The Sichuan Province is part of the Hengduan Mountains. It is also a major source of timber. Based on statistics in 1948, the forested areas in Sichuan has decreased from 32,050,000 ha (pre-historic China) to 8,289,000 ha. (1948). If the forested area keeps decreasing, the natural habitat would be in great danger and endemic species like giant panda, about only two thousands of which exist in the wild today, might become extinct. Other than wood cutting, dam is also a problem to the ecosystem. And since China is still a developing country, more dams will probably be built and they will cause even more damage to the Hengduan Mountains.
Just recently, Baimaxueshan Mountains National Park was established to conserve parts of the Hengduan Mountains. Within the park the amount of timber exploit is limited to the replacement level, so the forested area will stop decreasing. In other areas of Hengduan Mountains, however, the situation is not so fortunate because there are currently no laws limiting timber exploit. The best way to conserve forests is probably introducing healthier logging methods like commercial agriculture (monoculture) instead of subsistance agriculture or clear-cutting. Introducing timber bans in areas with endangered species until the population is back on track can also be a great alternative.
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