Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as Ecosystem Engineers
第四十六篇 Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers"蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”对环境影响巨大
Research by the University of Exeter1 has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as "ecosystem engineers" and predators. 埃克斯特大学所做的研究表明，蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”和食肉动物的行为对当地的环境影响巨大。
The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment.该研究发表在动物生态杂志上，它表明蚂蚁对当地的环境有两大显著的影响。
Firstly, through moving of soil by nest building2 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.第一，通过筑巢而挪动土壤或采集食物，蚂蚁影响土壤的营养水平。这可间接影响当地从腐生物到食物链高层的许多动物种群的数量。
Secondly, they prey on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.第二，它们捕食的动物种类很多，包括那些被大量工蚁攻击的大猎物。
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 territorial3 and very aggressive, defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area."Dirk Sanders是该大学生态和保护中心所做的此项研究的作者，他说：“蚂蚁是高效的食肉动物，而且能大量繁殖。它们具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力对抗其他的食肉动物来保卫自己的领地。所有这些都意味着蚂蚁对周围环境影响巨大。”
"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 groups4. They genuinely play a key role in the local environment, having a big influence on the grassland food web," Sanders said.“在该研究中，我们第一次对蚂蚁带来的影响程度及微妙程度进行研究。所得到的发现是：尽管是食肉动物，蚂蚁的出现能促使其他动物族群在数量和品种上的增长。并对当地的环境起到切实重要的作用，对大草原的食物链影响巨大。”Sanders说。
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 species which can be found across Europe, including in the UK. 该研究在德国进行，
它对花园黑蚂蚁和一般的红蚂蚁在不同混合程度和不同密度下的影响力进行研究。黑蚂蚁和红蚂蚁在整个欧洲包括英国都能找到。
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, showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence.研究发现，一个地区的蚂蚁密度小，而其他动物尤其是食草动物和腐生物的数量和种类会增多。如果蚂蚁的密度大，就不可能产生同样的影响，或者产生相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵消蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。
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."Dr Frank van Veen是本研究的另一作者，他说：“我们的发现是：如果蚂蚁的数量少，其对土壤的营养水平的影响会对动物族群产生积极的效果。如果蚂蚁的数量增加，其捕食的影响会达到最大化，因此会抵消蚂蚁通过生态工程给环境带来的积极影响。”
Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass5 but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. 蚂蚁是生态系统的重要组成部分，不仅因为它占有很大部分的生物量，而且因为其作为生态系统工程师的角色。Ant biodiversity6 is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness. 蚂蚁具有难以想象的多样性，但极易受人类的影响，这就使它的多样性有显著的减少。However, it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem7．然而，科学家还不消楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。 Ants are important in below ground processes8 through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, and other soil organisms.蚂蚁通过变动物理的和化学的环境，通过对植物、微生物和其他土壤生物的影响而对生态环境起至关重要的作用。
词汇：
predator /' pred?t?/ n．食肉动物
nutrient/' nju:tri?nt/ n ．营养物；adj．营养的
decomposer/,di:k?m'p?uz?/ n．腐生物；分解体
prey/prei/ v．捕食；n．被捕食的动物
subtlety/ 's?tlti/ n ，微妙，精妙
herbivore/ 'h?:biv?: / n ．食草动物
注释：
1.the University of Exeter ：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
著名的传统大学之一。
2. nest building ：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. an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups ：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 两部分组成，意为“生物量”“生物质”。
6. biodiversity ：物质名词，由bio和diversity 两部分组成，意为“生物多样性”。
7.the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem ：蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。
8. below ground processes ：土壤下面的（工作）过程，即影响生态环境的过程。
练习：
1 .Why are ants compared to ecosystem engineers?
A Because they build their own nests.
B Because they collect food.
C Because their activity affects the environment.
D Because they are predators.
2. As predators, ants
A prey on small as well as large animals.
B collect nutritious food from the soil
C collect food as decomposers.
D prey on species much higher up the food chain.
3. Dir Sanders' study centered on how ants
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.
4. What does paragraph 6 tell us?
A Ants bring about a negative influence to an area when their population is small.
B Ants bring about a positive influence to an area when their population is small.
C Ants' predation counteracts the positive influence they may have on an area.
D At higher density, ants produce a positive influence on an area.
5. What still remains unclear about ants, according to the last paragraph?
A What roles do ants play in the ecosystem in which they live?
B How do ants affect the animal diversity in a given ecosystem?
C How do human activities affect ants' influence on a given ecosystem?
D How do ants alter the physical and chemical environment?
答案与题解：
1. C 短文的第一段提供了答案。A不是正确答案，因为并不是因为蚂蚁会筑巢才被誉为生态系统工程师，而是因为它们筑巢和获取食物的方式改变了土壤的营养水平，为整个食物链提供了很好的生态环境（见第二段）。
2.A答案能够从短文的第三段直接找到。该段告诉我们，蚂蚁的掠食范围很广，甚至包括比它们体积更大的动物（ larger animals) 。 prey 在这里的意思是“捕猎，捕食”，作为动词，后面跟介词on或upon。
3.D Dirk Sanders说：“In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the
subtleties of it.”（第五段）所以，D是正确选择。句中the subtleties of it 的意思是：蚂蚁对环境影响的精妙之处。
4.B 短文第六段第二句的大概意思是，蚂蚁数量小（a low density of ants）的
话，能使其他动物的品种和数量增加（increased the diversity and density of other animals），从而给环境带来积极影响；第三句说，如果蚂蚁的数量大（At higher densities），就不可能产生同样的影响，或者是相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵销蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。第七段Dr Frank van Veen 表达了大体相同的内容。
5.C 最后一段的第二和第三句提供了答案。第二句告诉我们，蚂蚁极易受人类的影响（these organisms are highly responsive to human impact），第三句告诉我们，科学家还不清楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用（”it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem.”）。