環(huán)保人士如何拯救蘇格蘭的熱帶雨林

How conservationists are saving Scotland's rainforests

環(huán)保人士如何拯救蘇格蘭的熱帶雨林

Scotland may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of rainforests, but U.K.'s northernmost country is home to these verdant habitats, though they are diminishing and under threat.

提到熱帶雨林，你首先想到的可能不是蘇格蘭，但是這個英國最北部的國家是這些郁郁蔥蔥的棲息地的家園，盡管它們正在減少并受到威脅。

"Scotland's rainforest is just as lush and just as important as tropical rainforest, but is even rarer," Adam Harrison of Woodland Trust Scotland, tells The Scotsman.

蘇格蘭林地信托公司的亞當·哈里森告訴《蘇格蘭人》雜志：“蘇格蘭的雨林和熱帶雨林一樣郁郁蔥蔥，同樣重要，但更稀有。”

"It is found along the West Coast and on the inner isles and is a unique habitat of ancient native oak, birch, ash, pine and hazel woodlands and includes open glades and river gorges. Our rainforest relies on mild, wet and clean air coming in off the Atlantic, and is garlanded with a spectacular array of lichens, fungi, mosses, liverworts and ferns. Many are nationally and globally rare and some are found nowhere else in the world."

“它位于西海岸和內島，是古老的本地橡樹、樺樹、灰燼、松樹和榛子林地的獨特棲息地，包括開闊的沼澤地和河流峽谷。我們的雨林依賴于來自大西洋的溫和、濕潤和清潔的空氣，其花環(huán)上有一系列壯觀的地衣、真菌、苔蘚和蕨類植物。許多在國內和全球范圍內都很少見，有些在世界其他地方根本沒有。”

The rainforests were once plentiful but many factors have resulted in their destruction. The forest are being lost to overgrazing by deer and livestock, invasive plant species and disease, reports the BBC. In addition, the land has been cleared for industry and harmed by pollution, according to The Herald.

熱帶雨林曾經很豐富，但許多因素導致了它們被破壞。據BBC報道，由于鹿和牲畜的過度放牧、植物種類和疾病的入侵，森林正在消失。此外，據“先驅報”報道，這片土地已被清除為工業(yè)用地，并受到了污染。

The remaining oak, birch, ash, pine and hazel woodlands are small and are isolated from each other. Conservationists say they are over-mature and often show little or no regrowth.

剩下的橡樹、樺樹、灰燼、松樹和榛子林地都很小，而且彼此隔絕。環(huán)保主義者說，它們過于成熟了，而且經常表現出很少或根本沒有再生的跡象。

A group of 16 of Scotland's largest conservation organizations and charities are joining together to save the rainforests. The Atlantic Woodland Alliance has proposed eradicating several non-native plants, such as invasive rhododendron and Sitka spruce, while planting more native trees such as oak and birch. According to the alliance report, invasive rhododendron alone can be found in 40% of rainforest locations where it threatens to choke the woodlands and prevent traditional rainforest plants from flourishing.

16個蘇格蘭最大的保護組織和慈善機構中的環(huán)保主義者正在聯(lián)合起來拯救熱帶雨林。大西洋林地聯(lián)盟建議根除幾種外來植物，如入侵的杜鵑花和西特卡云杉，同時種植更多的本土樹木，如橡樹和樺樹。根據聯(lián)盟的報告，僅在40%的熱帶雨林地區(qū)就能發(fā)現入侵的杜鵑花，在這些地區(qū)，杜鵑花會阻塞林地，阻礙傳統(tǒng)的熱帶雨林植物生長。

Although the Scottish rainforest is threatened, the conservationists don't believe it's too late to be saved.

盡管蘇格蘭雨林受到威脅，但自然資源保護主義者認為現在開始保護并不晚。

"Our vision for regenerating Scotland's rainforest is clear," says Gordon Gray Stephens, of the Community Woodlands Association. "We need to make it larger, in better condition, and with improved connections between people and woods."

“我們希望蘇格蘭雨林再生的愿景是清晰的。”社區(qū)林地協(xié)會的戈登·格雷·斯蒂芬斯說，“我們需要通過改善人與森林之間的聯(lián)系，使它變得更大，處于更好的環(huán)境中。”