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帝王蝶的种群有消逝的危险.mp3 音频： 进度条 00:00 04:52 撤退退却15秒 倍速 快进15秒The warm coast of California is a place where many western monarch butterflies stay during the cold winter months in the United States.
加州温暖的海岸是许多西方帝王蝶在美国冰冷冬季逗留的处所。
Researchers fear the record low number of monarchs this year could mean the insects are in danger of disappearing in the near future.
研究人员担忧，本年帝王蝶数量创汗青新低，那可能意味着那种虫豸在不久的未来面对消逝的危险。
Researchers from the Xerces Society said they found fewer than 2,000 orange-and-black butterflies in the yearly count this January.
Xerces学会的研究人员说，他们在本年一月的年度统计中发现了不到2000只帝王蝶。
That number showed a big drop from the tens of thousands in recent years.
那一数字从近年来的数万只大幅下降。
In the 1980s,
在20世纪80年代，
there were millions of them in trees from Northern Californias Marin County to San Diego County near the Mexico border.
从加州北部的马林县到墨西哥疆域附近的圣迭戈县，有数百万只帝王蝶在树上。
Every winter, western monarch butterflies fly south from the northwestern U.S. to California, going to the same places
每年冬天，帝王蝶从美国西北部向南飞到加利福尼亚，去同样的处所，
and even the same trees.
以至是同样的树。
They often stay together to keep warm.
他们经常待在一路取暖。
At the start of November, they usually arrive in California.
十一月初，它们凡是抵达加利福尼亚。
The insects then spread across the country once warmer weather arrives in March.
一旦3月份气候变暖，那种虫豸就会飞到全国各地。
On the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains,
在落基山脉的东侧，
another monarch butterfly population travels from southern Canada and the northeastern United States to spend the winter in Mexico.
另一群帝王蝶从加拿大南部和美国东北部前去墨西哥过冬。
Scientists estimate the eastern monarch population has decreased by 80 percent since the mid-1990s.
科学家估量，自20世纪90年代中期以来，东部帝王蝶的数量已经削减了80%。
But the decrease in the western monarch population has been much greater.
但西方帝王蝶数量的削减要多得多。
The Xerces Society works on conservation efforts for insects.
Xerces协会努力于庇护虫豸。
Last winter, it recorded around 29,000 butterflies in its yearly survey.
去年冬天，它在年度查询拜访中记录了大约29000只蝴蝶。
That was similar to the winter before, when an all-time low of 27,000 monarchs was counted.
那与之前的冬天类似，其时帝王蝶数量到达了汗青更低的2.7万只。
But the count this year is dangerously low.
但本年的数字低得危险。
Pacific Grove is a city known for having monarch butterflies during the cold season.
承平洋林是一个以在冰冷的季节有帝王蝶而闻名的城市。
But volunteers did not see a single one this winter.
但是意愿者们在那个冬天没有看到一只。
Other well-known areas, such as Pismo State Beach, Monarch Butterfly Grove and Natural Bridges State Park,
研究人员称，其他一些出名的地域，如皮斯莫州立海滩、黑脉金斑蝶林和天然桥州立公园，
only had a few hundred butterflies, researchers said.
只要几百只蝴蝶。
Scientists say there are several causes for the extremely low numbers of butterflies in the western states.
科学家说，美国西部各州蝴蝶数量极低有几个原因。
Homebuilding and chemical use have destroyed milkweed plants along their migratory path.
房屋建立和化学利用毁坏了蝴蝶迁移路上的乳草动物。
The plants are needed for monarch butterflies to grow and develop.
那些动物是帝王蝶生长和开展所必须的。
Climate change interferes with the growth of wild plants.
西部的大火也可能影响了它们的迁移。
And huge wildfires in the west may also have influenced their migration.
天气变革干扰野生动物的生长。
A 2017 Washington State University study predicted that
2017韶华盛顿州立大学的一项研究预测，
monarch butterflies would likely disappear within 10 to 20 years if the population dropped below 30,000 and nothing was done to save them.
若是帝王蝶的数量下降到3万只以下，并且不采纳任何办法来拯救它们，那么帝王蝶可能会在10到20年内消逝。
Last December, U.S. federal officials said the monarch butterfly is "a candidate" for the threatened or endangered species list.
去年12月，美国联邦官员暗示，帝王蝶（黑脉金斑蝶）是濒危物种名单的“候选人”。
The designation would provide protection for their food supply and environment, including their migratory path.
那一指定将为它们的食物供给和情况供给庇护，包罗它们的迁徙途径。
However, they said no action would be taken for several years because many other species are still awaiting that designation.
然而，他们说，几年之内都不会采纳任何动作，因为还有许多其他物种仍在期待被认定为濒危物种。
The Xerces Society said it will keep working with other partners to protect the monarch.
Xerces协会暗示，他们将继续与其他合做伙伴合做，庇护帝王蝶。
The organization added that people can help by planting flowers and milkweed along these butterflies migratory path.
该组织弥补说，人们能够通过在蝴蝶迁移的道路上种植鲜花和乳草来供给帮忙。
Im Armen Kassabian.
阿门·卡萨比安报导。
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