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Start Over Author "Xuezhi Wang" Journal ecological research
2 results on '"Xuezhi Wang"'

1. Impact of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on biodiversity and giant panda habitat in Wolong Nature Reserve, China

Author

Vanessa Hull, Jindong Zhang, Rengui Li, Weihua Xu, Zhiyun Ouyang, Xuezhi Wang, Jinyan Huang, and Jianguo Liu

Subjects
Nature reserve, education.field_of_study, biology, Ecology, Population, Endangered species, Biodiversity, Vegetation, Geography, Habitat, biology.animal, Species richness, education, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Abstract

Natural disasters such as earthquakes have profound effects on the earth’s biodiversity. However, studies on immediate earthquake impacts are rarely conducted at fine scales due to logistical constraints. We conducted the first post-earthquake field survey in Wolong Nature Reserve, Wenchuan, China, less than 1 year after it was hit by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in 2008. Since Wolong harbors approximately 10% of the endangered wild giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population, the impact of the earthquake on the giant panda and its habitat is of particular concern. We established 15 transects in three focus areas within the Reserve where we classified occurrences of earthquake damage according to vegetation and geophysical characteristics. In the 11.2 km2 area sampled, we recorded 156 occurrences of earthquake damage consisting of landslides and mudflows, which comprised a total area of 0.88 km2. Of all earthquake damage occurrences sampled, only 36% of occurences (73% of surface area) corresponded to damaged areas previously detected through broad-scale remote sensing. The remaining damaged areas mainly consisted of occurrences too small to be detected without field observation. Although there were significant losses to tree and shrub species diversity and richness in earthquake-damaged areas, remnant vegetation was found in the majority (80%) of damaged areas, suggesting the potential for forest recovery. Most earthquake-damaged areas were too steep to be classified as suitable giant panda habitat (79%). In addition, a sizable number of signs of giant panda (67) and other wildlife (148) were observed near the earthquake-damaged areas, and there appeared to be avoidance of earthquake damage only at short-range distances. This study has implications for understanding the impact of natural disasters on biodiversity and highlights the importance of fine scale on-the-ground assessments of disaster impacts on wildlife and their habitats.

Published
2011

2. Integrating population size analysis into habitat suitability assessment: implications for giant panda conservation in the Minshan Mountains, China.

Author

Xuezhi Wang, Weihua Xu, and Zhiyun Ouyang

Subjects
*HABITATS, *ECOLOGY, *WILDLIFE habitat improvement, *WILDLIFE-habitat relationships, *GIANT panda
Abstract

Compared to conventional approaches, the integration of population size analysis with habitat suitability assessment on a large scale can provide more evidence to explain the mechanisms of habitat isolation and fragmentation, and thus make regional conservation plans. In this paper, we analyzed the habitat suitability for giant pandas in the Minshan Mountains, China, using the ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA) method, and then evaluated the current conservation status of this endangered species. The results showed that (1) giant pandas were distributed in a narrow altitudinal range in which vegetation cover was dominated by coniferous forest, mixed coniferous and deciduous broadleaf forest, and deciduous broadleaf forest with scattered bamboo understory, and (2) roads and human settlements had strong negative effects on the panda habitat selection. According to habitat analysis, the total habitat area of giant panda in the Minshan Mountains was 953,173 ha, which was fragmented into 12 habitat units by major roads, rivers, and human settlements. The habitat of the mid-Minshan was less fragmentized, but was seriously fragmented in the north. The panda population size estimation showed that 676 individuals inhabited the study area, and 94.53% of them were in the mid-Minshan, but small panda populations less than 30 individuals inhabited the isolated and fragmented habitat patches in the north. The nature reserves in the Minshan Mountains have formed three conservation groups, which covered 41.26% of panda habitat and protected 70.71% of panda population of the study area, but there still exists two conservation gaps, and the connectivity among these reserves is still weak. Due to habitat isolation and extensive human disturbances, giant pandas in the north (i.e., Diebu, Zhouqu, and Wudou) are facing threats of local extinction. In order to protect pandas and their habitats in this area, some effective conservation approaches, such as establishing new reserves in gap areas, creating corridors among patches, and seasonally controlling traffic flux in key roads, should be implemented in the future to link these isolated habitats together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2009
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