VOA慢速英语20060606a

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Study Finds Only Five Percent of Tropical¹ Forests Are Being ProtectedBy Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, June 06, 2006

This is Shep O'Neal with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.


Rain forest in Lope Reserve, Gabon

A major study has looked at efforts to save the tropical forests that remain in the world. Researchers found that less than five percent of the forest land is being protected.

The study examined the use of sustainable management plans by forest operators². Such a plan seeks a continuous³ flow of forest products, without damage to the future of the forest or its environment.

The International Tropical Timber⁴ Organization did the study. The researchers studied the supervision⁵ of more than eight hundred million hectares of forests in thirty-three countries. This land represents two-thirds of all the natural tropical forests in the world.

Tropical forests are divided into two major kinds: production and protection.

Production forests are harvested for wood. These forests can be natural or planted. The study found that only about seven percent of production forests are managed sustainably.

Yet four times as much land is supposed to be managed under plans developed by forest operators. The researchers say it is much easier to develop a plan than to follow it, even if operators truly want to.

Protection forests are recognized as valuable not for harvested wood, but as shelters for animal and plant life, a lot of it rare.

Protected areas represent more than four hundred sixty million hectares of forests. Yet management plans have been developed for just four percent of that land. And the study found that the plans are being followed on only two percent.

From Asia to Africa to the Americas, progress is uneven⁶ in efforts to save tropical forests. Good management requires law enforcement⁷ and money. It also requires interest and ability.

Yet there is good news. The report says sustainably managed forests now cover at least thirty-six million hectares, an area the size of Germany.

The United Nations established the International Tropical Timber Organization in nineteen eighty-six. The group was formed in reaction to concerns about shrinking⁸ forest resources. At the time, almost none of the world's tropical forests had plans for sustainable management.

Fifty-nine nations are members of the organization which is based in Yokohama, Japan. They are responsible for about eighty percent of the world's tropical forests and ninety percent of trade in tropical wood.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Read and listen to our reports at www.unsv.com. This is Shep O'Neal.

1 tropical   

adj.热带的，热带的，炎热的

参考例句：

• You must grow these tropical flowers in a glasshouse.你必须把这些热带花卉种在温室里。
• This disease is widespread in tropical areas.这种疾病在热带地区蔓延很广。

2 operators   

n.（某企业的）经营者( operator的名词复数 )；（机器、设备等的）操作员；电话接线员；投机取巧者

参考例句：

• A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market. 大批新的运营商将获准进入该市场。 来自辞典例句
• Green house operators have considerable opportunity for precise manipulation of nutrients. 温室管理员有很多机会来准确控制养分。 来自辞典例句

3 continuous   

adj.继续的，连续的，持续的，延伸的

参考例句：

• She finally got in after 10 years'continuous effort.坚持不懈地努力了十年后，她终于当选了。
• We must be continuous to study.我们必须不断学习。

4 timber   

n.木材，原木，大木料，栋木

参考例句：

• These trees need more time to grow into useful timber.这些树不够年头，还没成材呢。
• The timber is graded according to its thickness.木材按厚度分级。

5 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

6 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

7 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

8 shrinking   

a.畏缩的，犹豫不决的

参考例句：

• She purposely made the dress larger to allow for shrinking when it was washed. 她故意把衣服做大一些，以防洗时缩水。
• I can't imagine why a dynamic young woman like her is marrying a shrinking violet like him. 我不能想像，像她这样一个充满活力的年轻女子为什么会嫁给他这样一个胆怯害羞的人。