Dynamics of species diversity and community structure of the Giant panda habitats during restoration

Introduction The structure of biological communities, particularly species diversity, serves as a key monitoring indicator for assessing the effectiveness of restoration in degraded Giant panda habitats. These metrics effectively reflect the trajectory of habitat changes following the implementation of restoration measures, thereby enabling evidence‐based evaluation of conservation outcomes. Objectives To quantitatively track the temporal dynamics of these indicators during habitat restoration, we conducted continuous monitoring in five typical restoration areas: Daxiangling, Xiaozhaizigou, Shenguozhuang, Liziping, and Erlangshan from 2022 to 2025. Methods We surveyed vegetation using quadrats and animals using camera traps. We calculated species diversity indices and used non‐metric multidimensional scaling and similarity analysis to compare community composition. Linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models were applied to test treatment effects. Results Herbaceous layer indicators showed significant positive responses to restoration, with herb count ( p = 0.046) and herb species count ( p = 0.034) significantly higher in restored than control plots. In contrast, the tree, shrub, and bamboo layers showed no significant recovery ( p > 0.05), though all indicators exhibited positive effect sizes. Animal community composition showed significant interannual variation (Stress = 0.026, R > 0, p < 0.05), while plant community structure remained relatively stable across years (Stress = 0.088, R = 0.645, p = 0.001) but differed significantly between restored and control plots in 2025 ( R = 0.501, p = 0.001). Conclusion Our study indicates that short‐term restoration effectively promotes herbaceous layer recovery and increases animal species richness, but tree layer recovery is limited and requires longer timescales.