The endangered pandas in Qinling Mountains might face a new threat: the loss of their food—bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.

Adult pandas spend most part of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature and Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of rising temperature worldwide.

A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate changes. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature increases 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century.” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report’s authors. He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in the Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening around the world.”

In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger natural reserves.

“But it is far from being enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,” said Shirley Martin from World Wildlife Fund but not a member of the team.

The Qinling Mountains, in the southwest of China, are home to about 260 pandas. That is about 13% of the Chinas wild panda population. In addition, about 375 are living in research centers and zoos in China.

Peruvian firefighters were fighting to control a forest fire near Machu Picchu on Thursday, as the flames threatened to close in on the ancient city high in the Andean mountains.

Machu Picchu, a site of Inca ruins sitting on top of a mountain, was built in the mid-15th century by the Incas, whose empire controlled large areas of South America from what is today southern Ecuador to central Chile. Considered as one of the new seven wonders of the world, it is a top tourist attraction in Cusco, Peru.

The fire, which had damaged an area about half the size of Vatican City, was started on June 28, 2022 by farmers burning grass to prepare to plant new seeds. Since Tuesday, about 20 hectares (49 acres) had been affected by the fire, the mayor of the nearby city of Cusco said.

The fire’s remoteness has greatly influenced firefighting efforts. “We have already been fighting the forest fire for two days and it has not been possible to get it under control, for the area is quite far away and hard to reach,” said Roberto Abarca, director of the Cusco Risk Management and Security Office.

Some 600 firefighters and volunteers battled the fire, and helicopters dropped retardants (阻燃剂) in front of the flames to prevent them from spreading to archaeological (考古学的) sites. “The fire has left the critical zone where there are archaeological monuments, but is still burning fiercely,” the government said.

While South America’s top archaeological treasure was safe from the fire, experts feared the destruction of thousands of acres of nearby forest would damage Machu Picchu’s attraction to tourists.

The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smokey the Bear's famous warning: “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”. However, that's not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.

After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine (松树) snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, “One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被) and can no longer support birds dependent on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover.”

If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind-all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the 'fuel load' can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.

Many organizations and agencies work to promote fire on the landscape when and where appropriate. Smokey Bear even has an updated warning: “Only You can Prevent Wildfires,” as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and procedures to include prescribed fire as a management tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.