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. Non-spatial 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 4 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 poses 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.

Comprehending the population trend and understanding the distribution range dynamics of species is necessary for global species protection. Recognizing what causes dynamic distribution change is crucial for identifying species’ environmental preferences and formulating protection policies. Here, we studied the rear-edge population of the flagship species, giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), to 1) assess their population trend using their distribution patterns, 2) evaluate their distribution dynamics change from the 2nd (1988) to the 3rd (2001) surveys (2–3 Interval) and 3rd to the 4th (2013) survey (3–4 Interval) using a machine learning algorithm (The Extremely Gradient Boosting), and 3) decode model results to identify driver factors in the first known use of SHapley Additive exPlanations. Our results showed that the population trends in Liangshan Mountains were worst in the 2nd survey (k = 1.050), improved by the 3rd survey (k = 0.97), but got worse by the 4th survey (k = 0.996), which indicates a worrying population future. We found that precipitation had the most significant influence on distribution dynamics among several potential environmental factors, showing a negative correlation between precipitation and giant panda expansion. We recommend that more study is required to understand the micro-environment and animal distribution dynamics. We provide a fresh perspective on the dynamics of Giant Panda distribution, highlighting novel focal points for ecological research on this species. Our study offers theoretical underpinnings that could inform the formulation of more effective conservation policies. Also, we emphasize the uniqueness and importance of the Liangshan Mountains giant pandas as the rear-edge population, which is at a high risk of population extinction.

Details of the unique genotypes including four reintroduced giant pandas in Liziping National Nature Reserve

Understanding population history and genetic structure are key drivers of ecological research. Here we studied two highly fragmented and isolated populations (Xiaoxiangling and Daxiangling) of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) at the extreme southwestern edge of their distribution. This area also contains the Dadu River, national road 108 and various human infrastructure and development, providing an ideal region in which we can identify the effects of different barriers on animal movements. We used partial mitochondrial control region (mtDNA) and nine microsatellite loci (nuclear DNA) data derived from 192 fecal and one blood sample collected from the wild. We found 136 genotypes corresponding to 53 unique multilocus genotypes and eight unique control region haplotypes (653 bp). Significant genetic boundaries correlated spatially with the Dadu River (K=2). We estimate that a major divergence took place between these populations 26 000 YBP, at around the similar time the rock surface of valley bottom formed in Dadu River. The national road has resulted in further recent population differentiation (Pairwise FS on mtDNA and nuclear DNA) so that in effect, four smaller sub-populations now exist. Promisingly, we identified two possible first generation migrants and their migration paths, and recommended the immediate construction of a number of corridors. Fortunately, the Chinese government has accepted our advice and is now planning corridor construction.

Tables showing haplotype distribution of giant pandas for mtDNA CR and Cyt b, information for historical and modern samples, bottleneck analysis, modern and historical effective population sizes, and time since population change in the Minshan and Qionglai populations using Storz and Beaumont’s method and habitat area available, and traditional and re-estimated population sizes of giant pandas during different periods.

QL178ArlequinThe microsatellite data of 178 giant pandas from the Qinling Mountains, in Arlequin format.

Inbreeding can have negative consequences on population and individual fitness, which could be counteracted by inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. However, the inbreeding risk and inbreeding avoidance mechanisms in endangered species are less studied. The giant panda, a solitary and threatened species, lives in many small populations and suffers from habitat fragmentation, which may aggravate the risk of inbreeding. Here, we performed long-term observations of reproductive behaviour, sampling of mother-cub pairs and large-scale genetic analyses on wild giant pandas. Moderate levels of inbreeding were found in 21.1% of mating-pairs, 9.1% of parent-pairs and 7.7% of panda cubs, but no high-level inbreeding occurred. More significant levels of inbreeding may be avoided passively by female-biased natal dispersal rather than by breeding dispersal or active relatedness-based mate choice mechanisms. The level of inbreeding in giant pandas is greater than expected for a solitary mammal and thus warrants concern for potential inbreeding depression, particularly in small populations isolated by continuing habitat fragmentation, which will reduce female dispersal and increase the risk of inbreeding.

Founder and habitat contributions to the captive panda population. (XLSX 100 kb)

Some data about US states and their population. I used them to practice on merge and join operations

Die Statistik zeigt die Anzahl der in Wildnis lebenden Großen Pandas in den Jahren 1974, 1985, 2004 und 2015. In Jahr 2015 gab es weltweit ungefähr ***** in der Wildnis lebende Große Pandas.

Genetic composition of the new generation from three plans of habitat-controlled breeding. (XLSX 58 kb)

Content

This dataset contains population and population density data from the world bank. The world bank has accurate data from the year 1950, and this data set contains projections from the year 2021 onwards. (see my notebook for more) This dataset also contains the female and male population spilts.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the world bank: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL

Inspiration

This is a very simple data set aimed at users who wan to get involved with cleaning and visualisations data in python/pandas. See my code for inspiration.

Background: Evaluating patterns of genetic variation is important to identify conservation units (i.e., evolutionarily significant units [ESUs], management units [MUs], and adaptive units [AUs]) in endangered species. While neutral markers could be used to infer population history, their application in the estimation of adaptive variation is limited. The capacity to adapt to various environments is vital for the long-term survival of endangered species. Hence, analysis of adaptive loci, such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, is critical for conservation genetics studies. Here, we investigated 4 classical MHC class I genes (Aime-C, Aime-F, Aime-I, and Aime-L) and 8 microsatellites to infer patterns of genetic variation in the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and to further define conservation units. Results: Overall, we identified 24 haplotypes (9 for Aime-C, 1 for Aime-F, 7 for Aime-I, and 7 for Aime-L) from 218 individuals obtained from 6 populations of giant panda. We found that the Xiaoxiangling population had the highest genetic variation at microsatellites among the 6 giant panda populations and higher genetic variation at Aime-MHC class I genes than other larger populations (Qinling, Qionglai, and Minshan populations). Differentiation index (FST)-based phylogenetic and Bayesian clustering analyses for Aime-MHC-I and microsatellite loci both supported that most populations were highly differentiated. The Qinling population was the most genetically differentiated. Conclusions: The giant panda showed a relatively higher level of genetic diversity at MHC class I genes compared with endangered felids. Using all of the loci, we found that the 6 giant panda populations fell into 2 ESUs: Qinling and non-Qinling populations. We defined 3 MUs based on microsatellites: Qinling, Minshan-Qionglai, and Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan. We also recommended 3 possible AUs based on MHC loci: Qinling, Minshan-Qionglai, and Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan. Furthermore, we recommend that a captive breeding program be considered for the Qinling panda population.

Comprehensive population and demographic data for Panda Village

Can a AI create a genuine script of Season 11 Episode 1?

Or can a chatting bot take on the persona of Chandler Bing and speak sarcastically?

This dataset is for you to have fun with, come up with whatever your creativity allows you to!

Content

On the left column are the names of the characters and the right column are their respective lines in order.

Usually, most of the Friends scripts out there are just unrefined lines, which includes all the descriptions of actors' actions or the surrounding the particular scene was taken in. It also may include the title of that particular episode and who directed it, which in my opinion, is not very useful when it comes to creating a language processing model. As I wanted to create a similar model too, I obtained a .txt file of the script and used pandas to filter out only the lines they actually spoke (removing the descriptive comments in between too).

Application

Personally, I created this notebook for data that I needed for a small personal project I have embarked on. The project was creating Chat Bots, but with the persona of the Friend's characters. If you wish to check them out for yourself, the project is now live on my discord server [https://discord.gg/kEHwBqheac]. Do feel free to reach out for questions or a simple chat ^_^

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge that this dataframe was derived from [https://www.kaggle.com/divyansh22/friends-tv-show-script]

Genetic composition of the new generation from the recommended mating pairs based on the MSI scores. (XLSX 3317 kb)

Regional GAM Species Counts

Observing Animal Species Abundance and Distribution

By [source]

About this dataset

This dataset captures detailed information about the abundance and distribution of multiple animal species in different parts of the Regional GAM network. By analyzing this data, researchers gain valuable insight into species trends over time, species population growth or decline, seasonal migration patterns, and other important ecological patterns. Moreover, this dataset helps us to understand risks associated with animal populations and ecosystems; aiding decision-making related to land use for conservation and sustainability initiatives. This data provides an easily accessible resource for monitoring changes in animals' ranges and distributions across the region – enabling powerful analysis which can inform sound management decisions to promote conservation efforts. In sum, this dataset holds great promise for scientists seeking an improved understanding of wildlife dynamics; making it a powerful tool for both monitoring biodiversity in our changing world as well as informing proactive management strategies that will ultimately help keep our planet healthy into the future

More Datasets

For more datasets, click here.

Featured Notebooks

• 🚨 Your notebook can be here! 🚨!

How to use the dataset

This dataset contains information about animal species and their occurrence per site, which can be used to gain insights into species abundance and distribution in the Regional GAM network. This data can help researchers analyze species trends, population growth or decline, animal migrations, and other important ecological factors.

Users of this dataset can analyze the presence or absence of a particular species in different sites across the region, as well as their abundance by counting individual sightings. Additionally, by combining datasets such as those contained in this one with other environmental factors (e.g., water levels), users can gain further insight into animals’ behavior and ecology within any given location over time.

The following steps outline how to use this dataset to analyze animal populations: - Download all necessary files from Kaggle for your analysis - Use an online tool such as Pandas or RStudio to extract desired data from each file into one unified table - Select relevant columns for your analysis (e.g., Species Name, Location/Site Name), specify date ranges if necessary and arrange them in an easily readable manner using sorting tools within the software program you’re using
- Filter entries related to a certain period of time (e.g., last 7 days), location or unique combination of both if needed 5) Choose appropriate chart or graph types depending on what kind of data you want to present visually 6) Finally plot/display your findings on a map / basis plot / 3D-model / etc…for best clarity

This dataset provides valuable insight into environmental conditions which may affect wildlife behavior. By following these simple steps researchers should be able visualize trends associated with certain areas over periods of time allowing them better understand how animal populations are affected by land-use decisions and climate change among others!

Research Ideas

• Species Conservation: This data set can be used to assess the health of a species' population in a particular region and how this varies over time. Researchers can use data trends to identify declining populations and areas of conservation needs, allowing them to create appropriate management plans focused on species protection.
• Wildlife Monitoring: Observing the species count at different sites can provide researchers with an insight into animal behavior, migration patterns and habitat usage which in turn informs wildlife management plans.
• Climate Change: By assessing population changes over time, researchers can use this dataset to explore how climate change is impacting specific animal populations and inform conservation initiatives accordingly/

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. Data Source

License

License: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) - Public Domain Dedication No Copyright - You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. See Other Information.

Columns

File: Dataset multispecies Regional GAM.csv | Column name | Description ...

Dataset

This dataset was created by Fred Ngo (GA)

Contents

Inbreeding and relatedness in wild panda populations are important parameters for panda conservation. Habitat loss and fragmentation are expected to increase inbreeding but the actual inbreeding levels in natural panda habitats were unknown. Using 150,025 SNPs and 14,926 SNPs selected from published whole-genome sequences, we estimated genomic inbreeding coefficients and relatedness of 49 pandas including 34 wild pandas sampled from six habitats. Qinling and Liangshan pandas had the highest levels of inbreeding and relatedness measured by genomic inbreeding and coancestry coefficients, whereas the inbreeding levels in Qionglai and Minshan were 28–45% of those in Qinling and Liangshan. Genomic coancestry coefficients between pandas from different habitats showed that panda populations from the four largest habitats, Minshan, Qionglai, Qinling and Liangshan, were genetically unrelated. Pandas between these four habitats on average shared 66.0–69.1% common alleles and 45.6–48.6% common genotypes, whereas pandas within each habitat shared 71.8–77.0% common alleles and 51.7–60.4% common genotypes. Pandas in the smaller populations of Qinling and Liangshan were more similarly to each other than pandas in the larger populations of Qionglai and Minshan according to three genomic similarity measures. Panda genetic differentiation between these habitats was positively related to their geographical distances. Most pandas separated by 200 kilometers or more shared no common ancestral alleles. The results provided a genomic quantification of the actual levels of inbreeding and relatedness among pandas in their natural habitats, provided genomic confirmation of the relationship between genetic diversity and geographical distances, and provided genomic evidence to the urgency of habitat protection.

Clarification of the genetic structure and population history of a species can shed light on impacts of landscapes, historical climate change and contemporary human activities, and thus enables evidence-based conservation decisions for endangered organisms. The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is an endangered species distributing at the edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and is currently subject to habitat loss, fragmentation and population decline, thus representing a good model to test the influences of the above factors on a plateau edge species. We combined nine microsatellite loci and 551 bp of mitochondrial control region (mtDNA CR) to explore the genetic structure and demographic history of this species. 123 individuals were sampled from 23 locations across five populations. High levels of genetic variation were identified for both mtDNA and microsatellites. Phylogeographic analyses indicated little geographic structure, suggesting historically wide gene flow. However, microsatellit...