Several Major Impacts of Climate Change on the Giant Panda

Research Article
Open access

Several Major Impacts of Climate Change on the Giant Panda

Siman Chen 1*
  • 1 Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, US    
  • *corresponding author chen.13900@buckeyemail.osu.edu
TNS Vol.112
ISSN (Print): 2753-8826
ISSN (Online): 2753-8818
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-151-8
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-152-5

Abstract

A symbol of China, the giant panda, which is also called Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is becoming more susceptible to the consequences of climate change. This paper compiles recent studies on how the panda's survival is impacted by changing temperatures, modified rainfall patterns, and habitat fragmentation. Projected changes in the distribution of Bashania fargesii, a main bamboo species eaten by pandas, were analyzed using species distribution models (SDMs), ecological forecasting, and bioclimatic data. This paper discovered a northward movement of ideal habitats under both moderate and severe climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). By 2100, mechanistic models projected a 62% drop in climate-appropriate habitats for pandas, to be accompanied by at least 500-meter elevation changes. Comparative research with sympatric mammal species also showed that while pandas might not suffer the most severe habitat loss, their low mobility and dietary specialization make them especially vulnerable to environmental change. These results highlight the pressing need for dynamic, climate-adaptive conservation plans incorporating habitat corridors, bamboo restoration, and integrated reserve design. This paper emphasizes that protecting the giant panda calls for a systems-level approach combining climate modeling, ecological forecasting, and proactive conservation policy.

Keywords:

Climate change, giant panda, temperature, distribution

Chen,S. (2025). Several Major Impacts of Climate Change on the Giant Panda. Theoretical and Natural Science,112,144-150.
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References

[1]. Ma, B., Lei, S., Qing, Q., & Wen, Y. (2018). Should the Endangered Status of the Giant Panda Really Be Reduced? The Case of Giant Panda Conservation in Sichuan, China. Animals, 8(5), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8050069

[2]. Wei, F., Swaisgood, R., Hu, Y., Nie, Y., Yan, L., Zhang, Z., Qi, D., & Zhu, L. (2015). Progress in the ecology and conservation of giant pandas. Conservation Biology, 29(6), 1497–1507. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12582

[3]. Li, Z., Liu, G., Wu, X., & Wang, X. (2014). Tree-ring-based temperature reconstruction for the Wolong Natural Reserve, western Sichuan Plateau of China. International Journal of Climatology, 35(11), 3296–3307. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.4207

[4]. Shen, J., Song, Z., Duan, W., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Exploring local challenges and adaptation strategies in the establishment of National Parks in giant panda habitats. Global Ecology and Conservation, 30, e01764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01764

[5]. Zhao, H., Yang, X., Shi, S., Xu, Y., Yu, X., & Ye, X. (2023b). Climate-driven distribution changes for Bashania fargesii in the Qinling Mountains and its implication for Panda Conservation. Global Ecology and Conservation, 46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02610

[6]. Fan, J., Li, J., Xia, R., Hu, L., Wu, X., & Li, G. (2014). Assessing the impact of climate change on the habitat distribution of the giant panda in the Qinling Mountains of China. Ecological Modelling, 274, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.11.023

[7]. Zhang, J., Pan, S., Che, Q., Wei, W., Zhao, X., & Tang, J. (2022). Impacts of climate change on the distributions and diversity of the giant panda with its sympatric mammalian species. Ecological Indicators, 144, 109452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109452

[8]. Shen, G., Pimm, S. L., Feng, C., Ren, G., Liu, Y., Xu, W., Li, J., Si, X., & Xie, Z. (2015). Climate change challenges the current conservation strategy for the giant panda. Biological Conservation, 190, 43–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.004

[9]. Li, Y., Viña, A., Yang, W., Chen, X., Zhang, J., Ouyang, Z., Liang, Z., & Liu, J. (2013). Effects of conservation policies on forest cover change in giant panda habitat regions, China. Land Use Policy, 33, 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.12.003

[10]. Shang, X., Qin, W., Yang, B., Dai, Q., Pan, H., Yang, X., Gu, X., Yang, Z., Zhang, Z., & Zhang, L. (2024). Integrated framework for dynamic conservation of bamboo forest in giant panda habitat under climate change. Journal of Environmental Management, 368, 122052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122052

Cite this article

Chen,S. (2025). Several Major Impacts of Climate Change on the Giant Panda. Theoretical and Natural Science,112,144-150.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICEGEE 2025 Symposium: Sensor Technology and Multimodal Data Analysis

ISBN：978-1-80590-151-8(Print) / 978-1-80590-152-5(Online)
Editor：Alan Wang
Conference website: https://www.icegee.org/auckland.html
Conference date: 16 June 2025
Series: Theoretical and Natural Science
Volume number: Vol.112
ISSN：2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

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References

[1]. Ma, B., Lei, S., Qing, Q., & Wen, Y. (2018). Should the Endangered Status of the Giant Panda Really Be Reduced? The Case of Giant Panda Conservation in Sichuan, China. Animals, 8(5), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8050069

[2]. Wei, F., Swaisgood, R., Hu, Y., Nie, Y., Yan, L., Zhang, Z., Qi, D., & Zhu, L. (2015). Progress in the ecology and conservation of giant pandas. Conservation Biology, 29(6), 1497–1507. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12582

[3]. Li, Z., Liu, G., Wu, X., & Wang, X. (2014). Tree-ring-based temperature reconstruction for the Wolong Natural Reserve, western Sichuan Plateau of China. International Journal of Climatology, 35(11), 3296–3307. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.4207

[4]. Shen, J., Song, Z., Duan, W., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Exploring local challenges and adaptation strategies in the establishment of National Parks in giant panda habitats. Global Ecology and Conservation, 30, e01764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01764

[5]. Zhao, H., Yang, X., Shi, S., Xu, Y., Yu, X., & Ye, X. (2023b). Climate-driven distribution changes for Bashania fargesii in the Qinling Mountains and its implication for Panda Conservation. Global Ecology and Conservation, 46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02610

[6]. Fan, J., Li, J., Xia, R., Hu, L., Wu, X., & Li, G. (2014). Assessing the impact of climate change on the habitat distribution of the giant panda in the Qinling Mountains of China. Ecological Modelling, 274, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.11.023

[7]. Zhang, J., Pan, S., Che, Q., Wei, W., Zhao, X., & Tang, J. (2022). Impacts of climate change on the distributions and diversity of the giant panda with its sympatric mammalian species. Ecological Indicators, 144, 109452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109452

[8]. Shen, G., Pimm, S. L., Feng, C., Ren, G., Liu, Y., Xu, W., Li, J., Si, X., & Xie, Z. (2015). Climate change challenges the current conservation strategy for the giant panda. Biological Conservation, 190, 43–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.004

[9]. Li, Y., Viña, A., Yang, W., Chen, X., Zhang, J., Ouyang, Z., Liang, Z., & Liu, J. (2013). Effects of conservation policies on forest cover change in giant panda habitat regions, China. Land Use Policy, 33, 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.12.003

[10]. Shang, X., Qin, W., Yang, B., Dai, Q., Pan, H., Yang, X., Gu, X., Yang, Z., Zhang, Z., & Zhang, L. (2024). Integrated framework for dynamic conservation of bamboo forest in giant panda habitat under climate change. Journal of Environmental Management, 368, 122052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122052

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