Rain Forest Gallery 如诗如画---热带雨林

 

导读：热带雨林是地球上一种常见于约北纬10度、南纬10度之间热带地区的生物群系，主要分布于东南亚、澳大利亚、南美洲亚马逊河流域、非洲刚果河流域、中美 洲、墨西哥和众多太平洋岛屿。热带雨林地区长年气候炎热，雨水充足，正常年雨量大约为1,750毫米至2,000毫米，全年每月平均气温超过18℃，季节 差异极不明显，生物群落演替速度极快，是地球上过半数动物、植物物种的栖息居所。由于现时有超过四分之一的现代药物是由热带雨林植物所提炼，所以热带雨林 也被称为“世界上最大的药房”。

今天听力课堂小编带大家一同来欣赏迷人的热带雨林风光。

Canoe in the Congo 独泛轻舟

  

Canoes are vital for transportation on the rain forest rivers of the Republic of the Congo. The Congo Basin’s 500 million acres of tropical forest, second-largest in the world after the Amazon, are known for an incredible array of wildlife including great apes, forest elephants, and some 700 species of river fish. But people have also lived here for over 50,000 years. The Congo Basin currently provides water and food to about 75 million Africans.

独木舟是刚果雨林江河上尤为重要的交通工具。刚果盆地热带雨林，占地500百万英亩，是仅次于亚马逊的世界第二大大热带雨林，在那里栖息并生长着相当数量的野生动植物，如大猩猩，森林象以及700多种鱼类，刚果热带雨林因此而久负盛名。然而人们在那里已经生活了50,000多年，刚果盆地目前为75百万的非洲人提供了水和食物。

Scarlet Macaw 红鹦鹉

A scarlet macaw is caught munching a snack in Brazil's Amazon rain forest. These birds are best known for their loud cackles, four-toed feet, and brilliant plumage.

一只红鹦鹉正在巴西亚马逊雨林中大嚼着食物。这种红鹦鹉叫声响亮，爪子为四个脚趾并且羽毛色彩斑斓，因而广为人知。

Fig Trees 无花果树

Limited space in dense rain forests results in many unique plants, like this fig tree in the Philippines, which produces fruit on runners that come from its trunk instead of on its branches.

在茂密的雨林中，有限的空间造就了许多珍稀植物，如菲律宾的这种无花果树，它不是在树枝上开花结果而是在树干部分长出的枝条上结果。

Lizard on a Leaf 树叶上的蜥蜴

A lizard suns itself on a leaf in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest system, which protects the 28,000 acres (11,331 hectares) in the Luquillo Mountains.

一只蜥蜴在波多黎各云盖国家森林的一片树叶上晒太阳。云盖国家森林公园，占地28，000英亩，是美国国家雨林系统中唯一的热带雨林，

Monkey and Coconut 猴子与椰果

  

A monkey from the Malaysian rain forest digs into a coconut snack. Malaysia is still heavily forested, about 60 percent of the nation is tree-covered, but deforestation has proceeded rapidly during the nation’s recent economic development. Rain forests harbor tremendous biodiversity and those covering Peninsular Malaysia’s highlands also give rise to the rivers which supply 90 percent of the nation’s freshwater needs.

一只马来西亚雨林的猴子正在狼吞虎咽地啃食着一颗椰果。马来西亚依旧丛林茂密，60%的国土面积都被丛林覆盖，然而随着近年来经济的发展，森林采伐行为日益猖獗。雨林孕育了多种多样的生物，而这些被植被覆盖的马来西亚半岛高地也使河流便于形成，这些河流满足了马来西亚90%的淡水需求。

Osa Peninsula Streamside 奥萨半岛河边

Streams on Costa Rica’s remote Osa Peninsula flow through one of the world’s outstanding examples of lowland tropical rain forest, protected here by Corcovado National Park. Costa Rica’s signature park boasts an array of colorful flora and fungi and an amazing variety of larger animals, from estuary-dwelling crocodiles to secretive jaguars.

哥斯达黎加奥萨半岛的河流流经世界上最著名的低地热带雨林，该热带雨林被划入科可瓦多国家公园进行保护。这里丰富多彩的植物和菌类以及多种大型动物诸如鳄鱼和美洲虎等都让哥斯达黎加引以为荣。

Rain forest Canada mushroom 雨林中的加拿大蘑菇

  

Canada, British Columbia, Amanita muscaria or Fly agaric in temperate coastal rainforest.

在温度适宜的沿海雨林中生长着各种各样的珍稀蘑菇。

Costa Rica Capuchin Monkeys 哥斯达黎加的卷尾猴

Baby white-faced capuchin monkeys play in a Costa Rican rain forest. Unlike these familiar faces, the majority of rain forest species are yet to be named, formally described, or analyzed.

白脸卷尾猴在哥斯达黎加雨林中嬉戏。跟我们所熟知的物种不同的是，这里的大多数雨林物种还未曾被命名，描述或分析。

Treetop Hornbills 犀鸟

The rhinoceros hornbill is named for its characteristic “casque,” the strange structure situated on top of the bird’s bill. The uses of this “horn” aren’t fully understood but casques may play a role in attracting mates or amplifying bird calls. Rhinoceros hornbills feed mainly on fruit found in rain forest trees. They typically live in pairs and are known for an amazing nesting strategy during which the male seals up the female inside a hollow tree, leaving only a tiny beak hole through which to feed her and their young.

犀鸟的名字源于它那独特的头冠，这个奇怪的组织长在犀鸟的头顶上。虽然这个头冠的用途目前还不是完全清楚，但是头冠可能是犀鸟用来吸引雌鸟或者放大叫声的。犀鸟主要以雨林树木的果实为食。他们大多成对生活在一起， 而犀鸟更是以惊人的筑巢技能而著称。筑巢时，雄鸟将雌鸟封在空树心中，只留一个小喙洞来为雌鸟和幼鸟喂食。

Red-eyed Tree Frog 红眼树蛙

The red-eyed tree frog is an icon of the Central American rain forest. When asleep, it's green color provides effective camouflage. When threatened, the red of suddenly-exposed eyes or legs may startle predators and enable an escape. Female frogs lay eggs on leaves overhanging water so that their tadpoles will fall into ponds. The tadpoles feed on insects in the water until they develop into frogs and take to the trees.

红眼树蛙是中美洲雨林的代表性生物。红眼树蛙睡着时，绿色的皮肤为他提供了有效伪装。受到威胁时，突然显露出的红色眼睛或四肢就会震慑捕食者并使自己逃脱。雌蛙将卵产在悬浮在水面的叶子上，这样他们的小蝌蚪就会沉入池塘。小蝌蚪们在蜕变为蛙并回到树上生活之前以水中昆虫为食。

Sunlight in the Rain Forest 洒满阳光的雨林

Sunny rays penetrate the canopy of an Indonesian rain forest on Nias Island. Rain forests are among the Earth’s most biologically diverse habitats. Their fauna and flora are precious for their own sake but can also aid humans. Rain forest plants, for example, produce chemicals to combat insects and disease that have led to the development of many beneficial drugs. But rain forests around the world are being deforested at alarming rates—even as many of their species and secrets remain unknown to humans.

阳光穿透印度尼西亚雨林的苍穹。雨林孕育了世界上最丰富的生物物种。那里珍稀的动植物资源不仅维持了生态平衡，还为人类提供了各种资源。雨林植物还会释放出化学物质来消灭昆虫和疾病，而这也催化了许多药品的生产和发展。然而，世界范围内的雨林正在以惊人的速度被采伐，尽管很多物种和奥秘还未为人所知。