Relationship between bamboo growth status and woody plants in a giant panda habitat

•Relationship of bamboo growth status and woody plants was studied in a panda habitat.•Bamboo clump number and bamboo height were used to represent bamboo growth status.•Bamboo height had a significant linear relationship with some woody plant variables.•Bamboo height was negatively correlated with numbers of tree and regeneration.•Most plots containing giant panda trace were distributed in plots with taller bamboo.