Global Ecology and Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Warmed soon: Early-life thermal stress elevates glucocorticoids and delays dispersal in a long-lived bird","authors":"Laura Gangoso ,&nbsp;Jana Cordes ,&nbsp;Francisco Miranda ,&nbsp;Eneko Arrondo ,&nbsp;José Antonio Sánchez-Zapata ,&nbsp;Manuel de la Riva ,&nbsp;Ainara Cortés-Avizanda ,&nbsp;José Antonio Donázar","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental stress during development can profoundly affect animal physiology and behavior, with potential long-term consequences for fitness. In birds, corticosterone (CORT) mediates responses to developmental challenges, including thermal stress. However, how exposure to extreme temperatures during development shapes post-fledging behavior in free-living species remains poorly understood. We studied 88 Griffon vulture (<em>Gyps fulvus</em>) fledglings from three populations in the Iberian Peninsula over three years to test whether extreme weather during development elevates feather CORT concentrations (CORT_f), and whether this hormonal profile is associated with fledging condition and post-fledging performance. We quantified CORT_f using enzyme immunoassays and assessed early dispersal behavior through GPS telemetry. We used temperature anomaly data from local weather stations to characterize thermal stress during four standardized developmental periods. Our results show strong interannual variation in CORT_f levels, reflecting broad differences in developmental conditions, and demonstrate that nestlings reared under higher-than-average temperatures during early development (from hatching to 40 days of age) had significantly elevated CORT_f levels, particularly those raised in exposed nests. Elevated CORT_f levels influenced early post-fledging performance: individuals with higher CORT_f dispersed later and exhibited reduced daily movements during the post-fledging period. These findings suggest that thermal stress experienced in the nest can alter the physiological trajectory of developing vultures and affect behavioral transitions critical to survival. Given the increased frequency of extreme temperature events under ongoing climate change, our results highlight the importance of developmental conditions in shaping individual variation and population dynamics in long-lived avian scavengers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04141"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diffuse-porous and ring-porous xylem types did not influence branch hydraulic responses along a rural-urban gradient","authors":"Liuting Li ,&nbsp;Zhuxuan Tan ,&nbsp;Longfei Li ,&nbsp;Shuzhen Lv ,&nbsp;Jianan Wang ,&nbsp;Yiyong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how plant hydraulic traits vary with urbanization is crucial for unravelling ecological adaptation. We examined branch hydraulic traits and radial growth of 14 subtropical tree species across rural-urban gradients (urban, suburban, rural) in Hefei, China, and classified them into diffuse-porous and ring-porous types. Despite structural differences, both wood types exhibited consistent hydraulic responses along the rural-urban gradient. Principal component analysis（PCA）revealed that urban trees developed more efficient hydraulic systems with higher xylem-specific hydraulic conductivity (K_s), leaf-specific conductivity (K_l), maximum hydraulic conductivity (K_max), saturated water content (SWC), and vessel diameter (D), whereas rural trees maintained safer structures with higher vessel density (VD) and sapwood density (WD). From rural to urban sites, the diameter growth rate (DGR) of ring-porous species increased, positively associated with K_max, K_s, K_l, and D, but negatively with VD; diffuse-porous species exhibited stable DGR without such links. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) further demonstrated that variation in DGR was influenced exclusively by K_s in ring-porous species, while in both wood types, rural-urban gradient (site), WD and D exerted no influence on DGR. Our findings imply that urban environments compel trees to enhance hydraulic efficiency, reflecting adaptive shifts toward faster resource acquisition and growth. Moreover, hydraulic traits strongly promoted radial growth in ring-porous species but showed weaker or no effects in diffuse-porous species, indicating divergent ecological strategies and hydraulic sensitivity between wood types.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04142"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interactive effects of fire and habitat loss shape dietary trait structure of bird communities in tropical forests","authors":"Bianca Dinis ,&nbsp;Bruno F.C.B. Adorno ,&nbsp;Ederson Godoy ,&nbsp;Wellington Corrêa ,&nbsp;Vinícius Munhoz Barbosa ,&nbsp;José Carlos Morante-Filho ,&nbsp;Augusto João Piratelli ,&nbsp;Milton Cezar Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Érica Hasui","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fire and habitat loss are major drivers of biodiversity change in tropical forests, yet their combined effects on functional traits remain poorly understood. We investigated how fire severity, fire extent, and forest cover jointly influence bird dietary traits across 15 Atlantic Forest landscapes in southeastern Brazil, each containing paired burned and unburned forest sites (30 sampling units). Birds were surveyed using point count methods, and community trait structure was quantified using community-weighted means (CWM) and variances (CWV) derived from continuous dietary traits (e.g., proportional use of different food resources), estimated through a nonparametric bootstrapping approach. We used generalized linear mixed models to assess the effects of fire and forest cover on these trait metrics. Both CWM and CWV were influenced by fire disturbance, with responses strongly modulated by forest cover, revealing non-additive and synergistic effects. Under high fire disturbance and low forest cover, trait convergence—expressed as reduced variability in fruit, nectar, and invertebrate consumption—indicating strong environmental filtering. Conversely, increased variance in seed consumption in burned forests suggested trait divergence consistent with limiting similarity under enhanced post-fire resource heterogeneity. These findings demonstrate that environmental filtering and limiting similarity can coexist along disturbance gradients, depending on both trait identity and landscape context. Our results highlight the value of trait-based approaches for detecting functional responses beyond species richness and reinforce the need to integrate fire management with habitat conservation to maintain functional integrity (i.e., the retention of community trait structure) in fire-susceptible tropical forests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04134"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of population density stress on fecal microbiota and metabolites of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau root voles (Microtus oeconomus)—A field experiment","authors":"Zhibo Qin ,&nbsp;Shuo Guo ,&nbsp;Shouyang Du ,&nbsp;Guozhen Shang ,&nbsp;Yang Liu ,&nbsp;Yanbin Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host metabolism, digestion, immunity, and behavior, but most studies have been conducted in laboratory settings. To validate these findings in natural conditions, we investigated the impact of population density stress on the fecal microbiota and metabolites of root voles (<em>Microtus oeconomus</em>) using field enclosures, 16S rRNA sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics. Fecal corticosterone metabolite (FCM) levels were significantly higher in high-density (HD) voles, confirming a strong stress response. The predominant bacterial phyla were Firmicutes_A, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes_D, and Actinobacteriota, with <em>Lactobacillus</em> and <em>CAG-485</em> as the main genera. HD voles had higher abundances of Bacteroidota, <em>CAG-485</em>, <em>Duncaniella</em>, and <em>Paramuribaculum</em>, and lower abundances of Firmicutes_A, Firmicutes_D, Desulfobacterota_I, <em>Lactobacillus</em>, <em>Desulfovibrio_R</em>, and <em>Butyribacter</em>. Functional prediction revealed up-regulated pathways involved in antibiotic biosynthesis, <span>D</span>-alanine metabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), while pathways related to amino acid biosynthesis were down-regulated. Metabolomics identified 938 and 920 differential metabolites in positive and negative ion modes, respectively, with up-regulated metabolites such as cholic acid, lithocholic acid, and succinic acid, and down-regulated metabolites like <span>L</span>-lysine, <span>L</span>-valine, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis identified 142 affected pathways, primarily related to amino acid metabolism, the citrate (TCA) cycle, bile secretion, and protein digestion. Correlation analysis revealed that Lactobacillus was negatively associated with elevated bile acids and positively with down-regulated amino acid-related metabolites. Overall, population density stress significantly reshaped the fecal microbiota and metabolic profiles of root voles, offering new insights into the ecological adaptability of small mammals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04151"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicted habitat shifts and conservation priorities for climate-sensitive fish in mountain rivers across a climatic transition zone under future climate change","authors":"Yuchen Zheng ,&nbsp;Baozhu Pan ,&nbsp;Xing Liu ,&nbsp;Tiezhi Jin ,&nbsp;Peng Wang ,&nbsp;Yiming Hou ,&nbsp;Xiaoxue Li ,&nbsp;Siquan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identifying suitable habitat shifts and climate refugia under climate change is essential for the conservation of freshwater fish, particularly in mountainous river systems. However, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluation frameworks to quantitatively assess the degree to which regional fish assemblages are affected. In addition, asymmetric habitat shift patterns in fish populations of mountainous rivers remain insufficiently explored. To address these gaps, we developed a climate-responsive evaluation framework—CR-TOPSIS—based on the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and applied it to assess current and future habitat changes for the Top 15 climate-sensitive species and other key protected species in the Qinba mountainous region, integrating environmental DNA surveys and targeted traditional capture, cross-validated against regional checklists and expert review with MaxEnt modeling. Projections were made under two climate scenarios (SSP126 and SSP585) for the period 2070–2100. Results indicated pronounced asymmetric habitat shift patterns, with leading-edge expansion consistently exceeding trailing-edge contraction across climate scenarios. Species distribution centroids exhibited a clear northward shift, averaging 1.76 km under SSP126 and 2.64 km under SSP585, reflecting enhanced redistribution under stronger warming. Coldwater and bottom-dwelling species experienced disproportionate habitat loss under high-emission scenarios, whereas eurythermal and pelagic-spawning species showed comparatively higher adaptive potential. Core climate refugia, defined by 100% spatial overlap across scenarios, covered approximately 0.51 × 10 ³ km² and were primarily concentrated along the midstream Hanjiang River and its tributaries, remaining stable under both climate pathways. This study demonstrates the utility of integrating molecular monitoring and species distribution models to detect climate-sensitive shifts, evaluate species vulnerability and conservation prioritization in montane freshwater ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04132"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limestone karst ecology and anthropogenic activities associated with cave-dwelling bats of Southern Shan State, Myanmar","authors":"Moe Moe Aung ,&nbsp;Thura Soe Min Htike ,&nbsp;Nang Phyu Phwe ,&nbsp;Ohnmar Aung ,&nbsp;Pyae Phyo Aung ,&nbsp;Win Mar Yae ,&nbsp;Sa Myo Zaw ,&nbsp;Kyaw Naing Oo ,&nbsp;Thae Hsu Wai ,&nbsp;Hein Htet Aung ,&nbsp;Yingying X.G. Wang ,&nbsp;Olivia Cords ,&nbsp;Rebekah C. Kading ,&nbsp;Michael Boots ,&nbsp;Hanna Ehrlich ,&nbsp;Nicole R. Gardner ,&nbsp;Christine K. Johnson ,&nbsp;Tierra Smiley Evans","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04071","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04071","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Limestone cave systems constitute an important ecological niche supporting numerous bat species in Southeast Asia, with Myanmar, having a particular high number of understudied caves. Investigating the natural and anthropogenic ecological drivers that influence higher densities and species diversity of bats co-roosting in these natural caverns is therefore vital for identifying regions of heightened conservation need. We examine characteristics of limestone caves and alternative sites of bat congregation/roosting associated with cave-dwelling bat abundance at 41 sites in Pinlaung Township, Southern Shan State, Myanmar. The characteristics evaluated included cave surface area and complexity, microclimate conditions, seasonality, and a modified biotic vulnerability (BV) index. Larger caves and caves with warmer temperatures were significantly more likely to support higher total numbers of bats. Further distance from the road was also associated with higher bat abundance; as the distance increased, human disturbance decreased, resulting in larger bat populations. The majority (63.2 %) of caves were classified as moderately vulnerable (BV class B), 18.4 % highly vulnerable (BV class A), and 18.4 % vulnerable (BV class C), indicating that environmental protections are essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of cave-dwelling bat habitat within limestone karsts. Most cave sites evaluated faced multiple threats to bat populations, including bat hunting, guano harvesting, and cave development, which are known threats to cave-dwelling bats in other parts of Southeast Asia. This study identifies Southern Shan State, Myanmar as a critical habitat for limestone karst cave-dwelling bat species habitat that is in urgent need of conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04071"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interspecific interaction among mammals in Panna Tiger Reserve, central India: Prey-predator dynamics","authors":"Supratim Dutta ,&nbsp;Gopinathan Maheswaran ,&nbsp;Ramesh Krishnamurthy","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interspecific interactions play a critical role in shaping ecosystem structure, species assemblages, and food web dynamics. Specifically, carnivores often exert top-down regulatory control on ecological communities, and the loss of apex predators can lead to profound changes in community composition and ecosystem function. Thus, carnivore reintroduction (trophic rewilding) has gained prominence as a strategy to restore ecological balance. However, the success of such efforts is contingent upon the availability of a sufficient prey base capable of supporting growing carnivore populations, underscoring the significance of bottom-up regulatory processes. Furthermore, species composition and assemblage patterns are strongly influenced by environmental variables and landscape characteristics. In this study, we examined the mammalian community of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) to evaluate the relative roles of top-down and bottom-up regulation in shaping mammalian assemblages. We utilized camera trap data from two seasons (2019) and constructed hypothesis-driven interaction pathways representing both regulatory processes within a piecewise structural equation modeling (SEM) framework. The results demonstrated that both top-down (carnivore-driven) and bottom-up (prey-driven) mechanisms significantly influence community structure. Additionally, environmental factors and habitat features were found to be critical drivers affecting the spatial distribution of both predators and prey. Importantly, our findings highlight the dominant influence of top-down effects in species community, however, bottom-up regulation in facilitating the successful reintroduction and population recovery of tigers in PTR, despite the presence of a high density of co-predators. This underscores the essential role of prey abundance and habitat quality in supporting large carnivore conservation. Overall, this study provides key insights into trophic rewilding and emphasizes the importance of maintaining intact habitats, conserving prey populations, and promoting coexistence within multi-species communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04145"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tourism infrastructure and physiological stress in free-ranging impalas (Aepyceros melampus) of Serengeti National Park","authors":"Beatrice Modest Kessy ,&nbsp;Augustine Arukwe ,&nbsp;Franco Peniel Mbise ,&nbsp;Kwaslema Malle Hariohay ,&nbsp;Rupert Palme ,&nbsp;Eivin Røskaft ,&nbsp;Peter Sjolte Ranke","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the developing world, many protected areas (PAs) rely on tourism as a viable source of financial resources for conservation. However, the drive to maximise revenue has led to an increase in tourist numbers and infrastructure developments that often exceed ecological capacity, creating challenges for biodiversity and wildlife populations. To evaluate potential physiological impacts of tourism infrastructure and environmental factors, we measured faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs), an established indicator of stress in animals, using a validated enzyme immunoassay (EIA). We analysed FGMs from 213 impala <em>(Aepyceros melampus)</em> faecal samples collected in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, between January and February 2025. Our results showed that impalas near lodges exhibited significantly higher FGM levels even without tourist occupancy (i.e., infrastructure), than those near permanent tented camps or seasonal campsites. These findings suggest that large-scale tourism infrastructure is associated with elevated stress in impalas. Future research should focus on identifying the specific features of large tourist facilities that drive physiological stress in wildlife, to better inform tourism development and conservation strategies in PAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04130"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leveraging landscape genomics to predict genomic offset and inform conservation of Tetraena mongolica in a changing climate","authors":"Yan-Ci Yang ,&nbsp;Xiao-Dan Chen ,&nbsp;Li-Pan Zhou ,&nbsp;Zeng-Qiang Qian ,&nbsp;Li Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04133","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic climate change poses a substantial threat to global biodiversity, expediting the rate of decline and elevating the risk of extinction for species across the world. Understanding the climate vulnerability and genomic diversity across landscapes undergoing rapid climate change, is therefore crucial for preserving biodiversity and informing conservation interventions. In this study, we attempted to characterize the patterns of genetic variation, and evaluate the range dynamics and genomic offset to anticipated climate change for <em>Tetraena mongolica</em>, an endangered species endemic to China based on 1113 genomic-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from reduced-representation genome sequencing in 48 individuals. We further dissected the key environmental variables associated with genetic variation and predicted its range dynamics and genomic offset to future climate scenarios. Our results indicated that this species showed limited genetic divergence and weak population structure. Temperature- and solar radiation-related variables were pivotal in shaping the genomic variation of <em>T. mongolica</em> across its range. Moreover, the species' current range is likely to be at high risk of maladaptation to forthcoming climate changes. Our findings have implications for understanding the evolutionary trajectories of endangered species with limited ranges, and the strong signals of genomic offset presented to projected climate change could guide proactive managements and conservative decision-makings for this endangered species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04133"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Female demographic advantages drive sustainable growth and reintroduction capacity in captive giant panda populations","authors":"Xiao Zhou ,&nbsp;Zongzhi Li ,&nbsp;Bo Luo ,&nbsp;Guiquan Zhang ,&nbsp;Rongping Wei ,&nbsp;Desheng Li ,&nbsp;Mingchun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Captive breeding is a vital ex situ conservation strategy, particularly for giant pandas, yet the demographic impacts of documented sex ratio bias remain unclear. This study integrates pedigree analysis and population viability analysis (PVA) to reveal that while captive giant panda births show balanced sex ratios (1:1), progressive female bias emerges with age due to females' survival advantages: lower mortality rates (31.68% vs 41.89% in cubs) and extended longevity. The population demonstrates strong self-sustainability under current management, with female prevalence accelerating growth. Results identify catastrophe probability reduction and cub mortality control as primary growth drivers, whereas carrying capacity changes exert minimal influence. Reintroduction simulations validate that annually releases of 5–10 individuals sustain source population viability while achieving rewilding targets. Key implications include: 1) Demographic stability accommodates planned reintroductions; 2) Female survival compensates male mortality without genetic compromise; 3) Disaster mitigation and neonatal care surpass enclosure expansion in efficacy. The framework establishes that managing sex-specific mortality and environmental risks concurrently ensures both population resilience and reintroduction success, providing actionable strategies for optimizing ex situ conservation in this flagship species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article e04150"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}