Hi guys! :)
So I've found differing viewpoints on the conservation of pandas. I'll be making a summary out of these articles and adding in my own reasons and using facts to back up my reasons. Here are the links if you want to read the full articles:
Viewpoints:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/23/panda-extinction-chris-packham%20Why%20should%20we%20save%20the%20giant%20panda?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15691450
Viewpoint 1: We should give up on ensuring the survival of the pandas.
Firstly, we do not have enough resources. Pandas' only source of food is bamboo. Bamboo itself is very low in nutrients and pandas consume an average of 38kg of bamboos per day! This means that we need a large area of bamboo plantation to ensure that pandas have a continuous supply of food. However, many forests/bamboo trees are cut down to give space to build more houses in order to meet the housing needs of the growing population.
Secondly, since pandas are herbivores and only eat bamboos, they are prone to many diseases (eg. cold and upper respiratory tract infections)
Lastly, they are hard to breed in captivity. Female pandas are only fertile for one 36-hour period per year and if they feel that the environment she is in does not support her cub, she will not breed.
Viewpoint 2: We should continue to try our best to ensure the survival of the pandas:
Firstly, by conserving the pandas, we are also saving our species of animals as they share the same habitat. For example, in china, the giant panda shares its habitat with the red panda, golden monkeys and various species of birds that are found no where else in the world.
Secondly, pandas play a crucial role in the bamboo forests as they help to disperse the seeds of the plants and increase the area of the vegetation.
Thirdly, the panda's habitat is also home for millions of people in china. Since their habitat is in the centre of China, we will help to increase the standard of living for the locals by sustaining the area.
Also, the number of pandas in the wild is increasing, showing that our efforts have not gone to waste and it can be successful.
Sources:
Why we should save the giant pandas
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/why_we_save_the_giant_panda/
Giant Pandas
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giant_panda.html
Dead cub shows how hard breeding pandas can be
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/story/2012/09/25/panda-cubs-death-shows-nature-is-in-charge/57838334/1
That's all! :)
I agree with the second view point better as compared to the first. Reason being, we should not be self-fish and only look in the point of view of the current situation. As the generation who have seen pandas, we may feel that there is not much point in keeping the panda from extinction. However, we should think about the future generation who isn't given a chance to enjoy looking at this adorable creature due to the previous generation's mistake, they should also be given the chance to enjoy what we once had and not take away this 'privilege' just because we came onto this planet earlier.
ReplyDelete-Lin Wei
Personally, do you think we should or should not conserve giant pandas?
ReplyDeleteHmm I believe we should continue to conserve the giant pandas. Firstly, we were the ones who destroyed their habitat and it is our responsibility to make sure that it does not go extinct. Secondly, giant pandas help in the distribution of the panda seeds, thus ensuring their growth. Thirdly, by conserving the giant pandas, we are also conserving their habitat which are homes to other species of animals (red panda, golden pheasant) and the villagers living there. Last but not least, there is just something about the pandas that make it so lovable. Everyone who sees it falls in love with it (especially when it rolls skfskfjlsfjlskdf)
ReplyDeleteWe should be patient and not be discouraged when faced with failure in the conservation of pandas. Positive results are already coming up yeah!
-ZZ
1. What are the factors which caused the people to have different point of views? Do you think that they're directly impacted causing their different point of views?
ReplyDelete2. Personally, how do you feel about the two different views?
-Lin Wei
Hi Lin Wei,
ReplyDeleteI'm not too sure what you mean by 'they're directly impacted causing their different point of view'. Could you please rephrase that? :D Thanks!
As for the second question, I feel that both views make sense. For viewpoint 1, one of the reasons given by the expert is that there are not enough bamboo to feed the pandas. However, it is actually humans who are destroying their habitats and we can actually take responsibility of our actions and stop cutting down their food source. Also, I don't believe that we should give up just because the female giant pandas are only fertile for 36 hours in a year. If they can reproduce in the wild in that amount of time why wouldn't it be possible in captivity? :D
I support viewpoint 2. In the process of conserving the giant pandas, we are sub-consciously helping many other people/animals. They are all inter-linked together and we are not only saving the giant pandas for their species' own good.
-ZZ
I meant to ask if this people had different point of views because of their experience, thus, leading them to feel differently?
Delete-Lin Wei
1.By saying that there are not many bamboos now, what do you think we can do to increase the number of bamboos? Why?
Delete2.If there are not enough bamboos, why can't we feed them with other source of food?
3.How are the conservation of pandas inter-link with other conservation? Please state and example.
-Lin Wei
1. Well, for a start, we have to get the residents living near the nature reserves to stop cutting down the bamboo trees. Only when that is done, we can slowly start to plant more bamboo. I have researched and found out that bamboo reproduce in 3 ways: Sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction and tissue culture. I will just be explaining the artificial method (tissue culture) since the other 2 are quite self-explanatory and it is more towards the natural reproduction.
DeleteTissue culture is a new way of reproduction of plants whereby different parts of the plants (seeds, stem cuttings etc) are used to initiate cultures. For example, seeds are germinated on artificial medium in a controlled environment to suit the bamboo’s growing needs. When enough of these seeds have germinated into shoots, they are then transferred to the soil where they are placed under either glass house or polyhouse conditions. After 2-3 months, the bamboo can then be planted in the wild.
Perhaps we can adopt the tissue culture method. They will be of good use when the bamboo die-off happens or even just to increase the number of bamboos.
2. This is because the giant panda's main diet consists of 99% bamboo, with the other 1% being meat such as rats. They were once carnivores, but they have evolved over time and they mainly feed on bamboos now. We should not change Mother Nature by feeding them with other sources of food.
3. When we conserve the giant pandas, we are naturally conserving other species such as the red panda and the golden pheasant. All these three animals live in the same habitat. Hence, by conserving the giant panda's habitat, we are actually helping to ensure a living environment for the red panda and the golden pheasant, both of which are endangered and rare respectively.
-ZZ
Oh and this is the reply to your first question. Personally, I feel that it depends on their experience with pandas. If you have been scratched or attacked by a giant panda, obviously you wouldn't have a good impression of it and thus do not want to conserve it. However, if you have a good impression of the giant panda as a cute and cuddly panda who just eats and sleeps, then we might have developed a soft spot for it and thus leading to the desire to conserve it :)
Delete-ZZ
In reply to your comment right above(:, I see.
Delete-Lin Wei
Do you think that the residents themselves are affected by the conservation of pandas?
Delete-Lin Wei
Yep. Based on research (found in other posts :)), the villagers living near the nature reserves cut down and burn the bamboo trees as their source of energy for daily necessities such as bathing and cooking. They do not use electricity because of the high price and the amount of voltage needed. Thus, with the ban on logging, the villagers/residents will not have an available source of energy and thus cannot carry out their daily activities.
Delete-ZZ