Study area
Assessment of the distribution of Sichuan takin in this study was
limited to the core takin population, located in Sichuan Province(Figure
1), as environmental data availability in the provinces of Gansu was
restricted. Sichuan Province is located in southwest China, and is
characterized by a varied topography, including a large flat basin,
swaths of hilly landscapes, and high mountains and plateaus, stretching
from less than 400m asl to higher than 4000m asl. The heterogeneous
terrain has resulted in a landscape with numerous distinct environments
and high species diversity and richness (Zhang et al., 2009). Several
species are endemic or particularly abundant in this region, including
Sichuan takin, giant panda, golden snub-nosed monkey
(Rhinopithecus roxellana ), Tibetan macaque (Macaca
thibetana ), and Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii ). To date, 46
giant panda nature reserves have been designated in Sichuan, covered
5.24% of the total area of the province (Forestry Department of Sichuan
Province, 2015). Due to its high richness of biodiversity, and as the
main component of the mountains of southwest China, large areas of
Sichuan are considered a global biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al.,
2000; Noroozi et al., 2018).