吃货的噩耗！气候变化正令10种食物变得濒危_BEC初级作文

吃货的噩耗！气候变化正令10种食物变得濒危

7 Wheat 小麦

A recent study involving Kansas State University researchers finds that in the coming decades, at least one-quarter of the world's wheat production will be lost to extreme weather and water stress if no adaptive measures are taken.

堪萨斯州立大学的研究人员近日的一项研究发现，如果不采取对策，未来几十年将因为极端天气和水资源缺乏而令全球小麦减产四分之一。

Researchers found that the effects from climate change and its increasing temperatures on wheat will be more severe than once projected and are happening sooner than expected. While increases in the average temperature are problematic, a bigger challenge is the extreme temperatures that are resulting from climate change. Researchers also found that increasing temperatures are shortening the time frame that wheat plants have to mature and produce full heads for harvest, resulting in less grain produced from each plant.

研究人员发现，气候变化和气温升高对小麦的影响比原先预计的更严重，比预期的来得更早。平均气温升高固然很成问题，但更大的挑战是气候变化引起的极端气温。研究人员还发现，气温升高缩短了小麦植株成熟的时间，令穗子个头增大，从而导致每株小麦所收获的粮食减少。

According to a study released by the Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, corn and soybean plants can lose 5% of their harvest for every day temperatures climb above 86 °F (30 °C). (Corn plants are especially sensitive to heat waves and drought). At this rate, future harvests of wheat, soybeans, and corn could drop by up to 50 percent.