第2893期:Can trees remember?

The English oak is one of Britain's most iconic trees. Broad and majestic, this tree supports more species than any other native tree in the UK, from blackbirds, to squirrels to butterflies. For centuries it has stood watching the landscapes change and our societies evolve. The question is, can a tree remember, learn and adapt to new environments within its lifetime? Does wisdom lie within its boughs? 英国橡树是英国最具标志性的树木之一。 这棵树宽阔而雄伟，比英国任何其他本土树木都支持更多的物种，从黑鸟、松鼠到蝴蝶。 几个世纪以来，它一直见证着景观的变化和我们社会的演变。 问题是，一棵树在其一生中能否记忆、学习和适应新环境？ 智慧就在它的枝干里吗？ Trees provide a physical record of their life experiences in their growth rings. Dendrochronologists take samples from a tree trunk and are able to see whether a tree has been through a forest fire, periods of drought or a rainy season. But these markings are more than just battle scars. An organisation called Membra studies a number of UK tree species to see how they 'remember' and respond to environmental stress. Their research shows that environmental events do not change the tree's genetic code, but they can change how its genes react, which helps the tree adapt and defend itself against future drought, disease or climate extremes. So, trees don't have conscious memories of events like humans do – they remember through biological, structural changes.树木的年轮提供了它们生命经历的物理记录。  树木年代学家从树干上采集样本，能够判断一棵树是否经历过森林火灾、干旱期或雨季。 但这些标记不仅仅是战斗伤痕。 一个名为 Membra 的组织研究了一些英国树种，以了解它们如何“记忆”并应对环境压力。 他们的研究表明，环境事件不会改变树木的遗传密码，但可以改变其基因的反应方式，这有助于树木适应并防御未来的干旱、疾病或极端气候。 因此，树木不像人类那样对事件有意识的记忆——它们通过生物、结构的变化来记忆。That's a tree's defence in its own lifespan, but can their memories be passed down to future generations? Membra's research found that seedlings were more tolerant to drought when their parents had experienced repeated drought. And in one of the world's largest climate change experiments, published in Nature Climate Change by Richard Norby and colleagues, they pumped extra CO2 into an oak forest. Not only did the trees absorb more CO2, but the offspring of those trees also grew faster and were more resistant to disease, suggesting that tough conditions might make trees' offspring more resilient.那是一棵树在其生命周期中的防御，但它们的记忆能遗传给后代吗？ 曼布拉的研究发现，当父母经历过反复干旱时，幼苗对干旱的耐受性更强。 在理查德·诺比及其同事在《自然气候变化》杂志上发表的世界上最大的气候变化实验之一中，他们向橡树林中注入了额外的二氧化碳。 这些树木不仅吸收了更多的二氧化碳，而且这些树木的后代也生长得更快，对疾病的抵抗力也更强，这表明恶劣的条件可能会让树木的后代更有弹性。What does this all mean? There has been a wave of tree planting schemes throughout the UK, with aims to improve biodiversity and our defence against climate change. Fast-growing and short-lived tree species are often favoured in these schemes to quickly increase tree numbers. But trees that live longer, like oaks, which have a greater memory and resilience, could be a better choice. 这一切意味着什么？ 英国各地掀起了一波植树计划，旨在改善生物多样性和抵御气候变化。 这些计划通常倾向于生长快速且寿命短的树种，以快速增加树木数量。 但寿命较长的树木，如橡树，具有更强的记忆力和恢复力，可能是更好的选择。