Melissa Cronin: “There are an estimated 1,600 pandas left in the wild in China, and thanks to new legislation, that number may change very soon — for the worse.
“The Chinese government is currently in the midst of introducing its “forest tenure reform” legislation in several provinces. Originally introduced in 2008, the new reforms were meant to stimulate local economic benefits reaped by people living in forest communities.
But in effect, the reforms could allow for the sale of some 694,884 square miles of critical old-growth forest for commercial logging, firewood collection and development. The area, currently owned collectively by villagers, represents 15 percent of China’s panda forests, according to a new study published in the journal Conservation Letters.“
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GR: Fifteen percent doesn’t seem to severe, but relinquishing habitat at this rate would lead to loss of protection for all Panda habitat in seven years. Land-use planning must always take a long-term view. Some planners recommend 200-year projections to allow estimates of the effects of small changes.
This is a story that we should follow. The habitat involved supports many more species than just Pandas.
