Green Options » Panda

China’s Iconic Panda May Face Extinction in Two to Three Generations

Rhishja Larson — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:27:42 +0000

As China marches forward with aggressive infrastructure construction plans, years of panda conservation face major setbacks.

Despite the panda’s status as China’s signature animal, China’s desire for economic development may spell doom for this shy and gentle creature.

The panda’s already fractured habitat is being split up into even smaller pockets by construction of highways at nature reserves. According to People’s Daily Online, WWF China has reported several panda populations have already been forced into habitats just 1 kilometer wide.

Pandas limited to fragmented home ranges are unable to breed with other populations, severely impacting opportunities for genetic diversity within the species - and leading to extinction in the wild.

Wild Pandas Face Uncertainty in Southwestern China

Rhishja Larson — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:54:03 +0000

At a reserve in southwestern China, a small group of wild pandas may be pushed closer to extinction in the wild. Researchers now report that last year’s earthquake destroyed almost a quarter of their fragile habitat.

In a recent article published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, researchers say that landslides and mudflows occurring from the May 12 earthquake have severely fragmented one of the last habitats of wild pandas. The resulting isolation from other populations puts them at risk of inbreeding, which could lead to extinction.

Lead author of the study, Weihua Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, says that the Sichuan region comprises more than half of the habitat for the world’s remaining wild pandas.

Xu estimates that more than 60 percent of the panda population - which could be as low as 35 individuals - was affected by the earthquake.

China Announces World’s First Panda Born from Frozen Sperm

Rhishja Larson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:35:34 +0000

Researchers are excited by the birth of a Giant Panda conceived using frozen sperm at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in southwestern Sichuan province.

The baby’s mother is eleven-year-old You You, and the father is Lolo, whose sperm had reportedly been frozen years ago.

Pandas are commonly conceived using artificial insemination, as they apparently have a naturally low libido. Using frozen sperm had been tried previously, but not successfully until now.

Researchers say the option for using frozen sperm would have a positive effect on the population of Giant Pandas, as it would increase the diversity of the species.

Only approximately 1,600 Giant Pandas are still surviving in the wild.

Good work, You You and Lolo!

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barkertrax/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Panda Stands - For Eco Friendly Bamboo Banners

John Simonetta — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:04:57 +0000

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of ProformaGreen, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy. John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

OK, the name is a little cheesy but these signs are a great idea for businesses that need eco-friendly signage which still shows a professional edge.

Primarily constructed of bamboo, the Panda Stand is an environmentally friendly retractable banner stand for the exhibit, display and graphics markets. The unit is made from 90% renewable resources (bamboo casing and pole) and designed to maximize visual impact.

The Panda Stand’s eco-friendly style helps to emphasize your message while contributing to a greener planet for us all. In fact I would say the stand itself contributes to your message.

The manufacturer - Megagraphix - is working on using a 100% recycled solution for the banner itself as well as printing the unit using 100% vegetable based dyes.

This sturdy and premium portable display unit offers the same high performance attributes as other retractable displays. Its precision-engineered retraction system makes it easy and quick to set up virtually anywhere - simply unwind the graphic stored in the bamboo base and insert the support pole.