Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.
Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.
“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.
The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.
“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近親交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.
Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.
The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.
Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.
The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(紅樹林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands.
The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.
The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.
It also urged local communities to develop projects that
mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.
小題1:What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?
| A．The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban. |
| B．The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas. |
| C．Causes of damage done to ecosystems. |
| D．Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems. |
小題2:Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected?
| A．They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases. |
| B．They have difficulty finding enough food for survival. |
| C．They can hardly find mates to produce their young. |
| D．They have little chance of moving to other places. |
小題3:To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT ______.
| A．restoring damaged ecosystems |
| B．limiting world population growth |
| C．creating movement channels for animals |
| D．urging governments and local communities to take action |
小題4:What does the underlined word “mitigate” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．increase or further improve something. |
| B．Make full use of something. |
| C．Make something become less serious. |
| D．Move from one place to another. |
小題5:What would serve as the best title for the passage?
| A．Animals at risk due to climate change. |
| B．Global warming and its consequences. |
| C．Climate change and ecotourism. |
| D．Solutions to animal distinction. |
