Sichuan earthquake destroyed nearly a quarter of panda habitat

ScienceDaily (July 28, 2009) — When the magnitude 8 Sichuan earthquake struck southern China in May 2008, it left more than 69,000 people dead and 4.3 million homeless. Now ecologists have added to these losses an assessment of the earthquake’s impact on biodiversity. Researchers show that more than 23 percent of the pandas’ habitat in the study area was destroyed, and fragmentation of remaining habitat could hinder panda reproduction. The Sichuan region is designated as one of 25 global hotspots for biodiversity conservation, according to a 2000 study. Home to more than 12,000 species of plants and 1122 species of vertebrates, the area includes more than half of the habitat for the Earth’s wild giant panda population, says study lead author Weihua Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. “We estimate that above 60 percent of the wild giant panda population was affected to some extent by the earthquake,” says Xu. … “It is probable that habitat fragmentation has separated the giant panda population inhabiting this region, which could be as low as 35 individuals,” says Xu. “This kind of isolation increases their risk of extinction in the wild, due in part to a higher likelihood of inbreeding.” …

Sichuan Earthquake Destroyed Nearly A Quarter Of Panda Habitat Near Quake’s Epicenter