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Drones Help Scientists Spot Australia's Endangered Koalas

Small endangered animals are often hard to find in their natural habitats, making it difficult for scientists to monitor them and develop conservation plans. But new technologies can help. Australian researchers have equipped flying drones with infrared cameras so they can spot koalas hiding high in trees.

Koalas spend most of their lives in eucalyptus trees, whose leaves are their favorite food. Since the leaves are low on calories and nutritional content, koalas are not very active - they sleep up to 20 hours a day. Curled-up in high branches, they are not easy to spot from the ground, and they have few natural predators. The greatest threat to this iconic symbol of Australia is logging.

“Every single tree in Australia right now, needs to be protected and unless that happens I can promise you the koala is going to go to extinction,” said Deborah Tabart, Australian Koala Foundation.

Scientists studying koalas say one of the keys for saving the animals is to know where they live and how many of them are left.

Using drones fitted with infrared cameras to conduct a census was an untested concept. Queensland Institute of Technology technician, Gavin Broadbent, said they were skeptical at first. “But when we saw the images come through, we saw the koalas were very distinct compared to the trees and the environment. So we thought, yes this is absolutely a proof of concept that could work,” he said.

The images beamed back to a computer clearly show the animal’s position, even from a distance far enough away not to disturb its sleep.

“We have tested at 20 meters and 80 meters. At 20 meters we get really good resolution,” stated Felipe Gonzalez, project leader.

The remotely controlled camera pivots and swivels, so scientists can scan the trees from all angles, picking out koalas even in the most dense areas, not visible to researchers on foot.

“So this will drastically reduce the manpower," said Amber Gillett, a veterinarian with the Australia Zoo. "Will greatly increase the area that can be covered to survey koalas and in areas where people may not be able to walk through because of dense undergrowth.”

Scientists say it is now clear that drones with infrared cameras can be used for spotting, and perhaps saving, other animals in the wild.

 

詞匯解析

solar

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

adj.太陽的；太陽能的

參考例句

用作形容詞 (adj.)

The sun is the center of our solar system.

太陽是太陽系的中心

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reduce

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

v.減少；縮小；使落魄；簡化；還原

參考例句

用作動詞 (v.)

We need to reduce our dependence on oil as a source of energy.

在能源方面,我們需減少對石油的依賴。

Electrons from water involved in noncyclic photophosphorylation are used to reduce the added substance.

非循環光合磷酸化中由水提供的電子被用來還原產物。

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avoid

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

vt.避免；逃避；[律]使無效；撤銷

參考例句

用作及物動詞 (vt.)

You should avoid unnecessary repetition.

你應避免不必要的重復。

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respond

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

v.回答；響應；反應；反應靈敏；反響

n.[建]壁聯；[宗]應唱圣歌

參考例句

用作動詞 (v.)

I invited her to dinner but she did not respond.

我請她吃晚飯，但她未作回答。

The professor lectured with a beaming countenance, but the students didn't respond much, only agreeing with what he said.

教授講得眉飛色舞，學生們卻沒有太大的反響，只是隨聲應和。

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accelerate

難度：3星常用詞匯，屬常用6000詞

英漢解釋

v.加速；提前；跳級

參考例句

用作動詞 (v.)

We will accelerate the reform of the financial system under these circumstances.

在這一背景情況下,我們將加快金融體制改革。

The decline of her health seemed to suddenly accelerate.

她的健康狀況好像突然提前衰退了。

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demand

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

n.要求；需求

v.要求；查問；需要

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

The demand for coal begins to slacken off in the spring.

煤的需求在春天開始減少。

用作動詞 (v.)

All these questions demand careful and detailed study.

這些都需要認真具體的研究。

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candidate

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

n.候選人；應試者

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

He made several favorable comments about their candidate.

他對他們的候選人發表了一些有利的評論。

Most candidates passed in grammar.

參加考試的人大多數語法及格。

 

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