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　　一项全球动植物保护研究报告称，世界五分之一的动植物物种正面临灭绝的威胁。

　　整理“受威胁物种红色清单”的科学家称，面临灭绝威胁的动植物物种的比例正在增加。但是他们称，大量的动植物保护工作已把一些物种从灭绝的边缘拉了回来。

　　这一报告在日本举行的联合国生物多样性峰会上发布，各国政府正在会议上讨论如何更好地保护自然世界。报告称，两栖动物仍然是受到威胁最大的动物物种，41%的两栖动物面临灭绝风险，只有13%的鸟类面临灭绝风险。

　　动植物物种消失最严重的地方是在东南亚，那里砍伐森林以进行包括生物燃料农作物在内的农业生产所导致栖息地损失的速度是最快的。著名生态学者、哈佛大学的爱德华-威尔逊教授称：“生物多样性的支柱遭到了削弱。在红色清单上的一小步就是迈向灭绝的一大步。这只是目前正在发生的全球动植物物种损失的一个小窗口。”

　　不过，给出这一评估的科学家称，这次有新的证据显示，环保项目正在产生一个可以观察到的全球影响。科学家将在《科学》杂志上公布他们的发现。世界自然保护联盟物种委员会主席赛门-斯图尔特称：“真正的重点环保努力发挥了作用，许多岛屿上的鸟类正在恢复，有许多这样的例子。我们可以肯定地展示，当我们专注环保努力，真正应对威胁，投入足够的钱，你将看到积极的结果。”

　　从这样的行动中受益的物种包括三种圈养后放归野外的动物：美国的加州秃鹰、黑脚黄鼬、蒙古的普氏野马。

　　More species slide to extinction

　　Species that have benefited from such action include three bred in captivity and returned to the wild - the California condor and black-footed ferret of the US, and Przewalski's horse in Mongolia。

　　One fifth of animal and plant species are under the threat of extinction, a global conservation study has warned。

　　Scientists who compiled the Red List of Threatened Species say the proportion of species facing wipeout is rising。

　　But they say intensive conservation work has already pulled some species back from the brink of oblivion。

　　The report is being launched at the UN Biodiversity Summit in Japan, where governments are discussing how to better protect the natural world。

　　Launched at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting, the report says that amphibians remain the most threatened category of animals, with 41% of species at risk, while only 13% of birds qualify for Red-Listing。

　　The highest losses were seen in Southeast Asia, where loss of habitat as forests are cleared for agriculture, including biofuel crops, is fastest。

　　"The 'backbone' of biodiversity is being eroded," said the eminent ecologist, Professor Edward O Wilson of Harvard University。

　　"One small step up the Red List is one giant leap forward towards extinction. This is just a small window on the global losses currently taking place."

　　However, the scientists behind the assessment - who publish their findings formally in the journal Science - say there is new evidence this time that conservation projects are having a noticeable global impact。

　　"Really focused conservation efforts work when we do them - many island birds are recovering, lots of examples like this," said Simon Stuart, chair of the Species Survival Commission with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)。

　　"We can show for sure that when we focus conservation efforts and really address the threats and put enough money into it, then you see positive results."

　　Species that have benefited from such action include three bred in captivity and returned to the wild - the California condor and black-footed ferret of the US, and Przewalski's horse in Mongolia。

　　The ban on commercial whaling has led to such a swiftly increasing population of humpback whales that they have come off the Red List entirely。

　　Meanwhile, a parallel study, also published in Science, asks where trends of increased risk, but also increased conservation effort, will lead the natural world in future。

　　Researchers analysed a range of scientific studies and global assessments. Although projections varied, all found that fundamental changes are needed in order to avoid declining populations across many types of plant and animal species。

　　United front

　　"There is no question that business-as-usual development pathways will lead to catastrophic biodiversity loss," said research leader Paul Leadley from the Universite Paris-Sud。

　　"Even optimistic scenarios for this century consistently predict extinctions and shrinking populations of many species."

　　This picture is, in large part, what the CBD meeting is supposed to prevent。

　　One of the many debates currently ongoing at the meeting here is what the global target for 2020 should be - to completely halt the loss of biodiversity, or something less ambitious。

　　Dr Leadley's analysis backs up the view of many that a complete halt is not feasible。

　　But governments do at least appear united in their desire to do something, according to Dr Stuart, one of a large IUCN team monitoring developments here。

　　"They've said that they want to see improvements in status, especially in those species that are most at risk," he told BBC News。

　　"That to us is a very good target - we think it's achievable with a lot of effort。

　　"There doesn't seem to be much disagreement between countries on that issue - on other issues, yes, but on the species issue they're pretty solid."

　　However, on financing for species protection there is a lot of disagreement。

　　Some developing countries want a 100-fold increase in current rates of spending by the West. Other nations are arguing for a 10-fold rise。

　　But given the economic problems facing the world, that climate change is also supposed to see a huge and rapid increase in spending, and that no-one knows what the current spend on biodiversity actually is, all bets are currently off on what wording delegates will eventually arrive at。

　　(BBC)

　　(解雨)