A remote sensing-based analysis on the impact of Wenchuan Earthquake on the core value of World Nature Heritage Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary

In this study, we used remotely sensed data, GIS modeling, and statistical methods to evaluate the damage caused by the Wenchuan Earthquake (May 12, 2008) to the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitat in the World Nature Heritage Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary (WHSGPS) in China. A landscape ecological analysis found increases of landscape heterogeneity, complexity, and fragmentation in the giant panda habitat after the earthquake. A terrain analysis found that slope and elevation are directly associated with the distribution of the damaged areas. As slope and elevation increase, the size of the damaged area keeps increase until to a peak, and then starts to drop. The total area of the damaged vegetation in our study area is 114.26 km², accounting for 3.78% of the study area; 30.46% of that 114.26 km² is located in the Core Zone of WHSGPS. There are 18.57 km² of the damaged vegetation located in the identified suitable giant panda habitat, accounting for 1.75% of the total area of suitable giant panda habitats in the study area. Based on these findings, we conclude that the Wenchuan Earthquake does not have significant impact on the WHSGPS as a whole.