In the ongoing quest to understand what makes a good wildlife habitat, surprising new research shows there may be too much of a good thing when it comes to pinpointing optimal conditions. Embracing somewhat reduced standards can be good news to conservation managers.
Research by Michigan State University scientists shows that an animal — in this case a giant panda — should be happy enough to thrive, but not so content they don’t want to move around and find new mates.
The research in this month’s “Conservation Biology” has broader implications — it is not necessary to have 100% of the area as habitat to support pandas and, in fact, pandas would benefit from some unsuitable habitat across the landscape.
To read the full story, visit the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability website.