Changing environments and endangered species

5 interesting facts about pandas. 1.The life span of giant pandas in the wild is approximately 20 years. Captive pandas may live to be years old. 2. The eyespots of a giant panda cub are initially in the shape of a circle. As the cub grows, the circles become shaped like a teardrop. 3. Giant pandas are on the brink of extinction, with just over 1,000 pandas left in the world. Scientists are hoping to increase the wild panda population to 5,000 by a 4.The giant panda has been on the endangered species list since The most significant threats to pandas are habitat loss and poaching. China is only approximately 5% greater than the U.S. in area but has four times the population. 5. Pandas have lived on Earth for two to three million years.

Map of where pandas live

Population numbers over time.

Pictures of environment over time

A panda's daily diet consists almost entirely of the leaves, stems and shoots of various bamboo species. Bamboo contains very little nutritional value so pandas must eat 12-38kg every day to meet their energy needs. But they do branch out, with about 1% of their diet comprising other plants and even meat. While they are almost entirely vegetarian, pandas will sometimes hunt for pikas and other small rodents. Giant Pandas are strictly herbivores, their diet consisting primarily of bamboo. Herbivores, because they eat bamboo. I think they eat meat sometimes though. ANSWER: The correct answer is they are 99% herbivore as bamboo leaves are most of their diet.

A List of the reasons that pandas is endangered Habitat Loss China’s Yangtze Basin region, which holds the panda’s primary habitat, is the geographic and economic heart of this booming country. Roads and railroads are increasingly fragmenting the forest, which isolates panda populations and prevents mating. Forest destruction also reduces pandas’ access to the bamboo they need to survive. The Chinese government has established more than 50 panda reserves, but only around 61% of the country’s panda population is protected by these reserves.

Diversity and why is it important the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable. Ecosystems and their species perform important biological services, for example, green plants remove carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere, which helps keep the environment healthy and fit for human life. Although we still have much to learn about the often complex function of ecosystems, and about which species perform critical roles, we know that if an ecosystem is altered in any way, it might not be able to perform some of its important services. Economic arguments also provide compelling reasons for conserving species. Different species of plants, animals, fungi and micro- organisms provide us with food, medicines, fuel, building materials, fiber for clothing and industrial products.

What is being done to prevent the extinction of pandas. The plan includes 14 new panda reserves and five areas that will connect patches of panda habitat.The connected patches will allow pandas to move to other areas where they can associate with other pandas and mate to increase the panda population. All of these areas are in the mountains of Southwestern China.They are also creating breeding centers, in addition to reserves, in China. The most famous reserve is the Wolong Nature Reserve. It is famous for the China Conversation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. The nature reserve is a temperate forest with many rare mammals, plants, and insects. By protecting the panda in this reserve, many other species are also getting protected. This is needed to maintain biodiversity in the forest.

What is a seed bank and why is it important. A seed bank stores seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. It is a type of gene bank. The seeds stored may be food crops, or those of rare species to protect biodiversity. The reasons for storing seeds may be varied. When we think of Endangered species, often panda bears and penguin come to mind. However, plants suffer from the same threat of extinction. In Russia, the Vavilov Research Institute operates as a bank for many of these endangered species. Unfortunately, the seed bank and the over 200 acres of land it occupies is in danger of being demolished and taken over for new house developments by the Russian Housing Development Foundation