How to grow a forest in your backyard | Shubhendu Sharma

翻译人员: Yang He 校对人员: 易帆 余

This is a man-made forest.

这是一片人造树林

It can spread over acres and acres of area,

它能长到几亩地

or it could fit in a small space --

也能在一个小的空间生长

as small as your house garden.

比如你的后花园

Age of this forest is just two years old.

这些树林都只生长了两年

I have a forest in the backyard of my own house.

我在自家后院也有一片森林

It attracts a lot of biodiversity.

它吸引了很多不同的物种

(Bird call)

（鸟鸣声）

I wake up to this every morning,

我每天早上都被鸟鸣声叫醒

like a Disney princess.

就跟迪士尼电影的公主一样

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I am an entrepreneur

我是一个企业家

who facilitates the making of these forests professionally.

专门种植和管理这些树林的企业家

We have helped factories,

我们帮助过工厂

farms,

农场

schools,

学校

homes,

住宅

resorts,

度假胜地

apartment buildings,

公寓楼

public parks

公园

and even a zoo

甚至还有动物园

to have one of such forests.

种植这些树林

A forest is not an isolated piece of land where animals live together.

树林可不是一个 只有动物住在一起的孤立的地方

A forest can be an integral part of our urban existence.

一片森林可以与我们的城市融为一体

A forest, for me,

一片森林，对我来说

is a place so dense with trees that you just can't walk into it.

是一片树木密到你都走不进去的地方

It doesn't matter how big or small they are.

无论森林是大是小

Most of the world we live in today was forest.

我们现在居住世界上的 大部分地方都曾经是森林

This was before human intervention.

在人为干扰之前都是森林

Then we built up our cities on those forests,

然后我们在森林上面建起了城市

like São Paulo,

比如说圣保罗

forgetting that we belong to nature as well,

似乎忘记了，其实我们自己 也跟地球上的其他840万物种一样,

as much as 8.4 million other species on the planet.

也属于大自然的

Our habitat stopped being our natural habitat.

我们的栖息地不再是 大自然栖息地

But not anymore for some of us.

但我们有些人可不这样认为

A few others and I today make these forests professionally --

有些人像我一样，以种植森林为业

anywhere and everywhere.

让森林遍布我们大地的每个角落

I'm an industrial engineer.

我是一个工业工程师

I specialize in making cars.

我的职业是制造汽车

In my previous job at Toyota,

之前我供职于丰田公司的时候

I learned how to convert natural resources into products.

我学会了怎样把自然资源变成产品

To give you an example,

举个例子

we would drip the sap out of a rubber tree,

我们从橡胶树上提取树液

convert it into raw rubber

制成生橡胶

and make a tire out of it -- the product.

然后做成产品——轮胎

But these products can never become a natural resource again.

不过这些产品再也不能 变成自然资源了

We separate the elements from nature

我们从自然资源中分离出元素

and convert them into an irreversible state.

并它们进行了不可逆转的变化

That's industrial production.

这就是工业生产

Nature, on the other hand, works in a totally opposite way.

自然正好以相反的方式运作

The natural system produces by bringing elements together,

自然系统通过一个一个 原子的聚集，来创造物质

atom by atom.

All the natural products become a natural resource again.

所有的自然产品 都能再变成自然资源

This is something which I learned

这是当我在自家后院 种出一片森林的时候

when I made a forest in the backyard of my own house.

我心里的收获

And this was the first time I worked with nature,

这是我第一次顺应自然行事

rather than against it.

而不是逆自然行事

Since then,

从那时开始

we have made 75 such forests in 25 cities across the world.

我们在世界上的25个城市 种植了75片森林

Every time we work at a new place,

每到一个新地方

we find that every single element needed to make a forest

我们发现，要种出一片森林

is available right around us.

所需的所有东西就在身边

All we have to do is to bring these elements together

我们要做的就是把这些成分集合起来

and let nature take over.

然后让自然来接手

To make a forest we start with soil.

种植一片森林首先需要土壤

We touch, feel and even taste it

我们通过触摸、感受甚至品尝土壤

to identify what properties it lacks.

来识别它缺乏什么

If the soil is made up of small particles it becomes compact --

如果土壤是由小颗粒组成的， 它就会紧凑

so compact, that water cannot seep in.

如果太过于紧凑，水就渗不进去

We mix some local biomass available around,

我们就会加入一些 当地能找到的生物质

which can help soil become more porous.

让土壤更加疏松

Water can now seep in.

让水能够渗入

If the soil doesn't have the capacity to hold water,

如果土壤不能够涵养水分

we will mix some more biomass --

我们就会再多加一点生物质

some water-absorbent material like peat or bagasse,

一些像泥炭或者米粒 这样的吸水物质

so soil can hold this water and it stays moist.

让土壤能够涵养水分，保持潮湿

To grow, plants need water, sunlight and nutrition.

植物要有水分、阳光和养料才能生长

What if the soil doesn't have any nutrition in it?

如果土壤没有养分怎么办呢？

We don't just add nutrition directly to the soil.

我们并不是直接向土壤中加养料

That would be the industrial way.

这是工业化的做法

It goes against nature.

是违背自然的

We instead add microorganisms to the soil.

而我们是把微生物加到土壤中去

They produce the nutrients in the soil naturally.

它们会自然而然地制造养料

They feed on the biomass we have mixed in the soil,

它们以我们加到土壤中的生物质为生

so all they have to do is eat and multiply.

它们只要吃和繁殖就行了

And as their number grows,

当它们繁殖到一定数目

the soil starts breathing again.

土壤的透气性就又有所改善了

It becomes alive.

它会变得有生命力

We survey the native tree species of the place.

我们调查当地树种

How do we decide what's native or not?

我们怎样判断那些是当地物种呢？

Well, whatever existed before human intervention is native.

在人为干预前就存在的物种 就是当地的物种

That's the simple rule.

这是个简单的道理

We survey a national park

我们调查国家公园

to find the last remains of a natural forest.

找出最后一片自然森林

We survey the sacred groves,

我们调查罕见的小树林

or sacred forests around old temples.

或者旧庙宇周围的罕见树林

And if we don't find anything at all,

如果我们什么都找不到

we go to museums

我们就去博物馆

to see the seeds or wood of trees existing there a long time ago.

看看很久以前，这里生长的树木 或者种子是什么

We research old paintings, poems and literature from the place,

我们从当地的旧画作、 诗歌和文学作品中寻找痕迹

to identify the tree species belonging there.

来识别当地物种

Once we know our trees,

一旦我们知道是什么树种

we divide them in four different layers:

我们就把它们分成四种：

shrub layer, sub-tree layer, tree layer and canopy layer.

灌木层、草本层、乔木层和树冠层

We fix the ratios of each layer,

我们平衡各个层之间的比例

and then we decide the percentage of each tree species in the mix.

然后我们确定各个树种 在总体中所占的比例

If we are making a fruit forest,

如果我们种植的是果林

we increase the percentage of fruit-bearing trees.

我们就增加果树的比例

It could be a flowering forest,

也可能是观赏性树林

a forest that attracts a lot of birds or bees,

那种会吸引很多鸟和蜜蜂的树林

or it could simply be a native, wild evergreen forest.

也有可能只是一片 本地野生常绿林

We collect the seeds and germinate saplings out of them.

我们收集种子，播撒它们， 让它们长成幼苗

We make sure that trees belonging to the same layer

确保同一树层的树木

are not planted next to each other,

不会种在一起

or they will fight for the same vertical space when they grow tall.

不然它们就会竞争 同一个高度上的空间

We plant the saplings close to each other.

我们把幼苗密集地种在一起

On the surface, we spread a thick layer of mulch,

我们会在表面上 复盖上厚厚一层护盖物

so when it's hot outside the soil stays moist.

这样即使室外温度很高， 土壤也能保持湿润

When it's cold,

室外温度很低时

frost formation happens only on the mulch,

也只有护盖物上会结霜

so soil can still breathe while it's freezing outside.

这样外面很冷的时候， 土壤仍能透气

The soil is very soft --

土壤很柔软

so soft, that roots can penetrate into it easily,

非常柔软，让植物的根部容易舒展

rapidly.

且能快速舒展

Initially, the forest doesn't seem like it's growing,

一开始，树林好像没什么变化

but it's growing under the surface.

不过它们在地表下生长

In the first three months,

在最初的三个月里

roots reach a depth of one meter.

树根能够扎到一米深

These roots form a mesh,

这些树根形成网状物

tightly holding the soil.

紧紧地抓住土壤

Microbes and fungi live throughout this network of roots.

微生物和菌类佈满在 错综複杂的根部网路中

So if some nutrition is not available in the vicinity of a tree,

所以，如果树木周围缺乏某种养分

these microbes are going to get the nutrition to the tree.

它们就能够提供该种养分

Whenever it rains,

每当下雨的时候

magically,

蘑菇就会像魔法一样

mushrooms appear overnight.

在一夜之间冒出头来

And this means the soil below has a healthy fungal network.

这证明了土壤拥有正常的菌群

Once these roots are established,

根系建立起来之后

forest starts growing on the surface.

森林就在地表上生长

As the forest grows we keep watering it --

森林生长的时候我们不断灌溉

for the next two to three years, we water the forest.

在接下来的两三年里 主要任务就是灌溉

We want to keep all the water and soil nutrition only for our trees,

我们想让树木 得到所有的养料和水分

so we remove the weeds growing on the ground.

所以要不断除草

As this forest grows, it blocks the sunlight.

森林生长起来后，会遮住阳光

Eventually, the forest becomes so dense

最终，森林变得十分密集

that sunlight can't reach the ground anymore.

阳光无法再照射到地面

Weeds cannot grow now, because they need sunlight as well.

野草因为照不到阳光而无法再生长

At this stage,

在这个阶段

every single drop of water that falls into the forest

落到树林里的每一滴水

doesn't evaporate back into the atmosphere.

都不会蒸发回大气层

This dense forest condenses the moist air

密集的树林使空气变得湿润

and retains its moisture.

而且使它保持这种湿度

We gradually reduce and eventually stop watering the forest.

我们慢慢减少浇灌量， 最终停止浇灌

And even without watering,

现在即使不浇水

the forest floor stays moist and sometimes even dark.

森林的地表也能保持湿润， 甚至肥沃

Now, when a single leaf falls on this forest floor,

现在，当一片树叶落到地面上

it immediately starts decaying.

它会立即开始腐烂

This decayed biomass forms humus,

腐烂的生物质形成森林的食物——

which is food for the forest.

腐殖质

As the forest grows,

森林继续生长

more leaves fall on the surface --

更多的树叶会落到地上

it means more humus is produced,

产生更多的腐殖质

it means more food so the forest can grow still bigger.

森林的养分更加充足，能长得更大

And this forest keeps growing exponentially.

这片森林会迅速生长

Once established,

一旦种植成功

these forests are going to regenerate themselves again and again --

这些树林会不断繁衍

probably forever.

永不停息

In a natural forest like this,

在这样的自然森林中

no management is the best management.

不用管理就是最好的管理方式

It's a tiny jungle party.

就像这个小型的“丛林聚会”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This forest grows as a collective.

这片森林聚集了各种树种

If the same trees --

如果将同一种树

same species --

同一个物种

would have been planted independently,

分开种植的话

it wouldn't grow so fast.

它不会长得这么快

And this is how we create a 100-year-old forest

这就是在十年之内 种出一片百岁森林的办法

in just 10 years.

Thank you very much.

谢谢

(Applause)

（掌声）