Endangered Pandas
The Plight of the Endangered Pandas
At the summit of the Yangtze Basin in Southwest China is a bio-diverse ecosystem where a variety of rare animal and plant species exist, the most recognizable of which are the endangered pandas.
A seasonal, semitropical climate is found in the Basin, which is considered to be the economic and geographic lifeblood of China. Glacier runoff from the mountains of the Tibetan Plateau along with rain provides the waters that flow in the Yangtze River. This provides irrigation for Chinese farm and agricultural industry, hydroelectric power in the form of dams, a major water thoroughfare, transportation hub as well as a great source of tourism for scenery. Densely populated, the demands for power and water have led to increased dam construction in this area; leading to the destruction of habitats for a number of creatures, including the endangered pandas.
Pandas have long inhabited the Yangtze River Basin area, enjoying the temperate grasslands and mixed forests. Bamboo forests provided nourishment for these beautifully colored bears, with each panda capable of consuming up to 80 pounds of bamboo each day. Pandas are solitary creatures; preferring their own company to that of others, and create their own territories that overlap yet are respected by others of their species. These creatures do not hibernate as do their relatives, the bears. They do, however, perform a type of migration. The endangered panda’s favored habitat is the higher mountainous areas; however, when the weather proves to be too cold in the higher regions, it transfers to lower altitudes where it is warmer.
Bamboo is a plant that, upon reaching maturity, flowers, produces seeds and then dies off. The seeds scatter and then take root; growing slowly to repopulate the area. Oddly enough, all of the bamboo growing in a specific area is of the same species, therefore they all share the same life cycle. This fact means that the panda, who feeds on only 4 or 5 different bamboo varieties, must move on to locate another species of bamboo when this happens. With the influx of humans into these areas, eliminating the bamboo sources, the endangered pandas have no place to go, and could starve as a result.
Because of the economic opportunities offered in the Yangtze River Basin, millions of people have immigrated to the area. Vast areas of forestation and habitats have been cleared, removing vital food sources to many of China’s endemic wildlife, including the endangered panda’s bamboo. The panda is being squeezed out of its natural habitat; one that it has occupied for millions of years.
Once free to roam the greater area of Southern China, the few endangered pandas still remaining in the wild are now confined to isolated regions on reserves. Their plight could be disastrous if the stringent efforts of those working to save the endangered pandas are not successful.