【英语时差8,16】昆虫和气候变化

Insects And Climate Change It’s well known that big animals, like polar bears, are vulnerable to climate change. The Earth warms, polar ice melts, and the bears are out of luck. The same goes for tigers, sea lions, elephants. As the globe heats up and habitats change, all big creatures are potentially at risk. But what about small fry, like insects? Some, like cockroaches¹, may be able to survive just about anywhere. But most insects are just as vulnerable to climate change as their larger, more beloved animal relatives. What’s more, insects are arguably more important than large mammals, ecologically speaking. While several thousand polar bears roam the arctic, untold² billions of insects live in virtually every habitat on Earth. And they’re essential in every ecosystem³. For example, many of the world’s crops and other plants rely on insects for pollination⁴. In forests, insects help break down dead trees and prepare the soil for new growth. And there are the animals, like birds and bats, that feed on insects. So how exactly will global warming affect insects? We don’t really know. Some may go extinct. Others could migrate to cooler regions and wipe out native insect species there. And this could have all sorts of important implications for crops and entire ecosystems⁵. What we do know is that because insects can’t regulate their body temperature to the same degree as mammals, they’re particularly sensitive to climate change. It’s hard to predict what will happen to insects as the Earth warms. But it looks like we’re about to find out.

1 cockroaches   

n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At night, the cockroaches filled the house with their rustlings. 夜里，屋里尽是蟑螂窸窸瑟瑟的声音。 来自辞典例句
• It loves cockroaches, and can keep a house clear of these hated insects. 它们好食蟑螂，可以使住宅免除这些讨厌昆虫的骚扰。 来自百科语句

2 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

3 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

4 pollination   

n.授粉

参考例句：

• The flowers get pollination by insects.这些花通过昆虫授粉。
• Without sufficient pollination,the growth of the corn is stunted.没有得到充足的授粉，谷物的长势就会受阻。

5 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句