Yin Kaipu, Xie Yan, Wu Ning
Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Integr Zool. 2006 Dec;1(4):170-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2006.00032.x.
The giant panda faces severe threats from habitat fragmentation and isolation. Currently, giant panda populations have been fragmented into 30 habitat patches. The disappearance of isolated small populations and studies on the genetic diversity of various populations have shown that small isolated panda populations are at a high risk of dying out completely. Habitat fragmentation has seriously impaired the ability of the giant panda to resist climate changes and other natural disasters, such as large-scale, synchronous bamboo blooming. The Min Mountains have the largest population of pandas in China, numbering 581 individuals and accounting for 52% of the total (1114) in China. Geographic isolation means that giant pandas in the Min Mountains are divided into two populations (population A in the north and population B in the south). Population B, which had only 42 individuals in 1989, is severely threatened by high-density human populations and the loss of genetic diversity. However, we have identified an important corridor connecting the two populations. This paper explains the importance and the feasibility of reestablishing this corridor. Due to the special geographic locations of these two populations (two rivers block the migration of giant pandas between south and north), the corridor is the only passage for giant pandas in the region. Recent studies have also shown an increase of giant panda activity in the area of the corridor. However, vegetation in the corridor has been severely degraded. Bamboo forest must be restored in this area to provide food for the pandas during migration. The effects of human activities must be reduced in order to maintain panda habitat. We believe that a restored corridor will be of great benefit to the survival of giant pandas in the Min Mountains, especially for population B. Successful re-establishment of a corridor will be a valuable model for corridor construction in the future.
大熊猫面临着栖息地破碎化和隔离带来的严峻威胁。目前，大熊猫种群已被分割成30个栖息地斑块。孤立小种群的消失以及对各种群遗传多样性的研究表明，孤立的大熊猫小种群面临着完全灭绝的高风险。栖息地破碎化严重削弱了大熊猫抵御气候变化和其他自然灾害的能力，比如大规模、同步的竹子开花。岷山拥有中国数量最多的大熊猫种群，共计581只，占中国大熊猫总数（1114只）的52%。地理隔离意味着岷山的大熊猫被分为两个种群（北部的种群A和南部的种群B）。种群B在1989年仅剩42只，受到高密度人口和遗传多样性丧失的严重威胁。然而，我们已经确定了一条连接这两个种群的重要走廊。本文阐述了重新建立这条走廊的重要性和可行性。由于这两个种群所处的特殊地理位置（两条河流阻碍了大熊猫在南北之间的迁徙），这条走廊是该地区大熊猫的唯一通道。近期研究还表明，走廊区域内大熊猫的活动有所增加。然而，走廊内的植被已严重退化。必须在该区域恢复竹林，以便在大熊猫迁徙期间为它们提供食物。必须减少人类活动的影响，以维护大熊猫的栖息地。我们认为，恢复后的走廊将对岷山大熊猫的生存，尤其是对种群B大有裨益。成功重建走廊将成为未来走廊建设的宝贵典范。
