16 May
2006 - Xian, China WWF's China Programme and
the Chinese Forestry Department of Shaanxi Province
have launched a programme to build up an ecological
corridor to reunite two isolated panda populations.
A bamboo forest will be restored
with the help of WWF volunteers to create a green
corridor for giant panda sub-populations that
were fragmented by a national highway.
The two Tianhuashan and Xinglongling
panda sub-populations in the Qinling Mountains
were separated 23 years ago by the construction
of National Road 108. Then, in 1999, the completion
of a tunnel led to the abandonment of a 13km section
of the highway, and this has created the possibility
of reconnecting the fragmented habitats of the
giant pandas in Mount Tianhuashan, where there
are approximately 20, and Mount Xinglongling,
where there are about 110.
In 2000, the area along the
abandoned road was listed by the province as one
of the key ecological corridors for giant pandas
in Qinling. It was put under the State's protection
in 2002, and at the same time Guanyinshan reserve
was established. In 2005, WWF carried out a socio-economic
survey, identifying the threats to giant pandas
in the area. Later that year, the global conservation
organization cooperated with the Guanyinshan Nature
Reserve to begin restoring the panda's habitat.
"The project is an active and valuable attempt
by WWF and our partners to connect the fragmented
habitats in the Qinling Mountains," said
Dermot O'Gorman, WWF China acting country representative.
"We hope the green bamboo corridor can connect
the panda populations separated by the highway,
free the animal from human and traffic disturbance,
and bring new hope to the conservation of wild
giant pandas in Qinling."
The WWF project seeks to restore the bamboo forest,
strengthen management and support sustainable
community development in the corridor area. About
87ha of bamboo forest are being planted above
the tunnel, to provide an opportunity for the
Tianhuashan and Xinglongling giant panda sub-populations
to reunite.
END NOTES:
The Guanyinshan Nature Reserve was established
by the Shaanxi Government in 2002 to protect the
giant panda and the forest ecosystem. It covers
13,534ha of the southern slope of the Qinling
Mountains and adjoins three other nature reserves:
Zhouzhi; Foping; and Tianhuashan. The reserve
is home to the giant panda, golden monkey and
golden takin. It is also the link between the
two largest Qinling giant panda sub-populations:
the Xinglongling and Tianhuashan sub-populations.
The giant panda sub-populations were reconnected
after the Qinling tunnel was built, making this
reserve the only place in the Qinling Mountains
where the giant panda habitat is not fragmented
by roads.
Since its establishment, the
Guanyinshan Nature Reserve has been working on
protecting the Qinling giant panda. In recent
years, the reserve has been cooperating with WWF
on reserve management, habitat restoration, capacity
building, promotion, and monitoring and patrolling.
Through their joint efforts, there has been an
increase in the available wildlife habitat and
the giant pandas have expanded their territories.
