9202015 Giant Panda Conservation Also Helps Other Unique Species in China - Extinction Countdown - Scientific American Blog Network

httpblogsscientificamericancomextinction-countdowngiant-panda-conservation 14

ADVERTISEMENT

Sign In | Register 0

Search ScientificAmericancom

Subscription Center

Subscribe to All Access raquo

Subscribe to Print raquo

Give a Gift raquo

View the Latest Issue raquo

Subscribe News amp Features Topics Blogs Videos amp Podcasts Education Citizen Science SA Magazine SA Mind Books SA en espantildeol

Blogs Search All Blogs

Extinction Countdown News and research about endangered species from around theworld

About

Giant Panda Conservation Also HelpsOther Unique Species in ChinaBy John R Platt | September 16 2015 |

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)is more than just a fluffy conservation iconand a beloved media darling It is alsoaccording to new research the protector ofdozens of other unique Chinese species

No the panda itself doesnrsquot actually defendother wildlife but it helps to save them allthe same by serving as whatrsquos known as anldquoumbrella speciesrdquo In other words effortsto preserve habitats for the giant panda also protect many other mammals birds andamphibians that live only alongside pandas in the same areas and regions

Conservationists have expressed this umbrella species theory for years but a paperpublished today in Biological Conservation proves it The research looks at Chinarsquosendemic wildlifemdashspecies that exist nowhere else on Earthmdashand found that 70 percentof the countryrsquos forest mammals 70 percent of forest birds and 31 percent of forestamphibians all live within the pandarsquos geographic range and the nature reserves setaside to protect them All told 96 percent of this range overlaps with importantconservation areas for other endemic forest species ldquoI was very pleasantly surprisedby how well the panda does as an umbrella speciesrdquo says Stuart Pimm the paperrsquossenior author and Doris Duke Professor of Conservation at Duke University ldquoThemountains of southwest China are a biodiversity hotspot There are a lot of speciesthat are protected by the pandarsquos rangerdquo

Welcome to the Scientific American Blog Network aforum for a diverse and independent set of voices toshare news and opinions and discuss issues relatedto science For more information see our Aboutpage and Guidelinesmore

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Blogs

9202015 Giant Panda Conservation Also Helps Other Unique Species in China - Extinction Countdown - Scientific American Blog Network

httpblogsscientificamericancomextinction-countdowngiant-panda-conservation 24

Pandas do protect a lot although a few species fall outside the umbrella The researchfound that 14 of Chinarsquos endemic forest mammals as well as 20 birds and 82amphibians are not currently protected by the giant pandarsquos current reserves Thepaper identifies 10 locations that might be suitable for new or improved naturereserves to help expand that coverage Many of these areas located in SichuanProvince which is considered the stronghold of giant pandas in the wild are adjacentto existing reserves

Protecting the newly identified sites however wonrsquot save all of Chinarsquos uniquewildlife ldquoPandas are a good umbrella species for forest ecosystems in China but thatrsquosnot enoughrdquo says coshyauthor Binbin Li a PhD student at Duke who spent a yearcrunching data from dozens of sources for the paper ldquoIn China we have manyecosystems We need more umbrella speciesrdquo For example she says tigers could servethe same role in the northern part of the country Snow leopards could be an umbrellafor grassland species

The new findings are important Pimm and Li say because many people doubt thatChinarsquos commitment to preserving giant panda habitat is doing much good Otherpeople around the world donrsquot even realize that wild pandas still live in their nativeforests ldquoA lot of the resources in China go to releasing captive pandas back into thewildrdquo Li says ldquoThe news doesnrsquot cover thatrdquo She says this paper helps showcase wildpandas and also demonstrate that the expense in preserving them is money well spent

The researchers hope their paper helps to set the tone for future discussions not onlyabout umbrella species but also giant pandas themselves along with all of Chinarsquoswildlife ldquoWe want to help the Chinese authorities both at the provincial level and alsonaturally to focus the debate on which areas they should protectrdquo Pimm says ldquonotjust to protect pandas but to protect other species toordquo

A selection of the other species protected by giant panda reserves

Follow Us

SA BLOGS

ScientificAmerican (Inside SciAm)Anecdotes from the Archive (History)Dark Star Diaries (Blackholes)Expeditions (Field research)Guest Blog (Expert voices)MIND Guest Blog (Expert voices)Observations (News)SA Visual (Art)Talking back (Neuroscience)Voices (Diversity in science)

NETWORK BLOGS

Anthropology in Practice (Anthropology)Beautiful Minds (Intelligence amp creativity)Budding Scientist (Kids in STEM)Cocktail Party Physics (Physics)Compound Eye (Scientific photography)Cross-Check (Science in the news)Dog Spies (Companion animals)Extinction Countdown (Endangered species)Food Matters (Food amp nutrition)Frontiers for Young Minds (Science for kids)Illusion Chasers (Illusions amp perception)Life Unbounded (Astrobiology amp cosmology)Not bad science (Animal behavior amp cognition)Plugged In (Energy technology amp policy)PsySociety (Psychology amp pop culture)Roots of Unity (Math)Rosetta Stones (Geology)Running Ponies (Animals)Symbiartic (Science art)Tetrapod Zoology (Zoology)The Artful Amoeba (Natural history)The Urban Scientist (Culture amp diversity)Unofficial Prognosis (Medical School Experience)

View Archived Blogs

More from Scientific American

ADVERTISEMENT

View the Latest on

ADVERTISEMENT

9202015 Giant Panda Conservation Also Helps Other Unique Species in China - Extinction Countdown - Scientific American Blog Network

httpblogsscientificamericancomextinction-countdowngiant-panda-conservation 34

Share this Article

Photos courtesy of Duke University

Twice a week John Platt shines a light on endangered species from all over the globeexploring not just why they are dying out but also whats being done to rescue themfrom oblivion Follow on Twitter johnrplatt

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American

9202015 Giant Panda Conservation Also Helps Other Unique Species in China - Extinction Countdown - Scientific American Blog Network

httpblogsscientificamericancomextinction-countdowngiant-panda-conservation 44

YES Send me a free issue of Scientific

American with no obligation to continue

the subscription If I like it I will be billed

for the one-year subscription

Advertise

Special Ad Sections

SA Custom Media andPartnerships

Science Jobs

Partner Network

International Editions

Travel

Use of Cookies

About Scientific American

Press Room

Site Map

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Contact Us

Subscribe

Renew Your Print Subscription

Print Subscriber CustomerService

Buy Back Issues

FAQs

copy 2015 Scientific American a Division of Nature America Inc

All Rights Reserved

Recommended For You

1 Why There Will Never Be Another Einstein 4 weeks agoblogsscientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom More Science

2 Your Brain on Porn and Other Sexual Images a month agoscientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Neuroscience

3 The Myth of the Beginning of Time 10 months agoscientificamericancom ScientificAmericancom Features

4 General Relativity at 100 a month ago scientificamericancom80CommentsOldest ‑ Newest

You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmericancom member to submit a comment

Subscribe Now

Back to School Sale

One year just $1999

Order now gt

X