China’s vigorous efforts to protect giant pandas, an endearing flagship species and umbrella
species in nature conservations and also a popular national treasure of the country, have injected
strong impetus to the protection of different ecosystems and the sustainable development of
surrounding communities.
Over the past few decades, the habitats of wild animals in China have expanded and their
populations have risen continuously.
In particular, the population of giant pandas in the wild has grown from 1,114 to 1,864 over the
past four decades, and giant pandas have been downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on
the list of species at risk of extinction, according to a white paper titled “Biodiversity
Conservation in China” released by the country’s State Council Information Office.
The downgrading of giant panda’s conservation status has corroborated the upgrading of China’s
ecological and environmental protection.
In recent years, China has established a total of 67 protected areas for giant pandas. The Giant
Panda National Park under construction in the country covers an area of more than 27,000 square
kilometers, including 88 percent of the population and 70 percent of the habitats of wild giant
pandas in the country’s nature conservation network.
Giant pandas play an extremely important role in the course of nature conservation. Almost every
habitat of giant pandas coincides with one of the most important distribution centers of species
endemic to China.
Many of the species of birds, mammals, and amphibians endemic to China live in the habitats of
giant pandas, which means that the country’s efforts to protect its umbrella species like giant
panda can benefit other species distributed in the same areas.
The habitats of giant pandas are also the main habitats of wildlife species including golden
monkeys and takins. In fact, a large variety of animal species can be seen in the habitats of giant
pandas, such as coal tits and red-flanked bluetails, small migratory bird species that are not afraid
of humans; blue eared pheasants that often chirp loudly at hillsides; and the Western Chinese
mountain salamanders that inhabit mountain valleys.
Thanks to the establishment of protected areas for giant pandas, poaching incidents have been
significantly reduced in the natural habitats of giant pandas. Therefore, wildlife populations have
gradually recovered and ecosystems have been continuously restored.
The country’s protection of giant pandas has also driven economic and social development,
achieving win-win results for giant panda conservation and improvement in people’s living
standards.
Many people live in the long strip of land inhabited by giant pandas, which spans a large area
starting from the Qinling Mountains in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, passing through
Diebu county and Zhouqu county in northwest China’s Gansu province, and stretching into the
Minshan Mountains, Qionglai Mountains, and Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in southwest
China’s Sichuan province.
The lifestyle of local people has changed during the construction of the country’s nature
conservation network for giant pandas. Many residents started to use energy-efficient cooking
stove and renewable energy sources including methane, leading to a significant reduction in the
number of trees cut for firewood. Meanwhile, some regions have explored ways to increase
people’s income by facilitating the development of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs planting
and beekeeping and selling green products to various cities.
It’s estimated that the value of ecosystem services provided by the habitats of giant pandas is 10
times that of the efforts and resources put into the protection of them.
The downgrading of conservation status doesn’t mean a reduction in the country’s efforts to
protect wildlife. As it pushes ahead with the construction of its Giant Panda National Park, China
will manage to shelter more wildlife species and help more living beings enjoy harmonious
coexistence and thrive together by continuously enhancing endeavors to protect giant pandas.
