Impacts of the Wenchuan Earthquake on the giant panda nature reserves in China |
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Authors: | Xiangzheng Deng Qunou Jiang Quansheng Ge Linsheng Yang |
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Institution: | (1) State Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Department of Systems Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China;(2) Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, 621000, China;(3) Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA;(4) China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, 623006, China;(5) Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China |
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Abstract: | The Wenchuan Earthquake that occurred in May of 2008 caused damages to large areas of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces
in China. Reports from local governments and related management agencies show that the giant panda nature reserves in the
earthquake-hit areas were heavily damaged. Our estimates in this paper of the impacts of the earthquake on the giant panda
in the earthquake-hit areas were made based on the interpretation of remote sensing images and information collected by field
survey. A rapid assessment method was designed to estimate the damages of the earthquake on giant panda habitats. By using
visual interpretation methods, we decoded the remote sensing images of the disaster area in the 49 giant panda nature reserves.
Research results showed that the Wenchuan Earthquake and the succeeding secondary geological disasters caused great damages
to the giant panda nature reserves and disturbed the normal life of the giant pandas there (e.g., landscape fragmentation
increased significantly). Undoubtedly, the life of the giant pandas there was affected. However, although the earthquake caused
certain impacts on the giant pandas, it did not really threat their survival. Even so, we still strongly advocate for protection
of the giant pandas, and have prioritized a couple of measures to be taken to restore the giant panda nature reserves in the
earthquake-hit areas. |
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