Sichuan Earthquake Destroyed Nearly A Quarter Of Panda Habitat Near Quake's Epicenter
Monday, July 27, 2009 - 16:21
in Earth & Climate
When the magnitude 8 Sichuan earthquake struck southern China in May 2008, it left more than 69,000 people dead and 4.3 million homeless. Now ecologists have added to these losses an assessment of the earthquake's impact on biodiversity. Researchers show that more than 23 percent of the pandas' habitat in the study area was destroyed, and fragmentation of remaining habitat could hinder panda reproduction.