Hi everyone!
Here are some positive impacts humans have on pandas :-)
Keeping Pandas in Zoos
Because giant pandas are so rare, they have become very popular zoo attractions and every zoo in the world wants to get its hands on a panda. The popularity of pandas in zoos increases public awareness of their predicament and may increase donations to panda preservation organizations. Animals raised in the zoo also receive protection against forces that kill pandas in the wild.
Recovering destroyed bamboo forests
The 2008 earthquake in China destroyed vast swaths of bamboo forests that provided an important habitat for pandas. Recovery initiatives paid Chinese farmers to seed and tend bamboo plants. These efforts were successful and expanded into full-scale bamboo farming that created a larger habitat for pandas to live in.
Increasing and conserving panda habitat
Panda habitat is increasing with the development of new reserves.
Today there are approximately 40 panda reserves across Southwestern China. Some are Nature Reserves providing a safe habitat for wild Giant Pandas (eg a National Park). Other reserves protect the wild Giant Pandas while having scientific research centers to study their behavior and for breeding captive Giant Pandas.
The reserves also protect the Giant Panda's natural habitat.
Logging is extremely detrimental to the giant pandas' habitat so in 1998 a logging ban was implemented by the Chinese government to slow the destruction. This helps to conserve the pandas habitat.
Linking isolated panda zones
Pandas live in 20 habitats within their current range. These zones are cut off from each other by roads, farms, cities and other human development.
The Chinese government, in partnership with WWF, is now working to link these isolated panda habitats with corridors of bamboo forest.
By creating green bamboo corridors that link these zones, the remaining pandas will be able to extend their range, find more food and find other pandas to mate with, increasing their population and their genetic diversity.
Sources: http://www.ehow.com/info_8180423_effects-giant-panda-being-endangered.html
http://www.pandasinternational.org/wolong.html
http://javefinch2.blogspot.sg/2008/06/panda-conservation-success.html
http://m.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/solutions/protectedareas/corridor/index.cfm
Hi Sophia,
ReplyDeleteHow did you know that the recovery initiative after the 2008 earthquake was successful?
-Zhou Zhou
Well they spent alot of money restoring the panda reserves. OPCFHK and Wessen Nature Foundation are jointly supported the giant panda habitat restoration project in the Wolong Nature Reserve. Almost half of the money form an aid package from Hong Kong (almost U.S.$ 110 million) was used to restore the panda reserve at Wolong. The project accelerated the recovery of the ecosystem by planting 160,000 bamboo seedlings. A visit was made from 21 to 24 April to participate in the bamboo planting programme, and to learn the progress of rebuilding efforts in the region.
DeleteI see! I can really see their effort put in :) If you were the manager of the Wolong Nature Reserve, how would you spend the $110 million dollars? Like in which areas will you invest more money in?
Delete-ZZ
I would do the same thing, plant bamboos. After all the money was donated to restore the destroyed habitat.
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