VOA慢速英语--长叶松给我们的不仅仅是木头

Longleaf Pine Trees Give Us More than Just Wood

The longleaf pine tree has deep connections with the history and life of the eastern part of America.

Forests of these trees once covered two-thirds of the southeastern United¹ States. About 95 percent of those forests were lost in the past 100 years. Many of the forests were cut for their wood, but now they are returning, with the help of government programs that build ties with private landowners.

Strong, long-lasting wood

The wood of the tree is very strong. Most buildings built in the southern U.S. from the 1800s contained longleaf pine wood. Today, after a building made with longleaf pine is no longer wanted, people are re-using the wood because it is still good and resists² water and insect damage.

The longleaf pine also captures³ carbon⁴ dioxide⁵ in the air. It stores the substance⁶ in its wood. So, the tree is valuable to the environment as a way to store carbon.

A place for birds and animals

In addition, the pine forests are places for animals to live. The U.S. government has several programs to protect and expand longleaf pine forests. One is the Safe Harbor⁷ Program. It uses voluntary⁸ agreements with private landowners to help endangered⁹ animals. One such agreement protects the red-cockaded woodpecker and also lets landowners use their land, as long as the birds and other related¹⁰ animals can safely live on it.

Now, farmers and landowners in the Southeastern U.S. are growing new longleaf pine trees. Instead of cutting the trees to use as building materials, they are finding¹¹ ways to make money from the forest of living trees. One way to get income is by selling the leaves, or needles, of the trees as a ground cover.

Many uses for the forest

Farmers can gather the pine straw¹² by hand or with use of a machine. Pine straw can be used instead of wood pieces or bark as a ground cover. It lasts a long time, is light weight and stays in place because the needles connect to each other. The straw is high in nitrogen¹³, a nutrient¹⁴ that helps plants grow. And, it does not attract harmful insects!

Native American tribes¹⁵, such as the Choctaw and Cherokee nations in Louisiana, make coiled¹⁶ baskets from the long needles of the longleaf pine. A basket made of the pine needles by Native American artists can sell for as much as $750.

Another way forests can produce income is to sell hunting rights. Wild boars – a kind of pig – live in some forests. Their population has been growing out of control in recent years. The animals can damage the young longleaf pine trees, so landowners want to reduce their numbers. Hunting boar is a popular sport in the southern U.S. and the right to hunt on land can cost from $200 to $1,000 a day.

The Kisatchie National Forest in west central Louisiana contains most of the remaining longleaf pines in that state. In the past, Native Americans burned the forest every two to four years, if lightning did not cause fires naturally. Fire helps the young pine trees to grow by clearing away the other plants on the floor of the forest. Recent debate has centered on the value of letting some parts of the forests burn for this purpose.

Words in This Story

needle – n. a long, thin leaf of a pine tree

bark - n. the outer covering of a tree

pest – n. an animal or insect that causes problems for people especially by damaging crops

bale – n. a large amount of a material (such as hay or wool) that is pressed together tightly and often tied or wrapped

1 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

2 resists   

使用武力阻止（某事）发生[取得成功]( resist的第三人称单数 )； 抵抗； 对抗； 阻挡

参考例句：

• A solution which resists pH changes is known as a buffer solution. 能够阻止pH值变化的溶液称为缓冲溶液。
• It's a kind of glass that resists heat. 这是一种耐热的玻璃。

3 captures   

俘获( capture的第三人称单数 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• King Arthur himself captures the beast and cuts off its head. 亚瑟王亲自捉住怪物，并砍下它的头。
• His book captures exactly the ethos of Elizabethan England. 他的书准确地描绘了英国伊丽莎白时代的风土人情。

4 carbon   

n.碳元素

参考例句：

• Diamonds are pure carbon.钻石是纯净的碳。
• Carbon is an element,while carbon dioxide is a compound.碳是一种(化学)元素，而二氧化碳则是一种化合物。

5 dioxide   

n.二氧化物

参考例句：

• The oxygen and the carbon combine to form carbon dioxide.氧和碳化合，形成二氧化碳。
• Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect.二氧化碳太多是道致温室效应的最主要原因。

6 substance   

n.物质，实质，主旨

参考例句：

• There isn't anything of real substance in her book.她的书中没有任何真正实质性的内容。
• How long will the substance take to salt out?这种物质需要多长时间来盐析？

7 harbor   

n.海港，港口；vt.庇护，藏匿；心怀(怨恨等)

参考例句：

• The harbor lies to the south of the city.港口在城市的南边。
• At that time,our ship was tied up at this harbor.当时我们的船停靠在这个港口。

8 voluntary   

adj.自动的，自愿的，故意的，志愿的，非官办的，自发的；n.即兴演奏，志愿者

参考例句：

• She is a voluntary worker at the hospital.她是这家医院的义工。
• At election time the party needs a lot of voluntary helpers.大选时，该党需要许多义务帮忙的人。

9 endangered   

adj.濒于灭绝的；(生命等)有危险的

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Poison gas blew off and endangered the lives of hundreds of persons. 毒气喷出来，危及几百人的生命。

10 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

11 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

12 straw   

n.稻草，麦杆，吸管；adj.用稻草做的，用来作稻草的，麦杆色的，无价值的，象稻草人的，非正式民意测验所发现的

参考例句：

• The old peasant is twisting pieces of straw into a rope.这位老农民正把稻草搓成绳子。
• May I have a straw for my drink?给我一根喝饮料的吸管好吗？

13 nitrogen   

n.[化]氮

参考例句：

• The atmosphere consist of more than 70% of nitrogen.大气中含有70%以上的氮气。
• What is the percentage of nitrogen in air?空气中所含的氮的比例是多少？

14 nutrient   

adj.营养的，滋养的；n.营养物，营养品

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The roots transmit moisture and nutrient to the trunk and branches.根将水分和养料输送到干和枝。

15 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 coiled   

v.将…卷[盘]成圈或螺旋形( coil的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）缠绕，盘绕

参考例句：

• The snake coiled up, ready to strike. 那条蛇盘绕起来准备攻击。
• a snake coiled up in the grass 一条蛇盘在草丛里