本集内容

Bumblebees struggling in UK heatwaves

英国熊蜂在热浪中艰难求生

文字稿

A group of volunteers are meeting in West Wales.

一队志愿者正在威尔士西部聚集。

They are here to learn how to count one of the country's favourite insects, because our bumblebees are in trouble.

他们来到这里学习如何统计熊蜂的数量，因为这种英国最喜爱的昆虫之一正面临危机。

New analysis of data collected by volunteers like these show the impact of the record breaking heatwaves of 2022, when temperatures breached 40 degrees for the first time.

一项针对这些志愿者所收集数据的新分析显示出了 2022 年创纪录热浪造成的影响。当时，英国气温首次突破 40 摄氏度。

The populations of three of the most common UK bumblebees crashed by between 20 and 35 per cent.

英国最常见的三种熊蜂的种群数量锐减了 20% 到 35%。

Dr Richard Comont, Bumblebee Conservation Trust
"If it gets too hot, if the outside air temperature gets much above about 30 degrees, bumblebees really struggle to fly. They actually cook themselves from the inside out. Once their internal body temperature is much above 40, they literally start dying. They start keeling over. They can't survive at that kind of temperature."

里查德·科蒙博士 熊蜂保护信托基金
“如果天气炎热，气温远远超过 30 摄氏度，熊蜂就很难飞行。它们实际上会从身体内部开始过热。一旦体内温度超过 40 度，熊蜂就会开始死亡，它们会接连倒下，无法在这样的高温环境中存活。”

We think of bumblebees as creatures of the summer heat drifting lazily between flowers, but they are actually a temperate species, cleverly adapted to cooler climates. In very hot weather, they have to take shelter.

我们总觉得熊蜂是盛夏时节的生物，在花丛间悠闲地飞来飞去，但实际上它们属于温带物种，已经巧妙地适应了较凉爽的气候。在炎热的天气里，它们也必须寻找庇护之所。

And if they can't fly, they can't forage – can't collect food, making it harder to rear young bumblebees.

如果熊蜂无法飞行，就不能觅食，这会使它们更难养育幼蜂。

The fact that most of the flower-rich meadows in which they used to thrive were cut back decades ago, makes it even more difficult for them.

它们过去赖以繁衍生息的大部分繁花草甸早在数十年前就已经大幅减少，这让它们的处境愈发艰难。

And heat and drought can dry out what flowers are left, leaving bumblebees without food.

高热和干旱还会使所剩无几的花朵枯萎，让熊蜂失去食物来源。

Dr Richard Comont, Bumblebee Conservation Trust
"For a lot of species, it's a real cliff edge, I would say. A lot of them are just about hanging on, and it doesn't take much – one really cold spring, one really hot summer, one field cut at the wrong time of year could be enough just to doom that population. Bumblebees need a big, well-connected area for a population to survive in."

里查德·科蒙博士 熊蜂保护信托基金
“我认为，对于许多物种来说，它们已经处在生存的悬崖边缘。许多物种都只是在勉强维持，而一点点小打击，比如一个异常寒冷的春天、一个异常炎热的夏天，或是一片草地在不合时宜的时候被割除，都足以令一个种群走向灭绝。熊蜂种群要生存下来，需要面积足够大且彼此联通的栖息地。”

But bumblebee populations can be bolstered.

不过，熊蜂种群依然有机会得到恢复。

This farm in West Wales focuses on supporting insects alongside producing food.

这家农场位于威尔士西部，在生产粮食的同时，也致力于为昆虫创造适宜的生存环境。

Dr Sarah Beynon, conservationist
"We're trying to create as much diverse habitat as possible. So right through from this time of year where we've got our meadows flowering, we've got willows that we're planting to provide early nectar and pollen sources for the bumblebees. We've got the tussocky grasses for them to overwinter in and also for, for them to nest build, creating hedge banks for them to build nests in."

莎拉·贝农博士 环境保护人士
“我们正尽可能创造多样化的栖息地。从每年草甸开花的时候开始，我们会种植柳树，为熊蜂提供早期的花蜜和花粉来源。我们会种植丛生草地供它们越冬和筑巢，还修建树篱来为它们提供筑巢场所。”

In a hotter, more volatile climate, the challenge is not just helping bumblebees survive the next heatwave, it's making sure there's enough food in the landscape for them to recover afterwards.

随着气候变得越来越热、越来越不稳定，人们面临的挑战已不仅仅是帮助熊蜂熬过下一波热浪。我们还需要确保它们所处的生态环境中有充足的食物资源，让熊蜂种群在热浪过后得以恢复。

重点词汇或表达

breach 突破，冲破

keeling over 突然倒下

forage 觅食，采集食物

cliff edge 悬崖边缘，危险边缘

hang on 勉强维持，艰难求生