Woods of Wonder

Woods of Wonder, written by Russ Buyak.

《神奇森林》，拉斯·布亚克 著

Oh, that's old. Imagine you're in a dark, lovely forest. Trees with trunks wider than cars tower overhead. Smaller plants soak up what little light they can find. Pine needles and other dead leaves cover the ground. Like something out of a fairy tale, an old growth forest is a place of wonder and mystery.

哇，这可太古老啦！ 想象一下，你走进了一片幽暗迷人的森林。 树干比汽车还宽的大树高高耸立在头顶。 矮小的植物努力汲取着它们能找到的每一丝微光。 松针和其他枯树叶铺满了地面。 就像童话里才有的场景，原始老龄林是充满惊奇与神秘的地方。

Some old growth forests look like this scene, others look very different. Some have only one type of tree, while others have many. Some have trees that seem to touch the sky, others have trees shorter than a house. Because of all these differences, scientists do not have one definition for an old growth forest. However, they have found some things that many old -growth forests share. Many scientists agree that an old -growth forest must be at least 150 years old. The trees within the forest might be many different ages, though, including large trees, both living and dead, or dying. Standing dead trees, called snags, and fallen trees provide food and shelter for different animals, plants, and fungi.

有些原始老龄林和这片森林很像，另一些则完全不同。 有些森林里只生长一种树，有些则长着许许多多种树。 有些树高得仿佛能碰到天，有些树却比房子还要矮。 因为这些差异，科学家们还没有给原始老龄林下一个统一的定义。 不过，他们发现大部分原始老龄林都有一些共同特点。 很多科学家认为，原始老龄林的树龄至少要达到150年。 不过林里的树木树龄各不相同，有活的大树，也有死去或是正在枯萎的大树。 站立的枯树叫做残干，它们和倒下的树木一起，为各类动物、植物和真菌提供食物和庇护所。

The forest's canopy should have more than one layer. Fallen trees make holes in the canopy where young trees can find sunlight to grow. Old growth forests are some of the most beautiful and interesting places on earth. By studying and taking care of them, we can learn a lot.

森林的冠层应当不止一个分层。 倒下的树木会在冠层留出空隙，让小树能获得阳光生长。 原始老龄林是地球上最美丽也最有趣的地方之一。 通过研究和保护它们，我们能学到很多知识。

United States. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California together cover more than 1 ,353 square miles, 3 ,504 square kilometers. They hold more than 300 square miles, 777 square kilometers of old growth forest made up mostly of coniferous trees. Among these are giant sequoias found only in California. These huge trees are among the oldest on earth. They can live for more than 3 ,000 years. A giant sequoia known as the general Sherman tree is the largest tree in the world.

美国 加利福尼亚州的红杉国家公园和国王峡谷国家公园总面积超过1353平方英里，即3504平方公里。 这里拥有超过300平方英里（777平方公里）的原始老龄林，大部分都是针叶树。 其中就包括仅生长在加州的巨型红杉。 这些巨树是地球上最古老的树木之一。 它们能存活3000年以上。 一棵名为谢尔曼将军的巨型红杉，是世界上体积最大的树。

The Pacific Fisher lives in the park's old -growth forest under the thick canopy. It hunts birds and small mammals. Its favorite meal is porcupine. Because its habitat is limited to old -growth forests, some states are taking steps to protect it.

太平洋渔貂生活在这片公园原始林浓密的树冠之下。 它捕食鸟类和小型哺乳动物。 它最爱吃的食物是豪猪。 因为它只栖息在原始老龄林，有些州已经开始采取措施保护它了。