Biodiversity refers to a stable ecological complex composed of living organisms such as animals, plants and microorganisms, which is the sum of various life forms in a specific region. Biodiversity covers all species, as well as the genetics of these species and the ecological complexes they form. It generally includes three components: species diversity, genetic diversity and ecosystem diversity (Mouysset, 2017). The concept of biodiversity organically links species, genetics, ecosystems with the environment, encompassing not only all living organisms, but also the natural resources on which these organisms depend. Meanwhile, the natural environment is also an important component of the human living environment.

Therefore, biodiversity conservation is related to the sustainable and long-term development of human beings. Protecting biodiversity is important for maintaining and restoring the level of ecosystem services to ensure the orderly operation of ecosystems and to sustaining the development of human beings and the future generations. In this essay, the common threats to global biodiversity will be introduced, followed by a case analysis of an endangered species: the giant panda.

Most of the habitat and biodiversity loss on land is caused by agricultural expansion. Large commercial agriculture has had a negative impact on biodiversity due to the emphasis on singular agricultural products (Mouysset, 2017). As all the other natural species are considered “harmful” to the crops, extensive use of pesticides further poisons the land and reduce biodiversity. In addition, the increased demand for biofuels has also had a negative impact. For example, forests and natural lands in Southeast Asia have been converted to grow single species of agricultural plants. Direct habitat loss due to aquaculture is a major threat to coastal ecosystems. Submarine trawling and other destructive fishing methods have led to the degradation of seabed habitats. Both on shore and off shore, in order to meet consumer demand, unconstrained over-consumption has led to declines in species population and biodiversity. Although overexploitation of terrestrial ecosystems is often difficult to quantify, the main exploited species include trees, crop plants, and medical plants.

Invasive alien species threaten indigenous biodiversity. As international travel and trade increase in the globalized era, alien species spread through intentional or unintentional entrance. The main channels for the spread of alien species include poorly planned economic introductions, air transport, sewage tanks and contaminated water from overseas ships. The main ways in which invasive alien species affect indigenous species include predation, competition and habitat modification (Reise, Olenin, & Thieltges, 2006). Alien species can bring huge economic costs because they do not fit into the local ecosystem or the food chain. As a result, their ecological attributes easily become the advantage over local competing species. As a result, the population of alien species surges, causing excessive burden on the local ecosystem, and finally destruction. Alien species have been found in almost all countries and habitats. In particular, alien species are often more destructive in islands, where the ecosystems are relatively more isolated and less resilient.

Climate change also poses a growing threat to species and habitats. There is much evidence that changes in phenology, including the timing and migration of many different species, physiology, behavior, morphology, population density, and distribution, are all affected by climate change. For example, the development trend of European birds in the past years has shown that the number of population groups that benefit from climate change has increased, while the number of population groups that have contracted habitats has decreased. In the marine sector, due to rising water temperatures and ocean acidification, climate change has led to the death of large areas of the reef. Arctic ice sheets are also rapidly dissipating, affecting species that depend on ice for survival, such as the polar bear. Recent research has also predicted that the distribution of species of marine fish expand to the Arctic (or Antarctic), leading to the possible destruction of local ecosystem or endemic extinction (Bellard et al., 2012).

Finally, environmental pollution is also a threat to global biodiversity. Discharge of pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture and forestry, oil and gas exploitation, wastewater treatment plants, urban and suburban runoff, and oil spills directly affect biodiversity through the deaths of plants and animals and reduced reproductive success rates. Impact can also be indirect, as habitat degradation caused by pollutants persist for decades or even longer. After the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl happened, hundreds of thousands of local residents were affected, and the region became completely inhabitable. It took decades before the local ecosystem restored, while long-term influences of radiation remain unknown. Inland wetlands and coastal marine habitats face major threats from water pollutants. At the same time, atmospheric pollution in terrestrial systems is also destructive, especially for the deposition of eutrophication and acidified compounds such as nitrogen and sulfur. As suggested by Merchant (1981), the costs of “competition, aggression, and domination arising from the market economy” are the primary causes for the devastations of the ecology and the ecosystem.

Why should we care about the loss of biodiversity? Although Descartes makes a certain distinction between humans and animals (Descartes, 1993), his animals are machines judgment has great limitations. Descartes could not see the diversity of movement forms, and could not see the boundaries between inorganic matter, organic matter and animals. Below is a case analysis of the complex motivations in the preservation of a species. Giant panda is probably one of the most famous endangered species in the world. The external factors that affect its long-term survival are the combination of habitat destruction, food shortage, disease, severe climate, hunting, and human disturbance. The internal factors are mainly due to their physiological and biochemical processes in the long-term evolution.

The feeding habits, reproductive ability and child-raising behaviors have all been highly specialized with poor adaptability. The slight ups and downs in the external environment will affect the stability of the giant panda population, resulting in a decrease in its number. Numerous studies have shown that the endangerment and extinction of species are not random, but are related to the biological characteristics. Species with certain characteristics are more sensitive to external disturbances, more vulnerable to endangerment and extinction. These characteristics are usually called the extinction-prone attributes (McKinney, 1997). Such characteristics include large body size, low fertility, small population, narrow distribution range, low population density, high degree of habitat specialization, etc. Among these characteristics, the giant panda is in line with the body size, low reproductive ability and weak diffusion ability. The panda is very dependent on the native habitat, unable to maintain vitality in the changed habitat, making them more vulnerable to extinction.

In order to save giant panda from the edge of extinction, it is not enough to rely on legislative protection alone. The establishment of the giant panda nature reserves is currently the most common protection measure. Small populations in the isolated habitat, without proper protection as soon as possible, will quickly go extinct due to the instabilities in the bamboo supply. Although some habitats are unlikely to go extinct in the short term, their status cannot fully support the long-term survival of the panda populations. From 1963 to the early 1990s, the Chinese government established 13 giant panda nature reserves in the Qinling Mountains, covering an area of ​​6,000 square kilometers. With the launch of the giant panda habitat, the number of protected areas has increased to 29 (Wei, et al., 2015). The key to establishing a protected area is to resolutely eliminate hunting, strictly control capture and further expand its habitat. By establish green corridors, isolated populations are able to connect with each other and resume population stability. Meanwhile, the bamboo species within and around the reserves are also protected, further increasing the chance of survival.

Despite these efforts, the giant panda is still in critical condition. Since the 1950s, its habitat has disappeared by 80%, and it now has only more than 10,000 square kilometers, distributed in several 30 counties. The number of wild populations has fallen below 2000 and has been segmented into isolated small populations (Wei, et al., 2015). With the loss of genetic diversity, this small population will inevitably lead to the decline of ability of giant pandas to adapt, breed and resist disease. It is more likely to be trapped in extreme danger. Since giant pandas depend entirely on bamboo for their livelihood, bamboo periodically flowering and dying is a fatal blow to giant pandas in a single area of ​​bamboo forest (Wei, et al., 2015). In the 1970s and 1980s, the large-scale flowering of the bamboo had caused a significant decline in the population of giant pandas. In order to save the endangered species of giant pandas and promote the recovery of their populations, the Chinese government launched the National Conservation Programme for the giant panda and its habitat. The Conservation Project will fundamentally alleviate habitat fragmentation. The dilemma brought to the giant pandas will curb the loss of the giant panda habitat and promote the recovery of the panda population.

From the Chinese government to academic institutions to civil society organizations, extensive efforts are being made to save the giant pandas from being in danger. Compared with other endangered species, the protection of giant pandas is quite unique. The family of giant pandas is very old and can be traced back to the late Miocene at least 7 million years ago. The giant panda’s ancestors are veritable carnivores, with sharply developed canine teeth, shorter intestines and carnivores. The giant pandas retain these characteristics of their ancestors during their evolution. It is only because the living environment has changed a lot, they have changed their diet in order to survive. Because of the long history of giant pandas, they have lived on the earth for thousands of years. They have many prehistoric features and are well-deserved living fossils. In other words, studying pandas will directly or indirectly provide people with ancient and modern climates and geology, the change of geography, and the historical facts of human life. Pandas are not only the living proof of biological evolution, but also the gene pool of precious genes. All of these features make pandas a precious species for scientists to study biological evolution.

From a theoretical perspective, biodiversity provides theoretical support for giant panda conservation. The following principles are included in the biodiversity theory: the diversity of organisms is considered good; the ecological complexity is also good. This principle is parallel to the diversity of organisms, only with a greater emphasis on habitat diversity and the value of complex ecological processes. An understanding of this principle requires a certain amount of expertise, such as knowledge of animal, plant, biological, geographic and ecological classifications. Another principle emphasizes that natural and wild is always considered better than the artificial (Martin, Mcguire, & Sullivan, 2013). The potential for species and populations to sustain adaptation and evolution is a good thing. The existence of life itself represents already the diversity of evolutionary processes. Evolution is like a machine, and biology is the product of it. Understanding this principle from an ethical perspective is to maintain the continuity, integrity, and avoid interference as much as possible. The diversity of life has its intrinsic value. This is the most basic principle that emphasizes the intrinsic value of non-human life. The existence of species indicates that they have their own value in the long-term evolution process. Whether acquired or lost, it has potential or genetic value.

Therefore, the action of protecting the panda habitats can be justified through the argument of environment ethic. Since the diversity of organisms is good, and its diversity has intrinsic value, especially the special species of giant pandas, its extinction will make the world less diverse. At the same time, the protection of giant pandas has indirectly led to the protection of other species in the areas covered by the preservation programs, thus indirectly contributing to local biodiversity. However, considering the population of the remaining pandas, the value of research, the value of species diversity and its side effects, are these reasons enough to justify why China has spared no effort to protect the giant panda from extinction? The answer is negative. In China and the world, the rise of giant panda popularity and the protection of giant pandas are linked to each other. It is impossible to see the full picture from the perspectives of conservation biology and ecological ethics alone. External factors have attached to the species of giant pandas the decisive factor. The political, economic, and emotional factors are precisely the real reason why giant pandas are specially protected.

The appearance of the giant panda is very adorable. Because of the title of the national treasure, the giant panda is more than just an animal. It has become a gift of political sense, a link between China and foreign countries, and a clever lubricant in foreign affairs. In other words, if the national treasure giant panda is extinct, China’s reputation for nature conservation will plummet and the Chinese government will lose a strong diplomatic means. The giant panda becomes not only an endangered species, but has a spiritual symbol, a national symbol, and a diplomatic envoy. It is not surprising that giant pandas carrying so much spiritual and political connotations are treated differently from other endangered species. Compared with politics, the economics motivations behind the preservation is more relatable to the public (Wei et al. 2018). Pandas are loved by people all over the world. This is based on the needs of human emotions. There is really little difference between people’s desire for pets and their love for pandas. Although keeping the giant pandas in the zoo is no good to cultivate panda’s ability to adapt to the wild environment, people continue to do so to satisfy the needs of tourism.

In conclusion, the reasons for the long-term special attention and protection of giant pandas include both environmental ethics and economic, political, and cultural factors. Giant panda has obvious biological research value to preserve. The reason why giant pandas are treated differently from other species is very complicated. In addition to the research values ​​described above, the conservation of species diversity, the protection of geographical species and the environment, political, economic factors, and emotional factors are external causes and more prominent reasons. External factors such as politics and economics are the main reason for the giant pandas to be so favored, and the ultimate source of the special identity and status of giant pandas. In the process of preservation, wild animals in the same regions are also benefiting from the reserves. However, when adopting the ecological perspective alone, such excessive focus on pandas is detrimental to biodiversity. Although protecting giant pandas does not directly threaten other species, and even plays a role in the protection of other species, the excessive resources consumed by giant pandas for political and emotional reasons could have been used on the protection of other important species.