3.3 Microhabitat differences between marked and control sites
We found a total of 157 scent marked trees in the sample line survey,
but due to topography and slope, etc., not every location of the marked
trees was suitable for sample squares, so we made a total of 144 marked
samples, corresponding to 114 control samples. Compared to the control
sample, bamboo density (U = 5474.00, P < 0.001),
bamboo cover (U = 5905.50, P < 0.001), and slope
(U = 6328.50, P < 0.001) were lower in the
marked sample; however, tree density (U = 4731.00, P< 0.001) and tree cover (U = 5729.00, P< 0.001) were higher; shrub density (U =7523.50,P = 0.226) and shrub cover (U = 7500.00, P = 0.130)
were not significantly different between both (Table S3). In order to
detect which variables had the greatest influence on the selection of
this sample site by pandas, we performed stepwise logistic regression
analysis on the remaining variables after Pearson Correlation Analysis
to remove the significantly correlated variables. Finally, only tree
density, bamboo density, slope, tree cover and shrub cover entered into
the stepwise logistic regression equation. where tree cover was the most
explained variable for whether giant pandas chose the location for scent
marking or not (Table 3), and giant pandas preferred to scent mark at
sites with higher tree cover.