HUMAN IMPACTS ON LAND COVER AND PANDA HABITAT IN WOLONG NATURE RESERVE Linking Ecological, Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Behavioral Data
نویسندگان
چکیده
Understanding patterns, processes, and consequences of land-cover change requires close linkages among various ecological, socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral data. In this chapter, we present an interdisciplinary study of human impacts on land cover and panda habitat in Wolong Nature Reserve (China). Wolong is one of the largest reserves (200,000 ha) designated for giant panda conservation, but it also includes more than 4,000 local residents whose activities have a substantial impact People and the Environment on panda habitat. We have developed a conceptual framework that outlines the rationale for the linkage of varlous data. Our household and community surveys were linked with remote sensing and geographic information systems at three stages: data collect~on, data analysis, and systems modeling and simulation. The integration of various sources of data offers useful insight into the underlying mechanisms behind changes in land cover and panda habitat and allows us to project future ecological and demographic changes under different policy scenarios.
منابع مشابه
Temporal changes in giant panda habitat connectivity across boundaries of Wolong Nature Reserve, China.
Global biodiversity loss is largely driven by human activities such as the conversion of natural to human-dominated landscapes. A popular approach to mitigating land cover change is the designation of protected areas (e.g., nature reserves). Nature reserves are traditionally perceived as strongholds of biodiversity conservation. However, many reserves are affected by land cover changes not only...
متن کاملEvaluating MODIS data for mapping wildlife habitat distribution
Habitat distribution models have a long history in ecological research. With the development of geospatial information technology, including remote sensing, these models are now applied to an ever-increasing number of species, particularly those located in areas in which it is logistically difficult to collect habitat data in the field. Many habitat studies have used data acquired by multi-spec...
متن کاملEffects of fuelwood collection and timber harvesting on giant panda habitat use
Timber harvesting and fuelwood collection have dramatically reduced the total amount of forestland around the world, including in China. To understand how timber harvesting and fuelwood collection activities affect use by wildlife, we examined giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) use within Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, southwest China. We evaluated giant panda use of habitat by obse...
متن کاملEvaluating the efficacy of zoning designations for protected area management
Protected areas worldwide are facing increasing pressures to co-manage human development and biodiversity conservation. One strategy for managing multiple uses within and around protected areas is zoning, an approach in which spatial boundaries are drawn to distinguish areas with varying degrees of allowable human impacts. However, zoning designations are rarely evaluated for their efficacy usi...
متن کاملLarge anthropogenic impacts on a charismatic small carnivore: Insights from distribution surveys of red panda Ailurus fulgens in Nepal
Protected areas are key to preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem services. However, their ability to ensure long-term survival of threatened andendangered species varies across countries, regions and landscapes. Distribution surveys can beparticularly important for assessing the value of protected areas, and gauging their efficacy incatering to species-specific requirements. We asse...
متن کامل