首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers" Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants hav
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers" Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants hav
admin
2013-11-20
62
问题
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers"
Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as "ecosystem engineers" and predators. The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology , found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment.
Firstly, through moving the soil by nest building activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers to species much higher up the food chain.
Secondly, they prey on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.
Dirk Sanders, an author of the study from the university’ s Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said, "Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. They’ re also very territorial and very aggressive, defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area. "
"In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it. What we found is that despite being predators, their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups. They genuinely play a key role in the local environment, having a big influence on the grassland food web, " Sanders said.
The study, carried out in Germany, studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants, both of which can be found across Europe, including the UK. It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area, particularly the density of herbivores and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect, the predation counteracting the positive influence.
Dr Frank van Veen, another author on the study, said:" What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels, but as the number of ants increases, their predatory impacts have the bigger effect—thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering. "
Ants are important components of the ecosystem not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness. However, it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem. Ants are important in below ground processes through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, and other soil organisms.
Dirk Sanders’ study centered on how ants______.
选项
A、can manage to thrive in huge numbers
B、defend their resources and territory against other predators
C、attack those invading animals for survival
D、produce such a big impact on the environment
答案
D
解析
短文第五段中Dirk Sanders说:“In this research,we studied for the first time how big thisimpact is and the subtleties of it.”所以,D是正确选项。句中“the subtleties of it”的意思是:(蚂蚁对环境)影响的精妙之处。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/QZQd777K
本试题收录于:
职称英语理工类B级题库职称英语分类
0
职称英语理工类B级
职称英语
相关试题推荐
"Don’tDrinkAlone"GetsNewMeaningInwhatmaybebadnewsforbarsandpubs,anEuropeanresearchgrouphasfoundthatpe
"Don’tDrinkAlone"GetsNewMeaningInwhatmaybebadnewsforbarsandpubs,anEuropeanresearchgrouphasfoundthatpe
OntheTrialoftheHoneyBadgerOnarecentfieldtriptotheKalahariDesert,ateamofresearcherslearnalotmoreabout
MedicineAwardKicksoffNobelPrizeAnnouncementsTwoscientistswhohavewonpraiseforresearchintothegrowthofcancer
ElectromagneticEnergy1.Whitelightseemstobeacombinationofallcolors.Theenergythatcomesfromasourceoflight
ThirstforOilWorldwideeveryday,wedevourtheenergyequivalentofabout200millionbarrelsofOil.Mostoftheenergy
WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrueofchronicdiseasesintheUS?Thepurposeofthe$15millionprogramisto
WHO:ManyChildren’sDeathsPreventableOverfivemillionchildrendieeachyearfromdisease,infectionsandaccidentsrelat
随机试题
某市某区因要建设一个工业物流园,需要拆除200多户民宅,区政府作出《关于做好本区因建设工业物流园房屋拆迁补偿工作的通知》。李某等180户被拆迁户对该通知不服,向区政府申请行政复议,要求撤销该通知。区政府作出《行政复议告知书》,告知李某等被拆迁户向市政府申请
下图中计算机硬件系统基本组成部件1、2、3、4和5的名称是()。
在滴定时,KMnO4溶液要放在碱式滴定管中。
A.肝阳化风证B.血虚生风证C.阴虚生风证D.热极生风证头重脚轻,眩晕欲仆者,此属
与动物细胞比较,细菌所特有的一种重要结构是
以下论述哪项是错误的()。
某建设项目计算期10年,其中建设期2年。项目建设投资(不含建设期贷款利息)1200万元,第1年投入500万元,全部为投资方自有资金;第2年投入700万元,其中500万元为银行贷款,贷款年利率6%。贷款偿还方式为:第3年不还本付息,以第3年末的本息和为基准,
下列资产负债表项目中,需要根据总账科目余额减去其备抵项目后的净额填列的有()。
下列称谓中,()是历史上海南岛的古称。
将学业成功或失败归因于外部的稳定因素,指的是归因于()。
最新回复
(
0
)