美國城市每年正在失去3600萬棵樹。你可以這樣阻止它

美國城市每年正在失去3600萬棵樹。你可以這樣阻止它

If you're looking for a reason to care about tree loss, this summer's record-breaking heat waves might be it. Trees can lower summer daytime temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a recent study.

如果你正在尋找一個關(guān)心樹木消失的理由，可能是今年夏天創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的熱浪。根據(jù)最近的一項研究，樹木可以將夏季白天的溫度降低10華氏度。

But tree cover in US cities is shrinking. A study published last year by the US Forest Service found that we lost 36 million trees annually from urban and rural communities over a five-year period. That's a 1% drop from 2009 to 2014.

但美國城市的樹木覆蓋率正在萎縮。美國林業(yè)局去年發(fā)表的一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，在五年的時間里，我們每年從城市和農(nóng)村社區(qū)流失3600萬棵樹木。從2009年到2014年下降了1%。

If we continue on this path, "cities will become warmer, more polluted and generally more unhealthy for inhabitants," said David Nowak, a senior US Forest Service scientist and co-author of the study.

如果我們繼續(xù)沿著這條路走下去，“城市將變得更溫暖，污染更嚴(yán)重，居民也將普遍更不健康，”美國林務(wù)局資深科學(xué)家、該研究的合著者戴維•諾瓦克表示。

Nowak says there are many reasons our tree cover is declining, including hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, insects and disease. But the one reason for tree loss that humans can control is sensible development.

諾瓦克說，我們的樹木覆蓋率下降有很多原因，包括颶風(fēng)、龍卷風(fēng)、火災(zāi)、昆蟲和疾病。但是人類能夠控制樹木減少的一個原因是合理的發(fā)展。

More than 80% of the US population lives in urban areas, and most Americans live in forested regions along the East and West coasts, Nowak says.

諾瓦克說，80%以上的美國人口生活在城市地區(qū)，大多數(shù)美國人生活在東西海岸的森林地區(qū)。

"Every time we put a road down, we put a building and we cut a tree or add a tree, it not only affects that site, it affects the region."

“每次我們修路、蓋樓、砍樹植樹，不僅影響到那個地點，還影響到這個地區(qū)。”

The study placed a value on tree loss based on trees' role in air pollution removal and energy conservation.

該研究基于樹木在消除空氣污染和節(jié)能方面的作用，對樹木的損失進行了評估。

The lost value amounted to $96 million a year.

每年損失的價值達9600萬美元。

Nowak lists 7 benefits trees provide to society:

諾瓦克列舉了樹木給社會帶來的7個好處:

Heat reduction

減少熱量

Air pollution reduction

減少空氣污染

Water quality improvement

提高水質(zhì)量

Noise reduction

降噪

Protection from UV radiation

防止紫外線輻射

Improved human health

改善人類健康

Wildlife habitat

野生動物棲息地

How you can help stop tree loss：

你如何幫助阻止樹木的流失：

Protect what you have: Nowak says the first step is caring for the trees on your own property. "We think we pay for our house, and so we must maintain it. But because we don't pay for nature, we don't need to. And that's not necessarily true."

保護你所擁有的東西：諾瓦克說，第一步是在自己的土地上保護樹木。“想想，我們付了房子的錢，所以我們必須維護它。但是因為我們不為自然買單，我們也不需要這樣做。但事實未必如此。”

Prune the dead limbs out of your trees: If they're small enough, do it yourself or hire a company. The risk of limbs damaging your house is significantly lowered when there's tree upkeep, Nowak said.

把樹上的枯枝剪掉:如果它們很小，你可以自己動手或者雇一家公司。諾瓦克說，樹木有了保養(yǎng)，你的房子被樹枝損壞的風(fēng)險就大大降低了。

Notice where your trees may be in trouble: Such as when branches are losing leaves and breaking or when mushrooms are growing at the base or on the trees. You can also hire an arborist or tree canopy expert to assess the health of your trees on an annual basis.

注意你的樹可能在什么地方出了問題: 比如樹枝什么時候落葉、折斷，或者什么時候樹的底部或樹上會長蘑菇。你也可以聘請一位樹藝家或樹冠專家，每年評估你的樹木的健康狀況。

Don't remove old trees if it's not necessary: Instead, try taking smaller actions like removing branches. "It takes a long time for these big trees to get big: 50 to 100 years. And once they're established, they can live a long time. But taking a big tree out and saying 'we'll replant,' there's no guarantee small trees will make it, and it will take a very long time to grow."

如果沒有必要，不要砍掉老樹:相反，試著采取一些較小的行動，比如砍掉樹枝。“這些大樹需要很長時間才能長成大樹:50到100年。一旦它們建立起來，就能活很長時間。但是，砍掉一棵大樹，然后說‘我們要重新植樹’，并不能保證小的樹就能成活，而且它需要很長時間才能生長。”

Educate yourself about trees and get involved: Many cities have tree ordinances that seek to protect very old, significant trees. You can get involved by attending city meetings. You can also help your city plant trees by joining local nonprofit groups.

多了解樹木并參與其中:許多城市都有樹木條例，旨在保護非常古老、重要的樹木。你可以參加城市會議。你也可以加入當(dāng)?shù)氐姆怯M織幫助你所在的城市植樹。