糖楓樹可能因為氣候變化滅絕

最新 01-26

作者：Roni Dengler

Posted in:Climate Plants & Animals

doi:10.1126/science.aat0342

翻譯練習，如果錯誤，歡迎指正，謝謝。

原文配圖

Savor that sticky, slightly nutty sweetnessdrenching your Sunday morning pancakes now. The trees that make maple syrupwill struggle to survive climate change, a new study reveals.

厚厚地塗滿黏黏的楓糖漿的薄餅真是周日早晨的美味，盡情享受這種帶著輕微堅果香的甜美吧，因為根據最新研究顯示，生產這些美味糖漿的楓樹可能因為環境變化可能遭遇生存危機。

看起來好好吃的樣子，配一杯熱熱的黑咖啡感覺可以去參加斯巴達賽

Researchers had thought that pollution from cars,factories, and agriculture might buffer sugar maples against an increasinglywarm and dry climate by supplying soils with fertilizing nitrogen. But the newanalysis, which examined 20 years of tree and soil data in four Michiganlocations, finds that extra boost of nitrogen won』t be enough.

研究人員本來認為來自汽車、工廠和農業的氮污染1能夠幫助糖楓樹2抵抗氣候的變暖和乾燥。但是最新的研究——針對密歇根四處地點的樹木和土壤的20年檢測——顯示補充氮並不夠。

Instead, the researchers report today inEcology,a lack of water will stunt the trees』 growth.They ran two climate change scenarios specific to the region. In one case,driven by a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, temperature would changemoderately, by less than 1°C over the next century. In the second, more extremecase based on current emission trends continuing into the future, temperaturewould rise by more than 5°C, and 40% less rain would fall in the summer. Inboth scenarios, the trees didn』t grow as much as they do now, but tree growthin the second scenario nearly stopped, even with a bump from extra nitrogen.The researchers say sugar maples will eventually disappear if conditions fromthe second case hold true.

今天（1月17日）的Ecology發表文章3闡述缺水導致樹木停止生長。他們在該地區設置兩個不同的環境變化的實驗場景。在第一個場景中降低了二氧化碳的排放，氣溫變化不大——一個世紀內幅度不大於1℃。第二個場景依據現有排放量模擬，氣溫升高超過5攝氏度，夏季降雨量少於40%。兩個環境中，樹木生長情況都不如現在，但是在第二個場景中，哪怕大量施氮肥，樹木也幾乎停止了生長。研究人員認為如果第二個場景的氣候變化成真，糖楓樹將最終滅絕。

1氮污染下面介紹來自United States Environment Protection Agency

Nutrient pollution isone of America"s most widespread, costly and challenging environmentalproblems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water.

氮污染是美國最廣泛、最難應對、整治最高昂的環境問題，主要由空氣和水中的氮與磷造成。

Nitrogen andphosphorus are nutrients that are natural parts of aquatic ecosystems. Nitrogenis also the most abundant element in the air we breathe. Nitrogen andphosphorus support the growth of algae and aquatic plants, which provide foodand habitat for fish, shellfish and smaller organisms that live in water.

氮和磷是水生態環境自然存在的營養物質。我們呼吸的空氣也主要由氮組成。氮與磷支持水生植物和藻類生長，而水生植物和藻類為魚類，甲殼類動物和小的有機體提供食物與棲息地。

But when too muchnitrogen and phosphorus enter the environment - usually from a wide range ofhuman activities - the air and water can become polluted. Nutrient pollutionhas impacted many streams, rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters for the pastseveral decades, resulting in serious environmental and human health issues,and impacting the economy.

但是由於人類活動，過多的氮與磷進入環境造成了污染。在過去的幾十年，氮污染污染地下水、河流、湖泊、海灣以及沿岸水域，對環境和人類健康造成嚴重影響，並且影響經濟。

Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water can have diverse and far-reaching impacts on public health, the environment and the economy. Photo credit: Bill Yates.