气候变化将导致多种动物灭绝

Several animal species including gorillas¹ in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction² if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.

联合国上周日公布的一份报告显示，如果气候变化和极端天气对其栖息地的影响无法解决，包括卢旺达大猩猩和孟加拉虎在内的多种动物都将面临灭绝。

Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations³ in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation⁴ shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation（森林采伐） and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.

"Many ecosystems⁵ have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive species," Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry⁶ department, said at the launch of the report.

The most affected⁷ areas include mountains, isolated⁸ islands and coastal⁹ areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.

"The remaining populations become enclosed in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding（近亲交配） 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 endemic species（特有种） 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（恢复） of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to tackling climate change such as mangroves（红树林） , inland waters, forests, savannahs（大草原） and grasslands¹⁰.

The FAO also called for the creation of migration¹¹ corridors for animals in areas where their movement was constrained¹².

The organisation 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 mitigate¹³ the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.