Bret Fickes
Panda Habitat Degradation in Wolong, ChinaHow can conservation and development be balanced within a nature reserve?
Bret Fickes
, (University of Michigan)
Olivia Mitchinson
, and (University of Michigan)
Ivan Eastin
(University of Michigan)
Managers at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in central China must decide how best to conserve giant panda habitat while also addressing the livelihoods of the people within its borders and the demands of an ever-growing tourism industry.
The efforts in Wolong National Nature Reserve have been successful in increasing the numbers of giant pandas, but will this be enough to sustain them for future generations? The University of Michigan and Tsinghua University teamed up to find out what the future looks like for them, their habitat, and the people who live in the reserve. In this case, you will be asked to assess management actions that affect conservation of giant panda populations and their habitat as well as preservation of the livelihoods of people living within the reserve. To do this, you will be provided with information collected by these case teams over the time period of May 5-9, 2019 that attempts to capture the current situation and which is based on site visits and interviews with local researchers and practitioners. This case study ends with a population viability analysis of a fictional giant panda population to better understand how different factors may determine the fate of a species. Estimated reading time of 30 min-1 hr.
Learning objectives
- Identify human impacts on giant panda habitat and causes of degradation.
- Assess management actions and policy in terms of trade-offs and feasibility.
- Apply concepts related to management of small populations, specifically drivers of endangerment and recovery of populations.