The hidden Olympic spectator

doi:10.1126/science.abl3669

GSTDTAP > 气候变化

DOI	10.1126/science.abl3669
	The hidden Olympic spectator
	Shu-Jin Luo
	2021-07-23
发表期刊	Science
出版年	2021
英文摘要	From my perch deep in the rocky terrain of the Yanshan Mountains, 90 km northwest of Beijing, I watch as preparations are made for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Through a gap in the tree line, I can see the construction of the official Olympic alpine ski course across the valley. With just a few kilometers between my secluded field site and the slopes, I could return as a distant Olympic spectator. Yet, I would not be alone. I found this scenic spot while working to document wildlife in greater Beijing. My group is especially interested in the leopard cat—an elusive felid slightly larger than a house cat. When leopards went extinct in the Beijing area in the 1990s, the leopard cat became the top predator. To examine the state of the local population, we set up cameras along 15 km of this mountainous trail. #### Call for submissions Life in Science is an occasional feature highlighting some of the humorous or unusual day-to-day realities that face our readers. Can you top this? Submit your story to [www.submit2science.org][1]. One crystal clear winter morning, we captured an image of a leopard cat walking across fresh snow. In the background, the Olympic ski slope looms. The species persists, even in this human-dominated landscape so close to the megacity of Beijing. In February, I will serve on the Olympic alpine skiing referee team. To be surrounded by hundreds of athletes and spectators will be a thrill—a marked contrast to my solitary fieldwork. Humans are capable of extraordinary feats, beautifully showcased by Olympic events. Such achievements bring me hope that we can leverage our strengths to ensure continued coexistence between wilderness and human settlements. As we watch the skiers race down the slopes, I know that the striding leopard cat will be watching us. [1]: http://www.submit2science.org
领域	气候变化 ; 资源环境
URL	查看原文
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/334438
专题	气候变化资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Shu-Jin Luo. The hidden Olympic spectator[J]. Science,2021.
APA	Shu-Jin Luo.(2021).The hidden Olympic spectator.Science.
MLA	Shu-Jin Luo."The hidden Olympic spectator".Science (2021).