Woods of Wonder

Woods of Wonder, written by Russ Buyak.

《奇妙森林》，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 and block almost all the sunlight. Small ferns and other 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.

噢，这可太古老啦 想象一下，你走进一片幽暗又迷人的森林 树干比小汽车还宽的大树高高耸立，几乎挡住了所有阳光 小蕨类和其他植物努力吸收着好不容易透下来的微弱阳光 松针和枯树叶铺满了地面 原始古森林就像童话里的世界，充满了惊奇与神秘

For some old -growth forests, this scene wouldn't be far from the truth. Others might look quite different. Some old -growth forests have only one type of tree, while others have many. Some may have trees that seem to touch the sky, while others have trees shorter than a house. Because of this variety, scientists do not have one definition for old -growth forests. Still, they have found some features that many old -growth forests share. Many scientists agree that an old -growth forest must be at least 150 years old. The age of each tree in the forest may vary widely, however. The forest's structure must also be complex. This means that the canopy must have varying layers with large trees, both living and dead dying. Fallen trees create holes in the canopy where young trees can find the sunlight to grow. Fallen trees and upright dead trees called snags provide food and shelter for many animals, plants and fungi. Some of these species live nowhere else on earth.

对不少原始古森林来说，这番描述和真实情况相差不大 也有些原始古森林的模样和这完全不同 有些原始古森林只长一种树，有些则生长着许多种树 有些森林里的树高得仿佛能碰到天，有些树却比房子还要矮 因为差异这么大，科学家们还没有给原始古森林下一个统一的定义 不过，他们发现大部分原始古森林都有一些共同特点 很多科学家都认为，原始古森林的树龄至少要达到150年 不过，森林里每棵树的树龄可以相差很大 森林的结构也必须是复杂多样的 也就是说，树冠层要有不同的层级，既有存活的大树，也有正在枯死的大树 倒下的树会在树冠层留出空隙，让小树可以得到阳光生长 倒下的树木和立着的枯木（残干），给许多动物、植物和真菌提供了食物和庇护所 其中有些物种只在原始古森林才能生存

Old -growth forests are some of the most beautiful and scientifically interesting places on Earth. Yet because of humans, many of them have shrunk or disappeared. By carefully studying and protecting the ones that remain, we can understand the complex and delicate ecosystems they create.

原始古森林是地球上最美、也最具科研价值的地方之一 但因为人类活动，很多原始古森林已经缩小甚至消失了 认真研究、保护现存的原始古森林，我们才能了解它们孕育出的复杂又脆弱的生态系统

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. This forest includes a variety of tree species, mostly coniferous, but deciduous as well. One of the most amazing of these is the giant sequoia. 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加起来，总面积超过1353平方英里，合3504平方公里 这里的原始古森林面积超过300平方英里，合777平方公里 这片森林长着各种各样的树，大部分是针叶树，也有落叶树 其中最令人惊叹的就是巨杉了 这种大树只生长在加利福尼亚，是地球上最古老的树种之一 它们的寿命能超过3000年 一棵名叫谢尔曼将军树的巨杉，是世界上体积最大的树

Thousands of creatures live in the park, including the Pacific fisher. This relative of the weasel lives under the thick canopy in old -growth forests. It hunts birds and small mammals, but its favorite meal is porcupine. Because its habitat is limited to old -growth forests, it is now rare in California, Oregon, and Washington.

公园里生活着成千上万种生物，其中就包括太平洋渔貂 这种鼬鼠的近亲住在原始古森林浓密的树冠层下 它捕食鸟类和小型哺乳动物，但最爱的食物是豪猪 因为它只能住在原始古森林里，如今在加利福尼亚、俄勒冈和华盛顿已经很少见了