今日亚马逊当从先人古训(1/2)

英语自学网

概括：一项新的研究显示，古代人们在亚马逊耕种的方法能给现在的人带来莫大启迪。
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Amazon
Amazonian
Earth
pre-Columbian
Christopher Columbus
Guyana
Jose Iriarte
University of Exeter
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答疑：天地一沙鸥wpSouth America's Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest and river system on Earth. But the Amazon is disappearing at the rate of about 800,000 hectares a year. This deforestation is caused by an increase in agriculture and cattle ranching and the building of roads and dams. Another cause is the illegal cutting of trees for logging companies.
Now, a new study says ancient Amazonian farming methods could offer valuable lessons for today. The study looks at the pre-Columbian period. Christopher Columbus and other European explorers began arriving in the Americas in the late 1400s.
The researchers studied a coastal wetland area where ancient farm beds and canals remain unchanged. The site is in French Guyana.
A widely held belief is that pre-Columbian farmers used a great deal of fire to manage Amazonian ecosystems. But the scientists say their study calls this idea into question. It shows that raised field farmers limited their burning to improve agricultural production.
Jose Iriarte from the University of Exeter in England was lead author of the study. Mr. Iriarte says fire results in the loss of important nutrients for crops. When land is not being used for farming, periods without fire are most effective in rebuilding soil organic matter and preserving soil structure. "So in this sense," he says, "we interpreted that they were limiting fires because it was better to grow crops in these raised field systems."南美洲的亚马逊河流域孕育着世界上最大的热带雨林和河流系统。但是亚马逊的热带雨林却在以每年80万公顷的速度消失，这是因为，农牧业规模的扩大使得人们广修道路和水坝；而与此同时，非法砍树，从伐木公司处牟取暴利是森林面积的锐减的另一个原因。
如今，一项新的研究显示，古代人们在亚马逊的耕种方法能给现代人带来莫大的启迪。该研将时间锁定在前前哥伦布时期，克里斯托弗·哥伦布和其他欧洲垦荒者于15世纪初期踏足北美大陆。
研究者选择一个海滨湿地进行研究，其古时候的农业用地和运河均保留完好。该地现位于法属圭亚那。
公众普遍认为前哥伦布时代的农民们在改造亚马逊的生态环境时经常用到火。科学家对这一理念深表怀疑。因为那些拥有田地的农民限制了他们的焚烧次数以改进农业生产。研究发现，为了提高农业产量，台田的耕作者在焚烧田地时往往会限制焚烧的程度。
英国艾克赛特大学的Jose Iriarte是这项研究的发起者。他说焚烧会使土壤流失农作物生长所需的重要营养物质。当土地不被用作耕种时，未被焚烧的时间段是土壤重构有机物质和保护土壤结构的最佳时期。从这个意义上来看，我们认为他们曾限制焚烧耕地，因为这样能使台田里的作物有更好的收成。