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Can DNA of 800-year-old oak help save future forests?

八百岁古橡树的 DNA 能帮助我们拯救未来的森林吗？

文字稿

The Druids Oak has watched over this woodland in Buckinghamshire for hundreds of years, withstanding droughts, storms, heatwaves and more.

这棵橡树被称为 “德鲁伊橡树”，数百年来它一直守护着白金汉郡的这片林地，它经受住了干旱、风暴和热浪等种种考验。

Today, the mighty oak is being measured up…

现如今，这棵高大威猛的橡树正被科学家们详细测量……

Ed Pyne, Conservation Scientist, The Woodland Trust
"It's about 9m19."

艾德·佩恩    林地信托环保科学家
“周长大约 9.19米。”

"Yeah, one of the biggest trees in the UK."

“是的，它是英国最大的树之一。”

…and getting a DNA test that could unlock the secrets of its superpowers.

……并进行 DNA 检测以揭开它超强生命力的秘密。

Ed Pyne, Conservation Scientist, The Woodland Trust
"We don't know what enables it to be so successful, compared to other trees. Is it just that it's got lucky? Has it led a stress-free life? Or is there something special about the genes of this tree? We're hoping to really dig into that and find that out."

艾德·佩恩    林地信托环保科学家
“我们并不知道是什么让它和其它的树相比如此成功。难道仅仅是因为它运气好吗？因为它生存得无忧无虑？还是说这棵树的基因有什么特别之处？我们希望能够切实地深入研究这个问题并找到答案。”

Helen Briggs, BBC correspondent
"A single ancient oak like this one is home to hundreds of different species of plants and animals. We've got moss on the trunk, we've got ants running up and down, this bark is shelter for beetles. It's absolutely teeming with life. So if you lose an ancient oak like this one, you lose the wildlife too."

海伦·布里格斯    BBC 通讯员
“像这样的一棵古橡树是成百上千种不同植物和动物的家园。树干上长有苔藓，蚂蚁在树上爬上爬下，这块树皮是甲虫的庇护所。这棵树简直充满了生机。所以如果我们失去这样一棵古橡树，就会同时失去这些野生动植物。”

Here at this national nature reserve near Moccas in Herefordshire, unwanted conifers are being removed and oaks put back, to encourage wildlife.

在临近赫里福德郡莫卡斯的这个国家自然保护区，多余的针叶树正在被移除，橡树被重新种植，从而促进野生动植物的生长。

Tom Simpson, Natural England
"So this tree's about 16 years old and it was one of the trees which was grown from acorns collected from the 800-year-old trees in the park. In the short period of time, that 16 years of restoration, we are really seeing the sort of nature recovery up on this site."

汤姆·辛普森    英格兰自然署
“这棵树大约有 16 岁，它是这个公园里其中一棵用从有八百年树龄的橡树上收集到的橡子培育出的树。在很短的时间内，也就是复原工作的 16 年中，我们就已经在这个山头上看到了大自然的恢复。”

In this woodland, forgotten oaks are being cared for, but many ancient trees are still missing from the map.

在这片林地中，被人遗忘的橡树们得到了悉心照顾，但仍有许多古树没有被标记在地图上。

Saul Herbert, Conservation Manager, The Woodland Trust
"We need to find out where they are and we need to engage with people and communities, to ensure that these trees are valued and looked after for the ecological, cultural and the historic value that they bring to our landscapes."

索尔·赫伯特    林地信托环境保护经理
“我们需要找到这些古树的位置并吸引人们和社区的关注，从而确保这些树能被重视并得到照顾，因为它们能为我们的自然景色带来生态、文化以及历史价值。”

The conservationists say these living legends are irreplaceable, but knowing their secrets will help the ancient oaks of the future.

环境保护人士称，这些活生生的传奇是不可替代的，但了解它们的秘密能帮助未来的古橡树。