【Objective】This study aims to elucidate the spatial distribution of bamboo, the staple food of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), in Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China, and provide a scientific reference for restoring the habitats of giant panda and formulating plans for the construction of an ecological corridor.【Method】A total of 103 transects and 1 600 quadrats were established in Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve from May to October 2022 for investigating the area of distribution, vertical distribution range, coverage, density, basal diameter, and height of the different species of bamboo. The forest habitat and extent of anthropogenic disturbance were additionally surveyed for each species of bamboo. The distribution of bamboo coverage, density, basal diameter, height, livestock grazing, and collection of bamboo shoots were analyzed using the Kriging interpolation method. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were significant differences among the growth indices of the different species of bamboo. 【Result】There were 11 species of bamboo in the reserve that served as the staple food of giant panda, including Chimonobambusa szechuanensis, C. quadrangularis, C. tumidissinoda, C. macrophylla, C. rigidula, Yushania leiboensis, Y. maculata, Y. mabianensis, Y. ailuropodina, Y. dafengdingensis and Arundinaria faberi. A. faberi had the largest area of distribution (140.44 km²), followed by C. szechuanensis (55.78 km²), and Y. dafengdingensis (51.88 km²). There were obvious differences in the vertical distribution characteristics of the different species of bamboo, which were the following ascending order: C. quadrangularis (956-2 081 m), Y. leiboensis (1 499-1 732 m), C. szechuanensis (1 153-2 463 m), C. tumidissinoda (1 360-2 531 m), Q. rigidula (1 555-2 535 m), Y. maculate (1 601-2 573 m), C. macrophylla (1 991-2 861 m), Y. mabianensis (2 306-2 480 m), Y. dafengdingensis (2 250-2 920 m), Y. ailuropodina (2 680-2 755 m), and A. faberi (1 901-3 665 m). The canopy cover of Y. mabianensis and Q. macrophylla, and the density of Q. macrophylla and B. faberi were higher than those of the other species. The culm diameters of C. quadrangularis and Q. rigidula, and the culm heights of Q. rigidula, C. quadrangularis and C. szechuanensis were greater than those of the other species. Anthropogenic disturbance due to livestock grazing and the collection of bamboo shoots was evident in the bamboo forests. 【Conclusion】 Bamboo, the staple food of giant pandas, was abundantly and continually distributed in the Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve, with a distinct vertical distribution pattern that can satisfy the dietary needs of giant pandas. However, long-term anthropogenic disturbance due to livestock grazing and the collection of bamboo shoots can severely affected the consumption of bamboo by giant pandas. It is therefore crucial to implement appropriate measures for the management of bamboo forests in Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve.