Giant pandas "reduce danger", but ecological protection cannot be downgraded

　　■ Editorial

　　my country has successfully protected 10 endangered protected animals. The downgrading of giant pandas to "vulnerable" is a sign of the improvement of my country's overall ecology, but related protection will not be downgraded.

　　On July 7, at the press conference of the State Council Information Office, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment introduced that my country has established a relatively complete system of natural protected areas and the wildlife ecological environment has been effectively improved.

The number of giant pandas in the wild has reached more than 1,800, and the threat level has been reduced from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

　　Giant pandas are my country's national treasures and even one of the country's business cards. Its "danger reduction" has aroused people's attention.

The media asked from the perspective of a giant panda: "I was demoted, do you still love me?" The answer is of course yes.

However, animal protection still needs to be viewed dialectically from multiple angles.

　　The "downgrading" of giant pandas means that China's environment and ecology have improved. This is an objective fact.

And its "danger reduction" also has a scientific basis.

　　According to the "IUCN Red List of Endangered Species and Standards" formulated by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), species are classified as: extinct, wild extinct, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near endangered, non-endangered, lack of data and unassessed.

Among them, "endangered" refers to when a taxon does not meet the "critically endangered" standard, but its wild population is likely to be extinct in the near future, such as blue whales, elk, etc.; "vulnerable" refers to the future After a period of time, its wild populations, such as great white sharks and polar bears, are more likely to face extinction.

In addition, there are quantitative standards.

　　Based on its own actual conditions and combined with the IUCN standards, China has formulated the species classification of the China Red Book of Animals, using wild extinction, extinction, endangered, vulnerable, rare, and unspecified classifications, which are similar to the IUCN standards.

In terms of quantity alone, the wild population of giant pandas has reached more than 1,800, exceeding the "endangered" upper limit of 250, and also breaking the "vulnerable" upper limit of 1,000.

Therefore, its "risk reduction" is scientific and prudent.

　　In fact, as early as September 2016, IUCN announced in Hawaii, the United States, that the threat of giant pandas was reduced from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

At that time, the State Forestry Administration of China issued a document stating that the IUCN report was a theoretical judgment, while the State Forestry Administration, as the giant panda protection management department, focused on the actual work and protection situation and believed that the giant panda was still an endangered species.

Today's "risk reduction" is also the result of several years of on-site investigations, weighing from various aspects, and judging by Chinese standards.

　　"Reduce the danger" of giant pandas is a sign of the improvement of our country's overall ecology, but it does not mean that their protection will be downgraded accordingly.

As stated by the State Forestry Administration, if the protection level is lowered and the protection work becomes lax and lax, the giant panda population and habitat will be irreversibly lost and destroyed, and the protection achievements that have been made will be lost, especially some small local populations. May be extinct at any time.

　　This view is prudent and worthy of affirmation. It reminds us to be prepared for danger in times of peace and have a long-term perspective on the protection of pandas.

　　As far as reality is concerned, the panda's living conditions have not yet been completely out of danger.

The first is that its habitat is imperfect, which is manifested as fragmentation of the protected area.

An official survey in 2016 showed that giant pandas are only distributed in narrow areas in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. Due to factors such as natural isolation and human interference, the wild population of giant pandas is divided into 33 local populations.

There are 22 populations with less than 30 individuals and a risk of extinction, and 18 local populations with less than 10 individuals and a high risk of extinction.

Now, this situation has not completely improved, so more investment in protected areas is needed.

　　On the other hand, giant pandas are also facing the threat of global warming, showing that their food may be reduced or the harvest may fail.

Due to climate warming, some researchers predict that in the next 80 years, one-third of the bamboo forest on which giant pandas depend for survival may disappear, and the survival and reproduction of giant pandas will therefore be unsustainable.

　　To this end, we must not only see the achievements of my country's ecological environment construction behind the giant panda's "danger reduction", but also cannot assume that it has been accomplished.

In fact, only by continuously protecting giant pandas and other endangered animals can our country's ecology continue to improve and maintain good biodiversity.

This is the greatest benefit for mankind and all creatures that live and live on the earth.