Chinese researchers believe that giant panda national parks in the country can effectively alleviate the isolation of the species' population.
At present, there are 1,631 giant pandas in 17 populations living in national giant panda parks. The number of isolated giant panda populations could be reduced from 33 to 21 nationwide if the habitats in the parks are connected, according to the website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which reported the research results.
The researchers from the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences under the CAS proposed that less number of isolated small populations could reduce the risk of giant panda extinction.
According to the fourth national survey of giant pandas, there are 1,864 wild giant pandas across the country. They are first class, key protected wild animals in China and are seen as the flagship and umbrella species of China's endangered-species protection.
In the future, climate change could exacerbate the fragmentation of giant panda habitats and increase the number of isolated small populations.
The researchers simulated the current and future extinction risks of wild giant pandas under climate change, and analyzed the impact of giant panda national parks on protecting the species.
Their study is aimed at giving practical advice for conservation policies and management and has implications for the conservation of other species in the world that live in isolated, fragmented habitats, according to the research article published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
