The networked beauty of forests - Suzanne Simard

翻译人员: HONGYU SONG 校对人员: Jenny Yang

I was walking my mountain the other day,

前些天 我在山林徒步

and I was feeling really at home with the forest.

我十分享受置身森林的感觉

And I was so grateful to it

并且十分欣喜地发现

for showing me that forests are built on relationships

森林本身是相互联系的

which form networks,

而这种联系形成了关系网

like these beautiful river networks.

就如同这些壮观的河网一样

And I thought,

"Wow, forests are just like human families."

我不禁感叹

哇 森林就像人类的家庭一样

And I was so taken by the beauty of this idea

我对这个美丽的想法感到十分兴奋

that I fell and I crashed down on the ground,

以至于跌倒在地

and I hit my head on this new stump.

我的头撞在一个新的树桩上

And I was so angry!

开始我很生气

Then, I was so heartbroken

后来又很伤心

because there was a whole family of trees cut down.

因为这些如同家庭一般的树木被无情地砍伐

Thing is, where I'm from in Western Canada,

我来自加拿大的西部

there's clearcuts like this hidden everywhere,

在那里 到处隐藏着这样的过度砍伐

and it wasn't until Google Earth starting sending images,

直到谷歌地图开始传送图片

like this,

像这样的照片

that we realized the whole world

我们才意识到整个世界

was wiping its noses on our old-growth forests.

都在糟蹋原始森林

Did you know

你可知道

that deforestation like this around the world

在全球 类似的森林滥伐

causes more greenhouse gas emissions

导致了大量温室气体的释放

than all the trains, planes and automobiles combined?

比所有火车 飞机和汽车排放量的总和还要多

Yeah, I'm really upset about this,

我确实对此感到沮丧

but I'm also really hopeful

但内心也充满希望

because I've also discovered in my research

因为我在研究中还发现

that forest networks are organized

森林系统的构成

in the same way as our own neural networks

与人类的神经系统

and our social networks.

和社会系统如出一辙

And I believe that if we can learn to integrate these into a whole

我认为如果我们能把这些系统整合起来看待

that we can change this dangerous pathway of global warming

我们就能扭转全球变暖的趋势

because I believe we are wired for healing.

因为我相信我们都渴望形势好转

So, here's the science:

科学发现表明

The most ancient of these networks

这些森林系统中最古老的

is this below-ground fungal network, or mushroom network.

是地下的真菌网络 或者说是蘑菇网

And it evolved over a billion years ago

并且在超过十亿年前就进化了

to allow organisms to migrate from the ocean onto the land.

使得有机体能从海洋迁徙到陆地

And eventually, they got together with plants

最后 它们与植物相依

in this symbiosis.

达成共生关系

And this allowed plants to photosynthesize,

这种共生关系帮助植物进行光合作用

pulling CO2, which is our biggest greenhouse gas,

从大气中吸收最主要的温室气体 二氧化碳

out of the atmosphere and giving off oxygen,

并释放出氧气

which allows us to breathe

以供我们呼吸

and actually allowed humans to eventually evolve.

实际上 最终使人类得以进化

Now, we call this symbiosis a mycorrhiza,

目前 这种共生关系叫做菌根

myco for fungus, rrhiza for root.

真菌是菌 植物是根

So, the fungus and root get together,

因此 真菌和树根聚到一起

and they trade for mutual benefit.

相互依存 互惠互利

Now, all trees in all forests all over the world

全世界所有森林里的所有树木

depend on these mycorrhizas for their very survival.

它们的生存都靠这种共生关系

They can't live without them.

没有这种关系就不能生存

And the way it works

这种共生的机制就是

is that a seed falls on the forest floor,

一颗种子落到森林的地面

it germinates,

萌芽

it sends a root down into the soil,

向土地里扎根

and it starts sending out chemical signals

然后开始向真菌释放出化学信号

to the fungi to grow towards the root.

让真菌向其根部生长

And the fungus communicates back

真菌会以其特有的信号

with its own signals,

作出反应

and it says to the root,

然后对树根说

'You need to grow towards me and branch and soften.'

你要朝我生长 抽枝 变软

And so by this communication,

通过这样的交流

they grow together into this magical symbiosis.

它们发展成为这样神奇的共生关系

And the way that symbiosis works

这种共生关系的原理是

is the plant takes its hard-earned carbon from photosynthesis

植物通过光合作用吸收来之不易的二氧化碳

and brings it to the fungus

并把二氧化碳带给真菌

because the fungus can't photosynthesize.

因为真菌自身不能进行光合作用

And the fungus takes nutrients and water it gathers from the soil,

同时真菌从植物的根到不了的土壤中

where plant roots can't grow,

获取营养物质和水

and they give it to the plant.

并把水和营养提供给植物

And so they're both benefiting in this cooperation.

因此双方都在这场合作中获利

Now, as the fungus grows through the soil,

随着真菌在土壤中生长

it starts linking plant and plant

它开始把众多的植物和植物连接起来

and tree and tree together

树和树连接起来

until the whole forest is linked together.

直到于整个森林都连接起来

Did you know that a single tree

你可知道 单独一棵树

can be literally linked up to hundreds of other trees

实际上可以和她范围以内的

as far as the eye can see?

其它几百棵树相连

And as you're walking through the forest,

当你行走在森林之中时

what you see, the trees, the roots, the mushrooms,

你所见的树木 根枝 蘑菇

are just the tip of the iceberg.

只是冰山一角

Under a single footstep,

在一步长的地下

there are 300 miles of fungal cells

真菌细胞就有300公里之长

stacked end on end moving stuff around.

首尾相连地移动

And if you could look down into the ground,

如果你能透视到地下世界

it would be like this super highway

这场景很可能就像我们的高速公路

with cars going everywhere.

到处汽车飞驰

Now, all networks are made of nodes and links.

所有的网络都是由点和链接组成

In forests, those nodes would be trees

在森林中 这些点就是树

and the links fungi.

链接就是真菌

It's kind of like in your Facebook network,

这有点像你的Facebook关系网

where nodes would be friends

在这里 朋友是点

and links would be your friendships.

友情是线

Now, we all know that some of those nodes,

我们都知道 有一些点

or friends,

或者说 朋友

are busier than others,

比其他人忙一些

like that friend who is always sending out group messages.

比如 一些朋友总是忙着发群消息

Well, it's the same in forests,

在森林里也是这样

and these nodes in forests,

森林中的这些点

we call them hubs,

我们称之为枢纽

they're the big trees in the forests

这些枢纽就是森林中的大树

with roots going everywhere.

它们的根部四通八达

Now, we also have learned

如今 我们还知道

that the systems organized around these hubs,

复杂的系统就组建在这些枢纽的周围

these big old trees,

也就是这些大树的周围

so in forests, that's where the regeneration occurs.

所以在森林中 再生在这里发生

In your Facebook network,

在你的Facebook关系网中

that might be how parties are organized,

一个个聚会往往围绕着枢纽组织起来

around that hub that's always sending out the group messages.

因为枢纽始终在发出群消息

We call those hubs in forests mother trees;

我们称森林中的枢纽为母树

they're the big old trees in the forest.

母树是森林中的又大又老的树

And they fix the carbon in their leaves,

它们用叶子固定二氧化碳

and they send it down through their massive trunks

并把二氧化碳通过巨大的树干向下输送

and into the networks all around them

最终输送到母树周围的关系网中

that are linked up to all the other trees

而这些关系网连接着所有其他的树木

and seedlings, the young ones,

以及树苗和小树

and they start sending that carbon everywhere.

接着这些树开始向四周排出二氧化碳

The more those seedlings are stressed out,

幼苗越是养分不足

maybe from drought or shade,

可能是因为干旱或者光照不足

the more the mother tree sends to them.

母树就会输送越多的二氧化碳

It's kind of like in your families,

这有点像你的家庭

where if you're kind of stressed out,

若是你有需要

mom and dad kick in and help you out a bit more, right?

父母就会介入帮助你 对吗

Well, it's the same in forests.

森林也一样

The other thing that we've recently discovered

我们最近的一个发现是

is that mother trees will preferentially send

母树倾向于发送

more signals to her own kids, her own children.

更多的信号给她自己的孩子

And then, this way she helps them do better,

这样就会更好的帮助它们成长

and then they survive more,

它们成活的几率也就更大

and then they can pass their genes on to future generations.

可以把基因传给后代

So, how natural selection works.

自然选择是多么的神奇啊

Now, the way these forests are organized

森林系统构成的方式

makes them both resilient and vulnerable.

使得森林本身适应能力很强而又很脆弱

They're resilient because there's many mother trees,

适应能力强是因为母树多

and there's many fungal species linking them together.

并且有很多真菌种群连接着它们

And that network is really hard to break.

这种关系网很难被打破

It's pretty darn tough.

十分牢固

But of course,

但是

we humans have figured out how to do that.

人类却知道如何破坏这个体系

And what we do is we take out the mother trees.

我们所做的就是砍掉母树

And maybe taking one out won't make much difference

也许砍掉一棵母树不会有太大影响

but when you take more and more and more

但是当越来越多的母树被砍伐

and clearcut and more and more and more

大面积的滥伐越来越多

that it can cause the system to collapse and fall down,

森林系统就会崩塌

like dominoes.

像多米诺骨牌一样

And we can cross tipping points

我们的行为会超过临界点

and cause more forest death and more global warming,

越来越多的森林消失 全球变暖加剧

and we're doing that.

而我们正在这么做

So what we do,

因此 我们的所作所为

our choices we make,

我们所做的选择

can lead us towards global heatlh or global sickness.

会导致全球生态的健康或者疾病

We do have choices.

我们是可以选择的

And I'm going to leave you with four ideas

我想留给大家

that I think are worth spreading.

四点值得思考的提议

First one:

第一

To love the forest

爱森林

you have to go spend time in it.

你需要花时间去亲近它

Go be in the forest, connect with it.

置身其中 与它产生共鸣

And then you'll fight hard enough to protect them.

那么 你就会努力保护它

Second:

第二

Learn how they work.

了解森林是如何运作的

Learn how those networks link things together

了解森林网络

in organized forests.

是怎样将整个森林系统联系在一起的

And to do that,

如果你想要了解

you gotta go out there take risks, make mistakes.

就得去冒险 去尝试 也可能会犯错误

Third:

第三

Protect forests.

保护森林

They need you to do that

森林需要你的保护

because they can't do it themselves.

因为它们不能自我保护

They're stuck in one spot.

它们无法移动

They can't run away from humans,

无法逃离人类

and they can't run away from global warming.

也无法逃离全球变暖

They need you.

森林需要你

And finally,

最后

and most importantly,

也是最重要的

use your own very clever, brilliant,

用你自己的智慧

neural and social networks to create amazing messages,

用你的社交网络去创造和发布信息

and spread the word that forests are worth saving

告诉世界 森林值得拯救

because you're worth saving,

因为这等于是拯救我们自己

and I believe that together

我相信 只要我们齐心协力

we're all wired for healing.

就能够治愈这个美丽的星球