The amount of carbon stored by UK forests underestimated 研究顯示：英國森林碳儲量被低估

一項新研究顯示，英國森林鎖住的導致全球變暖的碳是此前認為的兩倍。這項使用激光和三維掃描的研究表明，古樹在應對氣候變化中起到的作用尤為關鍵。

Professor Kim Calders from Ghent University is laser-scanning what’s said to be the UK’s most scientifically studied forest: Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire. For their research, he and his colleagues scanned nearly a thousand trees, producing detailed three-dimensional maps from which they could work out the weight of each one.

根特大學的金·考爾德斯教授正在用激光掃描據說是英國被研究最多的森林：牛津郡的威薩姆森林。在他們的研究中，考爾德斯教授及其同事掃描瞭近一千棵樹，繪制瞭詳細的三維地圖，從中可計算出每棵樹的重量。

This revealed that an average patch of UK woodland is heavier than was estimated and therefore contains much more carbon – almost twice as much as previously thought. The scientists say their findings show the value of established, mature woodland for fighting climate change has been underestimated.

計算得出，英國一塊普通林地的重量比估計的要重，因此碳含量更高，幾乎是之前估計的兩倍。科學傢們表示，他們的發現表明，生長已久的成熟林地在對抗氣候變化方面的價值被低估瞭。

詞匯表

laser-scanning 激光掃描
scanned 掃描瞭
three-dimensional 三維的
patch 小塊
carbon 碳
established（植物）生長已久的，長勢良好的
mature 成熟的
underestimated 被低估的

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。

1. According to the report, what is significant about Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire, UK?

2. How did the researchers work out the weight of each tree?

3. What were researchers able to work out from the weight of the woodland?

4. True or false? This research concluded older woodland can help fight climate change more than was first thought.

答案

1. According to the report, what is significant about Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire, UK?
Wytham Wood is said to be the UK’s most scientifically studied forest.

2. How did the researchers work out the weight of each tree?
Researchers scanned nearly a thousand trees, producing detailed three-dimensional maps from which they could work out the weight of each one.

3. What were researchers able to work out from the weight of the woodland?
By calculating the weight of a patch of woodland, they could work out how much carbon it contains.

4. True or false? This research concluded older woodland can help fight climate change more than was first thought.
True. The scientists say their findings show the value of established, mature woodland for fighting climate change has been underestimated.