Most panda reserves encompass bamboo forests at excessive elevation, which isn’t ideally suited for all wildlife. The researchers discovered that two threatened species, Asiatic black bears and forest musk deer, actively misplaced key habitat in probably the most intensively protected panda areas. And in locations the place habitat modified for the higher for forest musk deer and Asiatic black bears, in addition to for 2 different cloven-hoofed species, Chinese language serow and Reeve’s muntjac, it modified for the more severe for pandas. “Now we all know that after we’re defending pandas, we’re shedding Asiatic black bears, musk deer and doubtless many different species,” Dr. Wang stated.
The findings echo analysis revealed final summer season by a few of Dr. Wang’s colleagues, which discovered that panda conservation had not helped giant carnivores in China, like leopards, wolves and snow leopards.
David Lindenmayer, a conservation biologist on the Australian Nationwide College in Canberra, who was not concerned within the analysis, stated the brand new panda findings strengthened ongoing issues in regards to the umbrella species strategy to conservation. Whereas pandas and different high-profile species are nice for fund-raising and campaigning, uncommon animals normally have very particular habitat necessities. Efforts to preserve a whole ecosystem seldom align with the wants of those extra charismatic species, Dr. Lindenmayer stated.
“There’s a must be very sober in making selections about what species are chosen and why, and what species can and can’t work as helpful surrogates,” he stated. “In any other case, severe errors get made.”
In China, reception to the panda findings has been blended, Dr. Wang stated. “Some individuals stated it’s simply frequent sense that species want their very own habitat, however others requested me why I wrote an article in English criticizing our nice success in panda conservation.”
Dr. Wang was involved that the federal government can be displeased, however up to now, he stated, the response has been largely optimistic. “They’ve began to speak about incorporating a multispecies monitoring community within the new Large Panda Nationwide Park” in Central China, he stated. “They might not be blissful about this discovering, however I feel they’re shifting ahead to keep away from comparable outcomes being repeated.”
Some change is already taking place on the bottom. World Vast Fund for Nature-China, for instance, which works with the Chinese language authorities, not too long ago added snow leopards to its conservation technique.