The Tangjiahe,Wanglang, and Fengtongzhai giant panda reserves and biological conservation in the people's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China has designated a system of reserves in the mountains that rim the Sichuan Basin as areas to be managed specifically for the conservation of the giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca. We were invited to visit three of these reserves in April and May 1981 as guests of the China Association for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Forestry. Two reserves, Wanglang (27,000 ha) and Tangjiahe (40,000 ha) are located in the headwaters of the northern tributtaries of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) in the Min Shan, 400 km north of Chengdu. The Fengtongzhai (40,000 ha), type locality of Ailuropoda, is in the Qionglai Shah, 250 km west of Chengdu. We describe the physiography, faunistic and floristic position, and conservation management of these areas. Major issues in the conservation of Ailuropoda are discussed.