Success For One Does Not Equal Success For All
The giant panda is an iconic animal whose very existence is under threat. As a flagship species, it represents China across the globe. To save the panda, China, along with the international conservation community, has made large investments and created protected ranges. These efforts have paid off, and in 2016, the threat to the species was reduced from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’ by the International Unions for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Pandas are also designated as an umbrella species, meaning that the protection of the panda is thought to protect other animals that share their habitat. This study assessed the effectiveness of this strategy. To quantify its outcomes, the study authors examined the prevalence and distribution of four carnivores, leopard, snow leopard, wolf, and dhole, in 73 protected areas that overlap with those of the panda. To identify changes, baseline populations were determined using surveys taken from the 1950s to the 1970s. The researchers compared these figures with camera trap data recorded from 2008 to 2018. A total of 1,690,000 camera-days from 7,830 survey stations provided images of each of the four species for the analysis.
Populations of the four carnivores began to fall in the 1960s. However, interviews with local villagers and park staff indicate that most of the declines occurred in the 1990s. Historically, three of the four species studied were common across the protected areas surveyed. Leopards and dholes were both found across 93% of the range and wolves in 58%. The snow leopard was less common. Results showed that populations of all four carnivores are all in sharp decline in the panda’s protected range. Just one of the study areas maintained populations of all four carnivores. Leopards vanished from 34 of the 42 areas studied, suggesting a population loss of 81%. Snow leopards were seen in only five of eight areas, a drop of 38%. Wolves appeared in just 6 of the 26 areas, falling 77%, and dholes disappeared from 41 of the 43 areas, indicating a 95% population collapse.
Indeed, these figures suggest the functional extinction of the wolf and dhole within the panda distribution range, severe declines which are likely due to one or more of several factors. Habitat loss from commercial logging, poaching of both the carnivores and their ungulate prey, and diseases spread from domestic animals may all play a role. Panda protection has thus failed to stem the losses of these species. Their needs are different from the panda’s, and conservation programs have neglected to take this into account.
This study makes clear that the conservation success of the panda has not translated to the success of other species in their range. Targeting just one animal for conservation using the umbrella method is just not enough. The four carnivores in this study need programs specifically designed for them. Recently, China launched an initiative to establish a national park system. This should help with the problem of fragmented habitat management, likely a key driver in species’ losses. This is an exciting start.
Wherever possible, advocates can offer to help in this effort. The issues of poaching and the encroachment of cattle grazing into wildlands also need attention. Advocates engaged in wildlife conservation have many opportunities for impact as China seeks to restore this important ecosystem.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-1260-0