Scientists often worry about the loss of the world’s meat-eating animals. But a wide-reaching new study finds that plant-eating animals, or herbivores, are at higher risk of extinction.
科學家們常常擔心世界上的食肉動物滅絕。但一項涉獵廣泛的新研究發現，以植物為食的動物或者叫食草動物面臨著更高的滅絕風險。
In the new study, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, shows that about one in four species of herbivores, or 25.5 percent, are considered threatened. The IUCN, an organization of government and civilian groups, is widely recognized as the leading scientific source on extinction risk.
國際自然保護聯盟(IUCN)在這項新研究中指出，大約四分之一或25.5%的食草動物被認為面臨滅絕風險。國際自然保護聯盟是一個由政府和民間團體組成的組織，是公認的研究動物滅絕的科學組織。
Trisha Atwood, of Utah State University, led the research. She told the Associated Press that by comparison, 17.4 percent of meat eaters and 15.8 percent of omnivores, animals that eat meat and plants, are at risk.
猶他州立大學的特裡莎·阿特伍德領導了這項研究。她告訴美聯社記者，相比之下17.4%的肉食動物和15.8%的雜食動物(既食肉也吃植物的動物)面臨滅絕的危險。
The study appeared earlier this month in the publication Science Advances.
這項研究於本月早些時候發表在《科學進展》雜誌。
The researchers examined data for 22,166 species of animals with backbones. They noted whether each animal was a reptile, bird or mammal. They also examined animals by size, living environment and the area of the world they live in. On just about every measure, they found plant eaters were most at risk, especially in forest environments.
研究人員核查了22166種脊骨動物的數據，並標註出每種動物的類別——爬行動物、鳥類、哺乳動物。他們還研究了動物體型的大小，生活環境和他們居住的地理位置。他們發現，不管參考何種標準食草動物的滅絕風險最大——尤其是生活在森林環境中。
「The implications for this are huge,」 Atwood said. 「We need to think about herbivores as being kind of the poster child of extinction.」
阿特伍德說：「這影響非常大，我們要把食草動物看作是滅絕的典型代表。」
So instead of polar bears and tigers, think of plant eaters like rhinoceroses and green seaturtles, Atwood said. The last male northern white rhinoceros in the wild died in 2018, but scientists are working to save the species through the use of stored embryos.
阿特伍德說，與其擔心北極熊或老虎，不如想想犀牛和綠海龜之類的草食動物。2018年，最後一隻野生雄性北白犀牛死亡，但科學家們正努力通過利用儲存的胚胎來拯救這一物種。
The study centered on proportionality. There are many more predator species, so there are more predators at risk in total, but a larger share of herbivores are in trouble.
這項研究以比例為中心。研究中涉及更多的食肉動物，所以總的來說有更多的食肉動物面臨滅絕的危險，但有更大比例的食草動物瀕臨滅絕。
Scientists even examined data on more than 2,000 species no longer alive. Again, they found herbivores had the highest share of extinction risk.
科學家甚至核查了2000多種已經滅絕的物種的數據，並再次驗證食草動物面臨最高的滅絕風險。
Atwood went into the study thinking that meat eaters were most at risk. However, she said the data — which included land and water species — pointed clearly at herbivores.
在進行這項研究前阿特伍德認為食肉動物面臨的風險最大。然而，事實上包括陸地和水域物種在內的數據清楚地指向了食草動物。
Meat eaters she added, also are in trouble, but not as much as the herbivores they often eat.
她補充道，食肉動物也深陷困境，但處境沒有被食用的食草動物艱難。
Extinction causes, like invasive species, climate change and loss of living environments, affect herbivores more than other animals, Atwood said.
阿特伍德表示，動物滅絕的原因有很多——如物種入侵、氣候變化和生存環境的喪失等對食草動物的影響要比其他動物更大。
Size may be part of the reason herbivores are more at risk, the ecologist said. Large herbivores need to eat more and so require more land. But the environments in which they live are shrinking, she said. Meat eaters and omnivores have larger areas in which to find food.
生態學家表示，體型可能是食草動物面臨更大風險的部分原因。大型食草動物需要更多的食物，因此需要更多的土地，但與此同時它們的生存環境正在縮小，阿特伍德說道。肉食動物和雜食動物則有更大的覓食空間。
Duke University conservation scientist Stuart Pimm, who was not part of the study, expressed some criticism of the research. He said it does not take into consideration the huge importance of available land area for food searches, a critical need for meat eaters.
杜克大學的保護科學家斯圖亞特·皮姆沒有參與這項研究，他對這項研究提出了一些批評。他表示，這項研究並沒有考慮到可狩獵的土地範圍的重要性，而這對肉食動物來說是一個關鍵需求。
University of Miami biologist Mauro Galetti also was not part of the research. He said Atwood’s study is important, makes sense and questions the traditional belief that environmental protection projects should center on top meat eaters.
邁阿密大學的生物學家毛羅·加萊蒂也未參與這項研究。他表示，阿特伍德的研究很重要也很有意義，並質疑了環保項目應該以頂級肉食動物為中心的傳統觀念。
Large herbivores are highly important, especially in places like forests, Galetti said. 「A world without herbivores would be a disaster for any natural ecosystem.」
加萊蒂稱，大型食草動物非常重要尤其是在森林中。「對於任何自然生態系統來說沒有食草動物都是一場災難。」
I’m Pete Musto.
皮特·穆斯託報導。