2022年职称英语考试理工类B级阅读文章四

2022职称英语考试理工类B级阅读文章四AntsHaveBigImpactonEnvironmentas“EcosystemEngineers“

ResearchbytheUniversityofExeter1hasrevealedthatantshaveabigimpactontheirlocalenvironmentasaresultoftheiractivityas“ecosystemengineers“andpredators.Thestudy,publishedintheJournalofAnimalEcology,foundthatantshavetwodistincteffectsontheirlocalenvironment.

Firstly,throughmovingofsoilbynestbuilding2activityandbycollectingfoodtheyaffectthelevelofnutrientsinthesoil.Thiscanindirectlyimpactthelocalpopulationsofmanyanimalgroups,fromdecomposerstospeciesmuchhigherupthefoodchain.

Secondly,theypreyonawiderangeofotheranimals,includinglargerpreywhichcanbeattackedbyvastnumbersofantworkers.

DirkSanders,anauthorofthestudyfromtheuniversity’sCentreforEcologyandConservation,said:“Antsareveryeffectivepredatorswhichthriveinhugenumbers.They’realsoveryterritorial3andveryaggressive,defendingtheirresourcesandterritoryagainstotherpredators.Allofthismeanstheyhaveastronginfluenceontheirsurroundingarea.“

“Inthisresearch,westudiedforthefirsttimehowbigthisimpactisandthesubtletiesofit.Whatwefoundisthatdespitebeingpredators,theirpresencecanalsoleadtoanincreaseindensityanddiversityofotheranimalgroups4.Theygenuinelyplayakeyroleinthelocalenvironment,havingabiginfluenceonthegrasslandfoodweb,“Sanderssaid.

Thestudy,carriedoutinGermany,studiedtheimpactofthepresenceofdifferentcombinationsanddensitiesofblackgardenantsandcommonredants,bothspecieswhichcanbefoundacrossEurope,includingintheUK.Itfoundthatalowdensityofantsinanareaincreasedthediversityanddensityofotheranimalsinthelocalarea,particularlythedensityofherbivoresanddecomposers.Athigherdensitiesantshadnoortheoppositeeffect,showingthatpredationiscounteractingthepositiveinfluence.

DrFrankvanVeen,anotherauthoronthestudy,said:“Whatwefindisthattheimpactofantsonsoilnutrientlevelshasapositiveeffectonanimalgroupsatlowlevels,butasthenumberofantsincreases,theirpredatoryimpactshavethebiggereffect-therebycounteractingthepositiveinfluenceviaecosystemengineering.“

Antsareimportantcomponentsofecosystemsnotonlybecausetheyconstituteagreatpartoftheanimalbiomass5butalsobecausetheyactasecosystemengineers.Antbiodiversity6isincrediblyhighandtheseorganismsarehighlyresponsivetohumanimpact,whichobviouslyreducesitsrichness.However,itisnotclearhowsuchdisturbancedamagesthemaintenanceofantservicestotheecosystem.Antsareimportantinbelowgroundprocesses8throughthealterationofthephysicalandchemicalenvironmentandthroughtheireffectsonplants,microorganisms,andothersoilorganisms.

词汇：

predatorn.食肉动物

nutrientn.养分物;adj.养分的

decomposern.腐生物;分解体

preyv.捕食;n.被捕食的动物

subtletyn，微妙，精妙

herbivoren.食草动物

解释：

1.theUniversityofExeter：埃克斯特大学。1851年建校，位于英国西南部重要商业中心埃克斯特市，是英国的传统大学之一。

2.nestbuilding：筑巢

3.territorial：领地的。在此用来形容蚂蚁的本性，即具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力保卫自己的领地。

4.anincreaseindensityanddiversityofotheranimalgroups：其他动物群体在数量和品种上的增长。

5.biomass：物质名词，由bio和mass两局部组成，意为“生物量““生物质“。

6.biodiversity：物质名词，由bio和diversity两局部组成，意为“生物多样性“。

7.themaintenanceofantservicestotheecosystem：蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。

8.belowgroundprocesses：土壤下面的(工作)过程，即影响生态环境的过程。

练习：

1.Whyarean