood, (2) how targeted research and adaptive management of social settings surrounding estrus and breeding improved reproductive success, and (3) insights and solutions to challenges faced across the program's history with future directions for research.

Walking in a heterogeneous landscape: Dispersal, gene flow and conservation implications for the giant panda in the Qinling Mountains

Understanding the interaction between life history, demography and population genetics in threatened species is critical for the conservations of viable populations. In the context of habitat loss and fragmentation, identifying the factors that underpin the structuring of genetic variation within populations can allow conservationists to evaluate habitat quality and connectivity and help to design dispersal corridors effectively. In this study, we carried out a detailed, fine‐scale landscape genetic investigation of a giant panda population from the Qinling Mountains for the first time. With a large microsatellite data set and complementary analysis methods, we examined the role of isolation‐by‐barriers (IBB), isolation‐by‐distance (IBD) and isolation‐by‐resistance (IBR) in shaping the pattern of genetic variation in this giant panda population. We found that the Qinling population comprises one continuous genetic cluster, and among the landscape hypotheses tested, gene flow was found to be correlated with resistance gradients for two topographic factors, slope aspect and topographic complexity, rather than geographical distance or barriers. Gene flow was inferred to be facilitated by easterly slope aspect and to be constrained by topographically complex landscapes. These factors are related to benign microclimatic conditions for both the pandas and the food resources they rely on and more accessible topographic conditions for movement, respectively. We identified optimal corridors based on these results, aiming to promote gene flow between human‐induced habitat fragments. These findings provide insight into the permeability and affinities of giant panda habitats and offer important reference for the conservation of the giant panda and its habitat.

Sequence analysis of the ATP synthase of subunits (ATP8 and ATP6) genes of mitochondrial DNA genome from Ailuropoda melanoleuca

To explore the effects of the mutations of ATP6 and ATP8 genes on energy metabolism and genetic structure, we sequenced the ATP6 and ATP8 genes of Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Our results showed that ATP8 is a conserved gene and ATP6 gene is positively selected during the evolution of the giant panda population with a low genetic diversity. Population expansion was observed in the giant panda group. The T179C mutation on Haplotype7 made the production of a potential phosphorylation site. This non-synonymous mutation may occur at the post-translational modification site that have a potential effect on the function of ATP synthase, related to the maintenance of body temperature of pandas at low metabolic rates.