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Every year, forest fires and severe storms cause a great deal of damage to forests in the northwestern United States. One way of dealing with the aftermath of these disasters is called salvage logging, which is the practice of removing dead trees from affected areas and using the wood for lumber, plywood, and other wood products. There are several reasons why salvage logging is beneficial both to a damaged forest and to the economy.
每年,在美国西北部,森林火灾和一些严重的暴风雨会给森林造成严重的损害。而处理这些灾难造成的损害的方法之一被称为回收性砍伐。回收性砍伐是指把受损地区的已经死亡的树木一走,用作制作木料、胶合板或者其他木材产品。有一些理由让我们相信回收性砍伐无论对于受损的森林还是对于经济发展都是有好处的。
First, after a devastating fire, forests are choked with dead trees. If the trees are not removed, they will take years to decompose; in the meantime, no new trees can grow in the cramped spaces. Salvage logging, however, removes the remains of dead trees and makes room for fresh growth immediately, which is likely to help forest areas recover from the disaster.
首先,每次森林火灾之后,森林都被死树堵住了。如果不把这些树移走,那么它们需要数年的时间才会腐化。在这个时间里,就不会有新的树木能够在这些狭窄的空间发芽生长了。然而,回收性砍伐则可以把这些死树移走,迅速地位新生的树木提供生长的空间。这样做,有助于帮助森林从火灾中恢复。
Also, dead trees do more than just take up space. Decaying wood is a highly suitable habitat for insects such as the spruce bark beetle, which in large numbers can damage live, healthy spruce trees. So, by removing totting wood, salvage logging helps minimize the dangers of insect infestation, thus contributing to the health of the forest.
同时,已死的树对森林的损害不仅仅是占用空间。腐烂的木头同时也是昆虫很好的栖息地,比如杉皮甲虫。大量的杉皮甲虫会对健康生长的杉树造成损害。所以,通过移走这些腐烂的木头,回收性砍伐可以降低虫害侵袭的危险,进而保护森林的健康。
Third and last, salvage logging has economic benefits. Many industries depend upon the forests for their production, and because of this a fire can have a very harmful effect on the economy. Often, however, the trees that have been damaged by natural disasters still can provide much wood that is usable by industries. Furthermore, salvage logging requires more workers than traditional logging operations do, and so it helps create additional jobs for local residents.
最后,回收性砍伐是有经济收益的。很多的产业的产品生产都依赖森林,因而森林大火对于经济的发展是非常有害的。但是,很多时候这些因为自然灾害死亡的树木还是可以能够为工业生产提供很多木材的。而且,回收性砍伐比传统的砍伐活动需要更多的人力,所以这可以为当地居民提供更多的就业机会。