冰川融化，兩種昆蟲被列入瀕危物種名單

冰川融化，兩種昆蟲被列入瀕危物種名單

The continued existence of two species of insects is in doubt because climate change is melting away the glaciers and year-round snowfields they depend on, US wildlife officials said Wednesday.

美國野生動物保護官員于本周三稱，兩種昆蟲能否繼續(xù)生存尚存疑問，因為氣候變化正在融化它們賴以生存的冰川和終年積雪。

The western glacier stonefly and the meltwater lednian stonefly found in the northern Rocky Mountains will be protected as threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. US Fish and Wildlife Service officials said.

在洛磯山脈北部發(fā)現(xiàn)的西部冰川石蠅，和融水萊德南冰川石蠅將受到聯(lián)邦瀕危物種法案的保護。美國魚類和野生動物管理局官員表示。

“We recognize the fact that this species is not doing well,” agency spokeswoman Jennifer Koches said. “The primary threat to the habitat to both species are climate-change induced.”

“我們意識到這個物種的情況并不好，”該機構(gòu)發(fā)言人珍妮弗·科切斯說。“對這兩個物種棲息地的主要威脅是由氣候變化引起的。”

The stoneflies’ peril underscores the threat climate change poses to mountaintops worldwide that are “biodiversity hotspots” — home to a rich variety of plants, animals and insects that scientists are still learning about, said Clint Muhlfeld, a research aquatic ecologist for the US Geological Survey.

美國地質(zhì)調(diào)查局水生生態(tài)學(xué)家克林特·穆爾菲爾德說，石蠅的危險凸顯了氣候變化對全球“生物多樣性熱點地區(qū)”的山頂造成的威脅。“生物多樣性熱點地區(qū)”是各種植物、動物和昆蟲的家園，科學(xué)家們?nèi)栽谘芯窟@些植物、動物和昆蟲。

Muhlfeld, who is based in Montana’s Glacier National Park, led the scientific research that backed the fish and wildlife service’s decision.

住在蒙大拿冰川國家公園的米爾菲爾德領(lǐng)導(dǎo)了支持魚類和野生動物管理局決定的科學(xué)研究。

“It’s not just about those two species,” he said. “They represent an entire ecosystem we know little about.”

“不僅僅是這兩個物種，”他說。“它們代表了我們知之甚少的整個生態(tài)系統(tǒng)。”

The stoneflies live in high-elevation, cold-water streams fed by glaciers and perennial snowfields in and around Glacier National Park in Montana and Native American tribal lands in western Montana. More recently, western glacier stoneflies were found in streams in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in Montana and Wyoming.

這些石蠅生活在高海拔的冷水溪流中，它們的食物來自蒙大拿冰川國家公園及其周圍的冰川和常年雪原，以及蒙大拿西部的印第安部落土地。最近，在懷俄明州的大提頓國家公園和蒙大拿州和懷俄明州的absaraka - beartooth荒野的溪流中發(fā)現(xiàn)了西部冰川石蠅。

They are mostly found in steep, remote areas that are hard to reach and away from backcountry trails.

它們大多生長在陡峭、偏遠、交通不便的地區(qū)，遠離偏僻的小路。

Melting glaciers, higher water temperatures and changes in the volume of snowmelt and runoff are harming the habitat they need to survive, federal wildlife officials said. Most glaciers and snowfields in the species’ main location, Glacier National Park, are predicted to disappear by 2030.

聯(lián)邦野生動物官員說，冰川融化、水溫升高以及融雪量和徑流的變化正在損害它們賴以生存的棲息地。該物種的主要棲息地——冰川國家公園的大部分冰川和雪原預(yù)計將在2030年消失。

The new threatened species classification, which takes effect 30 days from Wednesday, will make federal funding available for conservation efforts meant to aid the insects’ recovery and restore their habitat.

新的瀕危物種分類將從周三起30天內(nèi)生效，聯(lián)邦政府將為保護瀕危物種提供資金，幫助它們恢復(fù)和恢復(fù)棲息地。

Researchers have said it’s uncertain what measures could be taken to preserve the insects, which are mostly found in national parks that already have strong regulations in place to protect wildlife.

研究人員表示，目前還不確定應(yīng)該采取什么措施來保護這些昆蟲，它們大多生活在國家公園里，而國家公園里已經(jīng)有了保護野生動物的嚴格規(guī)定。