Monday, May 14, 2007

Is it OK to steal food from pandas?


From The Observer:
Globally, 1bn people rely on bamboo for shelter or income. In Tamil Nadu, in India, it is a critical housing material in post-tsunami reconstruction. But the idea that it grows like wildfire is a gross simplification. Harvest bamboo at the wrong time or on too large a scale and it can lead to irreversible forest destruction and possible shortages for the communities that need it most. Out of 1,600 bamboo species, commercial growers focus on just 38 of the fastest growing, leading to the spectre of more monocultures. The World Conservation Union's Red List of endangered species includes 27 species of woody bamboo, including that preferred by giant pandas and west African mountain gorillas.

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