Our University of Michigan case team, comprised of students and faculty from the School for Environment and Sustainability as well as staff from Michigan Sustainability Cases, was invited by Tsinghua University’s School of Environment to visit a series of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) (hereinafter referred to as “panda”) habitat research sites in central China. Our goal was to learn about restoration challenges and practices underway, make recommendations, and share what we learned with others.
In this case, you will advise experts at Wolong National Nature Reserve’s (WNNR) management bureau. They have asked you to assess the feasibility and trade-offs of certain management actions with regards to the conservation of panda populations and their habitat, in addition to the preservation of the livelihoods of people living within the reserve. Your suggestions should recognize the difficult nature of decision-making given different values held by multiple stakeholders, especially indigenous communities, while also considering how best to manage small panda populations so as to remove drivers of endangerment and encourage recovery of said populations and their habitat.
Photo credit:
Xuehua Liu
Photo credit:
Bret Fickes
Photo credit:
Xuehua Liu
Photo credit:
Ivan EastinWhy make the panda the object of this case study? From a wildlife ecology perspective, this species is important to study for a number of reasons.
- Pandas have raised the profile of animal conservation. Their charismatic appearance and status as a conservation icon attracts resources that can be used to protect the broader environment.○
- Pandas are an iconic species. They provide cultural value as the national symbol of China, and this is apparent in their popularity at zoos, the number of tourists visiting reserves, and their likeness being made into toys and other goods.○
- Pandas are economically valuable. Namely, they generate economic benefits for local communities through ecotourism and other activities.○
- Pandas serve an important ecosystem function by spreading bamboo seeds. This is crucial because bamboo forests in turn serve other functions such as cycling nutrients, absorbing rainwater, and sequestering carbon dioxide.○
- Pandas provide a great strategy for preserving biodiversity. They are known as an “umbrella” species because efforts to preserve their habitat will protect other animals that share their habitat.○ A study on China’s endemic forest wildlife found 70% of mammals, 70% of birds, and 31% of amphibians live within such areas.○
- Panda habitat supports human livelihoods. The same mountainous bamboo forests that pandas inhabit are also used by local communities for firewood, agriculture, grazing, medicine, fisheries, and hydropower.○○
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Pandas are a great example of these different facets of conservation (cultural, economic, environmental, social, etc.) coming together to demonstrate the complexity involved in deciding whether or not to attempt to save a species. The value that we place on these different facets then helps us determine a management strategy and how to spend any funding we may have.
Of course, questions inherent to this decision remain, such as “Will it be worth our time and money?” “What if they still go extinct?” “Should we invest in a different species?” Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing for sure what the outcome of a management strategy will be. Therefore, it is up to a manager to assess the situation based on available information and resources, weigh the pros and cons, and use their best judgement.