音頻科普:發(fā)光棒幫助生態(tài)學(xué)家研究?jī)蓷珓?dòng)物
?Ecologists needed a way to more easily keep track of populations of amphibians, and green glow sticks lit the way.生態(tài)學(xué)家們一直需要一種更容易追蹤兩棲動(dòng)物群體的方式,而綠色發(fā)光棒正好照亮了它們的路。
撰文/播音?Annie Sneed?安妮·斯內(nèi)德
翻譯?張心茹
審校?張清越?
?
Populations of frogs, salamanders and other amphibians are declining around the world—even in protected areas, like U.S. national parks. Ecologists needed a simple method to track the animals’ numbers. Now, researchers have found an effective way to keep tabs on amphibians—using that concert and party favorite: glow sticks. Green glow sticks, to be specific.
青蛙、蠑?shù)葍蓷珓?dòng)物在世界范圍內(nèi)減少,甚至在包括美國(guó)國(guó)家公園在內(nèi)的保護(hù)區(qū)。生態(tài)學(xué)家們需要一種追蹤這些動(dòng)物數(shù)量的簡(jiǎn)單方法。現(xiàn)在,研究者們已經(jīng)找到一種有效方法來(lái)固定兩棲動(dòng)物身上的標(biāo)記——用在音樂(lè)會(huì)和聚會(huì)上常用的發(fā)光棒,尤其是綠色發(fā)光棒。
“What we do know is that their eyes are particularly sensitive to green light.”
David Munoz, a PhD candidate in the ecology program at Penn State University.
“我們現(xiàn)在已知的是它們的眼睛對(duì)綠光尤其敏感”,賓夕法尼亞州大學(xué)生態(tài)學(xué)在讀博士生大衛(wèi)·穆尼奧斯說(shuō)。
To test the idea, Munoz and colleagues set up minnow traps with and without glow sticks at a dozen vernal pools in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The critters gather at the pools to breed.?
為了檢驗(yàn)這個(gè)想法,穆尼奧斯和同事們趁著春天,在中心城市賓夕法尼亞的12個(gè)湖里分別設(shè)置了有和沒(méi)有發(fā)光棒的桃花魚(yú)陷阱。小動(dòng)物聚集在湖里繁殖。
For a month, they trapped and tracked numbers of the Jefferson salamander, the spotted salamander, the wood frog and the eastern red-spotted newt. “Right before we left for the day, around 4 P.M., we’d activate the glow stick and hang it on the little minnow trap, come back the next day to see what we got.”
一個(gè)月的時(shí)間里,他們誘捕杰斐遜鈍口螈、斑點(diǎn)鈍口螈、木蛙以及綠紅東美螈,并追蹤其數(shù)量。“每天我們離開(kāi)前,下午四點(diǎn)左右,我們會(huì)打開(kāi)發(fā)光棒,將它們掛在小桃花魚(yú)陷阱處,次日我們返回此地收集成果”。
Traps with glow sticks were vastly more productive. “We were really surprised by how strong of an effect our glow sticks had on our captures. So, by just putting a glow stick in one of these minnow traps we increased the capture rates for our spotted salamanders and our Jefferson salamanders between on average two to four times.” And for the eastern red-spotted newt, the glow stick traps lured six times as many. [Michael Antonishak, David A. W. Miller and David J. Munoz, Using Glow Sticks to Increase Funnel Trap Capture Rates for Adult Vernal Pool Amphibians, in Herpetological Review]
有發(fā)光棒的陷阱周圍(兩棲動(dòng)物)通常繁殖力更強(qiáng)。“我們真的被發(fā)光棒對(duì)捕獲量的影響震驚。只要在其中一個(gè)陷阱周圍擺上發(fā)光棒,我們捕捉到斑點(diǎn)鈍口螈和杰斐遜鈍口螈的幾率平均增大兩到四倍”。而對(duì)于綠紅東美螈,發(fā)光棒誘捕高達(dá)(無(wú)發(fā)光棒時(shí)的)六倍之多。[Michael Antonishak, David A. W. Miller and David J. Munoz, Using Glow Sticks to Increase Funnel Trap Capture Rates for Adult Vernal Pool Amphibians, in Herpetological Review]
“You know, these salamanders and these amphibians are going to these sites to breed. And so what are they looking for? They’re looking for other individuals…and so what we think is that the glow stick is either making the movement of other salamanders more apparent, or it's potentially just a simple visual cue…their eyes are sensitive to this type of light, so they might be attracted to it.”
“你知道,這些蠑螈和兩棲動(dòng)物會(huì)前往這些繁殖地點(diǎn)。那么它們?cè)趯ふ沂裁茨兀克鼈冊(cè)趯ふ移渌麄€(gè)體。因此我們認(rèn)為,發(fā)光棒要么使其它蠑螈的行蹤更加明顯,要么發(fā)光棒只是一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單可見(jiàn)的潛在線索。它們的眼睛對(duì)這種類型的光很敏感,所以可能被它吸引”。
Regardless of the reason, Munoz hopes his team’s glowing discovery will benefit amphibians. “In order to help manage those species, and help bring them back, or reverse those declines, we need to understand what’s causing those declines. And the way we do that is by monitoring populations.”
不管原因?yàn)楹?/span>,穆尼奧斯都希望他的團(tuán)隊(duì)在發(fā)光棒上的發(fā)現(xiàn)能對(duì)兩棲動(dòng)物有利。“為了幫助管理這些物種,也幫助它們恢復(fù)數(shù)量,扭轉(zhuǎn)下降趨勢(shì),我們需要了解他們數(shù)量下降的原因。我們采取的方法便是監(jiān)測(cè)它們”
Another nice thing about glow sticks: they’re cheap. “It gives scientists a new tool, and essentially a better tool to help achieve that monitoring on a cost effective basis.”
發(fā)光棒的另一優(yōu)點(diǎn)是,它們很廉價(jià)。“這給科學(xué)家們提供一種新的、更好的、有助于低成本高效監(jiān)測(cè)的工具”。
關(guān)注【深圳科普】微信公眾號(hào),在對(duì)話框:
回復(fù)【最新活動(dòng)】,了解近期科普活動(dòng)
回復(fù)【科普行】,了解最新深圳科普行活動(dòng)
回復(fù)【研學(xué)營(yíng)】,了解最新科普研學(xué)營(yíng)
回復(fù)【科普課堂】,了解最新科普課堂
回復(fù)【科普書(shū)籍】,了解最新科普書(shū)籍
回復(fù)【團(tuán)體定制】,了解最新團(tuán)體定制活動(dòng)
回復(fù)【科普基地】,了解深圳科普基地詳情
回復(fù)【觀鳥(niǎo)知識(shí)】,學(xué)習(xí)觀鳥(niǎo)相關(guān)科普知識(shí)
回復(fù)【博物學(xué)院】,了解更多博物學(xué)院活動(dòng)詳情
?