VOA慢速英语2021--新研究表明全球昆虫数量在下降

The world's top insect experts say our planet's important insect population is going through a "death by a thousand cuts."

A new group of studies suggests Earth is losing around 1 to 2 percent of its insects each year. The losses are blamed on climate change, pollution, agriculture, land use changes and chemicals.

David Wagner of the University of Connecticut is the lead writer of the 12 studies, which recently appeared in Proceedings¹ of the National Academies of Sciences. The research involved 56 scientists from around the world.

The problem, sometimes called the insect apocalypse, is a complex issue. Even scientists say they do not fully² understand it. And the complexity³ of the issue makes it hard to get the public interested in possible solutions.

Wagner said scientists need to find out if the levels of insect loss are bigger in comparison to other species⁴. "There is some reason to worry more," he added, "because they [insects] are the target of attack" with insecticides, herbicides and light pollution.

Insecticides and herbicides are special kinds of chemicals that can kill insects or plants.

May Berenbaum of the University of Illinois helped lead the research. She compared the insect losses to climate change 30 years ago. She said back then, the methods used to measure the degree and rate of climate change effects were difficult.

Berenbaum says another issue is that many people simply hate insects. She added that this is true even though the small creatures do a lot of good. They pollinate the world's foods, get rid of waste and play an important part in the food chain.

Insects are "the fabric⁵ by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built," Wagner said.

Fabric is a kind of woven or knitted⁶ material. The term can also mean the basic structure of something.

Wagner said two famous insects, honeybees and Monarch⁷ butterflies, are good examples of the current problems insects face. Honeybees have been disappearing because of disease, parasites⁹, insecticides, herbicides and lack of food.

Drier weather in the U.S. West, driven by climate change, means less milkweed for butterflies to eat, Wagner said. And changes in American agriculture remove weeds and flowers they need for nectar.

"We're creating a giant biological desert except for soybeans and corn in a giant area of the Midwest," he said.

The recent scientific papers do not provide new data. They show a big but incomplete¹⁰ picture of a problem that is starting to get more attention. Scientists have identified 1 million insect species, while up to 4 million more are likely to be discovered, Berenbaum said.

Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware was not part of the studies. But he said the research demonstrates how the world has "spent the last 30 years spending billions of dollars finding new ways to kill insects and mere¹¹ pennies working to preserve them."

Pennies are a small amount of money.

In an email to the Associated Press, Tallamy said the good news was that people themselves can do a lot to stop insect losses. "This is a global problem with a grassroots solution," he wrote.

Words in This Story

apocalypse – n. a great disaster : a sudden and very bad event that causes much fear, loss, or destruction

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

pollinate – v. to give (a plant) pollen¹² from another plant of the same kind so that seeds will be produced food

chain – n. a series of types of living things in which each one uses the next lower member of the series as a source of food — usually used with the

parasite⁸ – n. an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it

nectar – n. a sweet liquid produced by plants and used by bees in making honey

preserve – v. to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition

grassroots – n. the ordinary people in a society or organization : the people who do not have a lot of money and power

1 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

4 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

5 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

6 knitted   

v.（使）愈合( knit的过去式和过去分词 )；编结；（使）紧密地结合；织平针

参考例句：

• I knitted this cardigan myself. 我自己织的这件开襟毛衣。
• Our two nations are knitted together by common concerns. 共同关心的问题使我们两国团结一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

8 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

9 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

10 incomplete   

adj.不完全的，不完善的

参考例句：

• The building was left incomplete.那座楼没有完工就停下来了。
• His novel was incomplete when he died.他死的时候他的小说没有写完。

11 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

12 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。