The networked beauty of forests - Suzanne Simard

森林網絡之美 - 蘇珊·席馬德

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

I was walking my mountain the other day,

有一天我在山裡走走

and I was feeling really at home with the forest.

我真的覺得森林就像家一樣

And I was so grateful to it

我很感激它讓我知道

for showing me that forests are built on relationships

森林是建立在各式關係上

which form networks,

形成網絡

like these beautiful river networks.

就像這些美麗的河流網絡

And I thought,

然後我就想

"Wow, forests are just like human families."

哇，森林就像人類的家庭一樣

And I was so taken by the beauty of this idea

我被這個想法的美妙給震懾住了

that I fell and I crashed down on the ground,

以至於跌跤撲倒在地上

and I hit my head on this new stump.

我的頭撞到這根新樹墩

And I was so angry!

我好生氣

Then, I was so heartbroken

隨之心碎

because there was a whole family of trees cut down.

因為有一整個家族的樹林被砍掉

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

問題是，我是西加拿大人

there's clearcuts like this hidden everywhere,

像這種隱藏的皆伐情況比比皆是

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

在谷歌地球開始傳送影像之後

like this,

像這個

that we realized the whole world

我們才瞭解這整個世界

was wiping its noses on our old-growth forests.

在掠奪我們古老的森林

Did you know

你可知

that deforestation like this around the world

全世界像這樣的森林除伐

causes more greenhouse gas emissions

所造成的溫室氣體排放

than all the trains, planes and automobiles combined?

比所有的火車、飛機 及汽車加起來還多？

Yeah, I'm really upset about this,

是啊，我真的很氣惱這件事

but I'm also really hopeful

但我同時也真的懷抱希望

because I've also discovered in my research

因為我已經在我的研究中發現

that forest networks are organized

森林網絡組織的方式

in the same way as our own neural networks

與我們自己的神經網絡

and our social networks.

及社會網絡一樣

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

而我相信如果我們能學習 把這些整合在一起

that we can change this dangerous pathway of global warming

我們就能改變這條通向 全球暖化的危險之路

because I believe we are wired for healing.

因為我相信我們早已為 醫治地球做好準備

So, here's the science:

所以，現在來說科學證據：

The most ancient of these networks

這些網絡中最古老的

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

是這個地面下的真菌網絡 或稱蕈類網絡

And it evolved over a billion years ago

它經過十億年的演變

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

讓生物從海洋遷移到陸地

And eventually, they got together with plants

而最終，它們與植物一起

in this symbiosis.

形成共生

And this allowed plants to photosynthesize,

這讓植物能行光合作用

pulling CO2, which is our biggest greenhouse gas,

從大氣中吸收二氧化碳

out of the atmosphere and giving off oxygen,

即最大量的溫室氣體，再釋放氧氣

which allows us to breathe

讓我們能呼吸

and actually allowed humans to eventually evolve.

並實際讓人類最終能演化

Now, we call this symbiosis a mycorrhiza,

我們稱這種共生為菌根

myco for fungus, rrhiza for root.

字首 myco 代表真菌 字尾 rrhiza 則為根

So, the fungus and root get together,

所以，真菌與根結合

and they trade for mutual benefit.

它們就會交易，互利互惠

Now, all trees in all forests all over the world

全世界森林裡的樹

depend on these mycorrhizas for their very survival.

都依賴菌根維生

They can't live without them.

沒有菌根它們無法生存

And the way it works

而它運作的方式是

is that a seed falls on the forest floor,

一顆種子掉落在森林的地面上

it germinates,

它發芽

it sends a root down into the soil,

在土壤內向下發根

and it starts sending out chemical signals

而且開始發送化學信號

to the fungi to grow towards the root.

給朝向根生長的真菌

And the fungus communicates back

然後真菌會傳回

with its own signals,

它自己的信號

and it says to the root,

告訴根

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

「你得朝我生長，還要分支、要軟化。」

And so by this communication,

藉由這樣的溝通

they grow together into this magical symbiosis.

它們就會一同生長 成為這神奇的共生

And the way that symbiosis works

而共生的運作則是

is the plant takes its hard-earned carbon from photosynthesis

植物把從光合作用辛苦得來的碳

and brings it to the fungus

帶給真菌

because the fungus can't photosynthesize.

因為真菌不能行光合作用

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

而真菌則把從土壤得到的營養及水分

where plant roots can't grow,

植物的根不能生成這些

and they give it to the plant.

而真菌把這些給予植物

And so they're both benefiting in this cooperation.

所以在這種合作中兩者都得到好處

Now, as the fungus grows through the soil,

現在，當真菌在土壤中生長

it starts linking plant and plant

它開始將植物與植物連結

and tree and tree together

樹與樹連結

until the whole forest is linked together.

直到整座森林都連結在一起為止

Did you know that a single tree

你可知一棵樹

can be literally linked up to hundreds of other trees

可與眼睛能看見的上百棵

as far as the eye can see?

樹木連在一起？

And as you're walking through the forest,

而當你在森林內漫步

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

你所看見的一切，樹、根、蕈類

are just the tip of the iceberg.

都只是冰山一角罷了

Under a single footstep,

單單只跨一步

there are 300 miles of fungal cells

底下就有 483 公里長的真菌細胞

stacked end on end moving stuff around.

一個接著一個，傳送東西

And if you could look down into the ground,

而如果你低頭看看地面

it would be like this super highway

它就像這條超級高速公路

with cars going everywhere.

上面的車子一樣可以到任何地方

Now, all networks are made of nodes and links.

那麼，所有網絡都有節點及鏈結

In forests, those nodes would be trees

在森林裡這些節點就是樹木

and the links fungi.

而鏈結就是真菌

It's kind of like in your Facebook network,

這有點像你的臉書網路

where nodes would be friends

節點就是你的朋友

and links would be your friendships.

而鏈結就是你和朋友間的交情

Now, we all know that some of those nodes,

那麼，我們都知道有些節點

or friends,

或說朋友

are busier than others,

比其他朋友忙一點

like that friend who is always sending out group messages.

就像那個總是在 發群組聊天訊息的朋友

Well, it's the same in forests,

嗯，這情況在森林裡也一樣

and these nodes in forests,

森林裡的有些節點

we call them hubs,

我們稱為樞紐

they're the big trees in the forests

它們是森林裡的大樹

with roots going everywhere.

根部向各處分佈

Now, we also have learned

我們也知道

that the systems organized around these hubs,

系統組織會繞著這些樞紐

these big old trees,

就是這些巨大古老的樹木周圍

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

所以在森林裡 那就是再生現象發生的地方

In your Facebook network,

在你的臉書網路裡

that might be how parties are organized,

那就像在籌畫派對

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

在那個總是發 群組聊天訊息的樞紐四周

We call those hubs in forests mother trees;

我們稱這些森林裡的樞紐為母樹

they're the big old trees in the forest.

它們是森林中最大最老的樹

And they fix the carbon in their leaves,

它們在樹葉裡固定碳

and they send it down through their massive trunks

而且把碳經由巨大的樹幹向下輸送

and into the networks all around them

給圍繞在它們四周的各式網絡

that are linked up to all the other trees

這些網絡與其他的樹木

and seedlings, the young ones,

及幼苗，即年輕的一代聯接

and they start sending that carbon everywhere.

然後它們開始把碳送到四處

The more those seedlings are stressed out,

這些幼苗遭受愈多逆境

maybe from drought or shade,

可能是乾旱或遮蔽（日照強度不足）

the more the mother tree sends to them.

母樹供給的碳就愈多

It's kind of like in your families,

這就好比是在你家

where if you're kind of stressed out,

如果你壓力有點大了

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

爸媽就出手多幫你一點，對吧？

Well, it's the same in forests.

嗯，這在森林也一樣

The other thing that we've recently discovered

另外一件我們最近發現的事

is that mother trees will preferentially send

是母樹會優先送

more signals to her own kids, her own children.

較多的信號給自己的孩子 她自己的孩子

And then, this way she helps them do better,

所以她以這種方式讓它們生長地更好

and then they survive more,

進而使它們更能生存

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

因此它們可以傳下基因給後代

So, how natural selection works.

所以，這就是天擇的運作方式

Now, the way these forests are organized

這些森林組織的方式

makes them both resilient and vulnerable.

使得它們既堅韌又脆弱

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

它們堅韌是因為森林裡有很多母樹

and there's many fungal species linking them together.

也有很多真菌類將它們聯接在一起

And that network is really hard to break.

這種網絡真的很難被破壞

It's pretty darn tough.

真的難極了

But of course,

但當然

we humans have figured out how to do that.

我們人類已經找到破壞的方法

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

我們做的就是把母樹砍掉

And maybe taking one out won't make much difference

砍掉一棵可能沒甚麼差別

but when you take more and more and more

但當你愈砍愈多

and clearcut and more and more and more

皆伐愈來愈多

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

這會使系統崩毀

like dominoes.

就像骨牌一樣

And we can cross tipping points

我們會超越臨界點

and cause more forest death and more global warming,

導致更多森林死亡 及更嚴重的全球暖化

and we're doing that.

我們正在做這樣的事

So what we do,

所以我們所做

our choices we make,

所選的事

can lead us towards global heatlh or global sickness.

會帶領我們朝向 全球健康或全球疾病

We do have choices.

我們的確有選擇

And I'm going to leave you with four ideas

我要給你們四個點子

that I think are worth spreading.

我覺得很值得推廣

First one:

第一：

To love the forest

為了要愛森林

you have to go spend time in it.

你必須花時間與它相處

Go be in the forest, connect with it.

去森林裡與它聯繫

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

這樣你才會努力奮鬥保護它

Second:

第二：

Learn how they work.

了解它們運作的方式

Learn how those networks link things together

了解這些網絡如何在有組織的

in organized forests.

森林中聯接在一起

And to do that,

為了做這件事

you gotta go out there take risks, make mistakes.

你必須在森林裡冒險出錯

Third:

第三：

Protect forests.

保護森林

They need you to do that

它們需要你這樣做

because they can't do it themselves.

因為它們自己做不了

They're stuck in one spot.

它們被困在一個固定的地方

They can't run away from humans,

它們不能從人類手中脫逃

and they can't run away from global warming.

它們也不能從全球暖化中脫身

They need you.

它們需要你

And finally,

最後

and most importantly,

也是最重要的

use your own very clever, brilliant,

用你自身非常聰明巧妙的

neural and social networks to create amazing messages,

神經及社群網絡 創造令人讚嘆的訊息

and spread the word that forests are worth saving

並分享森林是值得拯救的訊息

because you're worth saving,

因為你也是值得拯救的

and I believe that together

而我相信同心合作

we're all wired for healing.

我們已為醫治地球做好準備