中国生态文明建设（中英对照）连载之三
中国生态本底：红树林、稀树疏林、荒漠
本书由北京语言大学出版社，2014（教学课件光盘版） 作者 蒋高明
1.1.5红树林
1.1.5 Mangrove forest
植物是由种子发育来的，那你听说过有“胎生”的植物吗？
Plants develop from seeds, but do you know that some plants are viviparous?
不要惊讶，真的有。它就在红树林。红树的种子首先在空中萌发，长成小苗，然后再以幼苗的形式落到海水中，继续生长发育。红树林之所以会出现这种类似动物胎生的现象，是因为海水中的盐分对种子发育不利，所以需要先在空中长成小苗。因此也就不难理解，红树林是沿着海岸线分布的生态系统，是海岸湿地类型之一。红树科与马鞭草科的植物，如白骨壤、秋茄、桐花、木榄等是红树林的常见植物；黑脸琵鹭、鹈鹕、野鹿、招潮蟹、基围虾等是红树林的指示动物。
Do not be surprised. Mangrove is this kind of plant. Mangrove seeds first germinate in the air, grow into seedlings, and then fall into seawater to continue to develop. The reason why mangrove is viviparous is that the salt in the seawater is a negative factor for seedling process, so seedlings must first grow in the air. Hence, the mangrove ecosystem is distributed along the coast and deemed as a type of coastal wetland. Rhizophoraceae and Verbenaceae, such as Avicennia marina, candel, tung blossom, and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza are common plants; black-faced spoonbill, pelican, wild deer, fiddler crabs, and metapenaeus ensis, etc., are indicator animals.
红树林是中国自然生态系统中分布面积最小的一个类型，自然分布于海南、广西、广东、福建、台湾等省区。这些地区经济发达，沿海物流运输和工商业开发等空间需求较大，因此中国红树林面临的生态保护压力也很大。
Mangrove forests occupy the smallest area in the Chinese ecosystem, distributed in Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan provinces, etc. In these regions, because of the thriving economy, demands for coastal transport, logistics and industrial and commercial development have increased dramatically, and the ecological pressure on mangrove forests has therefore intensified greatly.
1.1.6稀树疏林
1.1.6 Sparse forest
按照过去教科书的观点，中国境内没有典型的稀树疏林生态系统。典型的稀树疏林生态系统是非洲的“萨王那”。但是经过多年研究，我们发现中国的“四大沙地”[1]在健康的状况下，其景观以及生态系统的结构、功能，恰好符合稀树疏林生态类型。
According to previous textbooks, there is no typical sparse forest ecosystem within Chinese territory. A typical example of this type of ecosystem is the “Savanna” in Africa. But through years of research, we have found that in China’s “four sandy lands”, if in a healthy state, their landscapes, structures and functions accord with the conditions of a sparse forest ecosystem.
中国稀树疏林生态系统的指示植物有沙地榆、白桦、山定子、沙柳、红柳、赖草、羊草、金莲花、红门兰等；指示动物有狼、狍子、沙狐、草兔、鼢鼠等。
In a sparse forest ecosystem, the indicator plants include sand elm, white birch, Malus baccata, Salix mongolica, tamarisk, leymus, Chinese wildrye, nasturtium, and orchis; the indicator animals include wolf, roe deer, corsac, lepus europaeus, and zokor, etc.
1.1.7草原
1.1.7 Grassland
中国的草原分布在内蒙古高原上，是全球最典型的温带草原生态系统。东边从东北平原开始，西边到达湟水河谷，东西绵延2500公里，南北跨越16个纬度，分布着广袤的草原。这片温带草原是欧亚大草原的重要组成部分，具有重要的生态地理代表性。
China’s grassland is distributed on the Inner Mongolian Plateau, forming the world’s most typical temperate grassland ecosystem. It extends from the Northeast China Plain in the east to the Huangshui River Valley in the west, stretching 2,500 kilometers and spanning 16 degrees of latitude from north to south. This temperate grassland is an important part of the Eurasian Steppe and of great ecological and geographical significance.
草原的主要特征是，植物种群以草类为主，偶尔分布一些灌木，基本见不到乔木；结构简单，生物量中等。黄羊、羚羊、野驴、骆驼、狍、狼、狐和多种啮齿动物是这里的常见动物，放牧是这里原住民的主要生活方式。
The main features of the grassland are: the grass is the major plant species dotted with some shrubs, while trees are barely visible; it has a simple structure with medium biomass. Common animals there are Mongolian gazelle, antelope, wild donkey, camel, roe deer, wolf, fox and various Glires. Grazing is the main way of life for the indigenous people.
1.1.8高寒草甸
1.1.8 Alpine meadow
这种类型的生态系统过去一直被笼统地称为草原，实际上，它与草原有明显的区别。这类草地由于环境温度低，生长季节短，往往下面的冻土还没有融化，夏天就过去了，所以有机物质分解得很慢。因此，虽然土壤中有机质含量很高，但常常缺乏有效养分。
Alpine meadow used to be generally known as grassland, but differs greatly from the latter. In an alpine meadow, the environmental temperature is low and the growing season short. And summer passes quickly even before the tjaele melts, so the decomposition of organic matter is slow. Hence, although organic matter in the soil is rich, the effective nutrients are found to be quite insufficient.
世界上海拔最高、温度最低、气候最寒冷、自然条件最为严酷的高寒草甸，就分布在中国的青藏高原。青藏高原的原住民也以放牧为生活方式，不过这里的家畜很有特色，牦牛、藏羊是其代表，它们都长着长长的体毛，像披上了带流苏的毯子一样，看起来很保暖。除了这些家养动物，中国高寒草甸的指示动物还有藏羚羊、藏野驴、野牦牛、兀鹫等。
The Alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau lies at the world’s highest altitude, with the lowest temperature, coldest weather and harshest natural conditions.
The indigenous people on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau also live on cattle grazing. Livestock there have distinctive features, yak and Tibetan sheep being representative. They have long wool to keep warm, somewhat like being covered by a blanket with tassels. In addition to these domestic animals, other indicator animals in this ecosystem include Tibetan antelope, Asinus kiang, wild yak, and griffon vulture, etc.
1.1.9荒漠
1.1.9 Desert
荒漠，就是荒凉的大漠。那里气候极端干燥，降水极少，日照强烈，日夜温差很大，持续地刮着强风……光是听上面的描述就可以感觉到，这个生态系统环境严酷，生物量少，所以是唯一一个没有用植物命名的生态系统。
A desert is a barren land. A desert is typified by extremely dry weather, very little precipitation, intense sunshine, large temperature difference between day and night, and strong winds. From this description, it is obvious that the environment is harsh. What’s more, the biomass in this ecosystem is insignificant, making it the only ecosystem in the world bearing no plant name.
在中国的新疆维吾尔自治区、内蒙古自治区西部、甘肃西部、宁夏等干旱区，以及准噶尔、塔里木、柴达木等巨型内陆盆地，荒漠分布最广。根据不同成因以及地貌上的差异，荒漠又可分为沙漠、戈壁、岩漠、泥漠、盐漠等，它们的地表依次被沙质物、砾质物、岩石、粘土粉沙、盐分覆盖。虽然听起来这类地表都不适合植物生长，但是神奇的大自然依然孕育了适合这里的生物。荒漠生态系统的指示植物有骆驼刺、白刺、中间锦鸡儿、胡杨等；指示动物有骆驼、鹰、猫头鹰、沙鼠等。
Deserts are mainly distributed in arid regions in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the west of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, western Gansu, and Ningxia, and the giant interior basins like Junggar, Tarim, and Qaidam. Judged by the causes of formation as well as the differences in topography, deserts can be divided into erg, gobidesert, hamada, argillaceous desert and salt desert, etc. Their surfaces are buried by sandy or gravelly matter, rock, clay powder, and salt respectively. Although they seem unsuitable for plant growth, Mother Nature has miraculously bred plants and animals there. Indicator plants are Alhagi sparsifolia, Nitraria tangutorum, Caragana intermedia and Populus sp, etc.; indicator animals are camel, eagle, owl, and gerbil, etc.
1.1.10苔原
1.1.10 Tundra
南极、北极、青藏高原，被称为地球上的“三极”。在这样比荒漠还严酷的环境下，也有神奇的生命存在，也分布有生态系统。
The South Pole, the North Pole and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are known as the “three poles” on earth. In such an environment, even harsher than the desert, wondrous live and ecosystems of their own can still be found.
苔原地区年平均温度低于0 °C，降雨量5～300 毫米，昼夜温差可达30°C。生态系统的特征是有永久冻层，生长季仅2～3个月，生物群落简单，以藓类和地衣为主。苔原这个名称就是用藓类（苔藓）植物来命名的。
In the tundra, the annual average temperature is below 0°C and the precipitation ranges from 5 to 300 millimeters. The difference of temperature between day and night amounts to 30°C. The ecosystem is characterized by permafrost. The growing season there is only 2 to 3 months, and the biocenosis is simple with bryophyte and lichen in the main. The ecosystem is named after bryophyte (moss).
中国虽然不在南北极，但地球的第三极——青藏高原的最高峰在中国，这里分布着典型的高山苔原；中国东北的长白山虽然海拔没有那么高，但是因为纬度偏北，因此也分布着苔藓和地衣等苔原指示植物。
Although China is nowhere near either the north or south poles, yet the highest peak of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the third pole, is in China, where one can find a distribution of typical alpine tundra. In the Changbai Mountain of northeast China, there are also indicator plants of bryophyte and lichen native to far north latitudes, though not high enough.
在地球这片神奇的土地上，无论温暖湿润，还是寒冷干燥，即使在自然环境极其严酷的地球三极，都有生态系统分布，让我们不得不感慨生命的力量。
On this magical earth of ours, whether it is warm and humid, or cold and dry, or even in the “three poles” with extremely harsh natural environment, ecosystems exist. How marvelous is the power of life!
[1]中国的四大沙地包括浑善达克、科尔沁、毛乌素、呼伦贝尔，总面积15.6万平方公里，相当于英国的陆地面积的60%。
[1] China’s “four sandy lands” are Hunshandake, Khorchin, Mu Us, and Hulunbeir, with a total area of 156,000 square kilometers, equal to 60% of the land area of the United Kingdom.
