罕見的落磯山昆蟲需要雪原才能生存
By The Associated Press
Fri., Dec. 17, 2021timer2 min. read
Federal wildlife officials say two species of rare insects in the Rocky Mountains will need several thousand acres of glaciers and snowfields if they are to survive a warming world that’s threatening them with extinction.
美國聯邦野生動物官員們表示，兩種於落磯山脈的罕見昆蟲物種，倘若要在一處，以滅絕威脅它們的暖化世界中生存下來，將需要數千英畝的冰川及雪原。
The western glacier stonefly and the meltwater lednian stonefly live in streams that flow from melting glaciers and snowfields. Scientists say the insects are not doing well and face continued declines as they lose a projected 80% of their habitat in Glacier National Park by 2030.
西部的冰川石蠅及融水石蠅生存於，從融化之冰川及雪原流出的溪流中。科學家們表示，到2030年，當它們失去其在冰川國家公園，預計80%的棲息地時，此些昆蟲處於不佳情況，且面臨持續衰微。
The stoneflies’ peril underscores the threat climate change poses worldwide to mountaintops that are “biodiversity hotspots” — home to a rich variety of plants, animals and insects that scientists are still learning about.
此些石蠅的危難凸顯了，全球氣候變遷對身為，“生物多樣性熱點”之山頂構成的威脅。那是科學家們仍然進行瞭解，種類豐富之植物、動物及昆蟲的家園。
The two species live in and around Glacier National Park in Montana, Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, and Native American tribal lands in western Montana. More recently, they’ve been found in streams in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in Montana and Wyoming.
這兩物種生存於，美國蒙大拿州的冰川國家公園、加拿大艾伯塔省的沃特頓湖國家公園，及蒙大拿州西部美洲原住民部落的地域及周遭。最近，人們在懷俄明州大提頓國家公園的溪流，及蒙大拿州與懷俄明州的阿布薩羅卡-熊牙荒野中，發現了它們。
They are mostly found in steep, remote areas that are hard to reach and away from backcountry trails.
它們大部分，是在難以到達及遠離偏遠小徑的陡峭、偏僻地區被發現。
A new draft recovery plan from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggests the possible transplant of some of the insects to new areas, exploring ways to artificially propagate populations and research into the stoneflies’ heat tolerance.
來自美國魚類暨野生動物部門的一份新恢復計劃草案建議，將其中一些昆蟲遷移到新的地區、探索人工繁殖種群的方法及研究此些石蠅的耐熱性。
Researchers have said it’s uncertain what other direct steps could preserve the insects, which are mostly found in national parks that already have strong regulations in place to protect wildlife. That reflects the difficulty of dealing with climate change at the local level.
研究人員們已經表示，目前不確定，有什麼其他直接措施能保護這些，大部分在已經具有適得其所的健全法規，來保護野生動物之國家公園中，被發現的昆蟲。那反映了，以地方層級應付氣候變遷的困難。
The wildlife service listed them as a threatened species in 2019 after being sued by environmentalists to act. To be safe from continued decline, the agency says the two species each need at least 3,087 acres (1,250 hectares) of glaciers and snowfields. That’s about how much meltwater habitat the insects had in northwestern Montana in 2005, but much has since been lost.
在遭到環境保護主義者請願採取行動之後，於2019年，野生動物部門將它們列為受威脅的物種。為了避免持續衰微，該機構表示，這兩物種分別需要，至少3087英畝(1250公頃)的冰川及雪原。那大約是，於2005年，這些昆蟲在蒙大拿州西北部有多少的融水棲息地。不過，打從那時起已經失去很多。
Public comments on the recovery plan are due by Feb. 14, Montana Public Radio reported.
Climate change is directly driving the loss of glaciers in parts of the Rockies. Glacier National Park early last century had 150 glaciers larger than 25 acres (10 hectares). Only 25 glaciers of that size remain.
蒙大拿州公共廣播電台報導，按預定到(2022年？)2月14日，會有諸多有關此恢復計劃的公眾評論。氣候變遷正直接驅使，於落磯山脈部分地區之冰川的消失。上世紀初期，冰川國家公園有150條大於25英畝(10公頃)的冰川。 目前，僅25條那樣大小的冰川持續存在。
翻譯：許東榮