Ruth Metzel may have figured out a way to save a critically endangered ecosystem: build relationships with the people who live there. For a decade the ecologist has studied tropical dry forests in Panama's rural Los Santos Province. There, intensive cattle farming reflects the threat to the forests countrywide. Many farmers, proud of their traditions yet aware that land-use techniques need to change, are eager to do something about it.
露絲·梅澤爾可能已經(jīng)找到了一個(gè)拯救極度瀕危生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的方法：與住在那里的人建立關(guān)系。10年來，這位生態(tài)學(xué)家一直在研究巴拿馬洛斯桑托斯省的熱帶干燥林。在那里，集約化的養(yǎng)牛業(yè)反映了巴拿馬全國范圍內(nèi)森林所面臨的威脅。許多農(nóng)民為自己的傳統(tǒng)感到自豪，但也意識(shí)到土地利用技術(shù)需要改變，因此他們迫切希望能采取些行動(dòng)。
Metzel co-founded Azuero Earth Project as a way to guide those who lean most heavily on the forest ecosystem toward living more harmoniously with it. "The key," she says, "is to reach people where they're at." Azuero works with cattle ranchers to identify exactly which trees -- native and fruit -- to plant on their land and where. The new growth helps form a corridor that replenishes the forest and restores habitat for wildlife, especially the critically endangered Azuero spider monkey. With over 5,000 trees planted since 2017, Metzel has high hopes for this approach.
梅澤爾與他人共同創(chuàng)立的阿祖羅地球項(xiàng)目，旨在引導(dǎo)那些嚴(yán)重依賴森林生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的人們能夠與其更和諧地生活。她說道：“關(guān)鍵是要和當(dāng)?shù)氐娜藗兘⒙?lián)系?！卑⒆媪_與牧場(chǎng)主合作，以此來準(zhǔn)確識(shí)別哪些樹木--原生樹木以及果樹--可以在他們的土地上種植。這一新型種植方式有助于形成一個(gè)走廊，補(bǔ)充森林和恢復(fù)野生動(dòng)物的棲息地，尤其是極度瀕危的阿祖羅蜘蛛猴。自2017年以來，梅澤爾已經(jīng)種植了5000多棵樹，他對(duì)這種方法抱有很高的期望。
To support Azuero's mission, Metzel was awarded a National Geographic Society grant to teach Panamanian artisans how to responsibly source the grasses, seeds, and other native materials they use to make crafts. The end goal, says Metzel, is preventing this endangered ecosystem from being degraded any further -- and growing it.
為了支持阿祖羅的任務(wù)，梅澤爾獲得了國家地理學(xué)會(huì)的資助，來教導(dǎo)巴拿馬工匠們?nèi)绾呜?fù)責(zé)任地獲取草料、種子以及他們用來制作工藝品的其它天然材料。梅澤爾表示，最終的目標(biāo)是防止這個(gè)瀕危的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)進(jìn)一步退化--并且使其茁壯成長(zhǎng)。
評(píng)論
打印
