巴基斯坦蜂蜜产量激增

巴基斯坦蜂蜜产量激增

Pakistan may not be the biggest honey producer in the world — China, Turkey and the United States easily eclipse the 7,500 metric tons the country harvests annually — but it's long provided a vital income for thousands of farmers, especially when it comes to the country's famed beri honey, which is mostly sold abroad.

巴基斯坦可能不是世界上最大的蜂蜜生产国——中国、土耳其和美国每年的蜂蜜产量轻易就超过了该国7500吨的产量，但长期以来，它为成千上万的农民提供了重要的收入来源，尤其是涉及该国著名的贝里蜂蜜，这种蜂蜜主要销往国外。

But in recent decades, honey production has been on a slippery slope, with harvests plummeting.

但近几十年来，蜂蜜产量急剧下降，产量直线下降。

Pakistan may have trees to thank for its surprising surge in bees. (Photo: nicemyphoto/Shutterstock)

"Last year was especially destructive," a beri honey harvester told thethirdpole.net earlier this year. "My income is at a dead end and the loss is irreparable. It has become hard for us to earn food for our children."

“去年尤其具有破坏性，”今年早些时候，一位贝里蜂蜜收割者告诉第三极网。“我的收入没有了，损失是无法弥补的。我们已经很难为孩子们挣到食物了。”

Excessive rainfall, the news site notes, washes away the blooms of the beri tree. And most troubling, the country has lost huge swathes of beri forests to development.

该新闻网站指出，过多的降雨会冲走贝里树的花朵。最令人不安的是，这个国家因为发展而失去了大片的贝里森林。

Beri trees, also known as Ziziphus mauritiana, are the main source of beri honey. In the country's rugged, mountainous regions, bees collect nectar from those trees, taking it back to the hive whereharvesters gather the sweet sticky stuff.

贝里树，也被称为Ziziphus毛里求斯，是贝里蜂蜜的主要来源。在这个国家崎岖不平的山区，蜜蜂从那些树上采集花蜜，然后把它们带回蜂巢，在那里，收割者收集甜黏的东西。

But this year, the country is reporting a bumper harvest — an unprecedented 70% increase in honey production. And much of that surge is reportedly due to nature's most reliable hero: the humble tree.

但是今年，这个国家报道了一个大丰收——蜂蜜产量史无前例的增长了70%。据报道，这一增长主要归功于自然界最可靠的英雄：不起眼的树木。

Why are trees good for bees?

为什么树木对蜜蜂有好处?

In Pakistan, mulberry trees are a common sight. (Photo: Mohammad Jalal/Shutterstock)

Back in 2014, under Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country embarked on an ambitious plan to stave off the ravages of climate change. Dubbed the Billion Tree Tsunami, and costing around $169 million, Pakistan went on a tree-planting spree. According to the World Economic Forum, the country hit its target well ahead of schedule, planting or regenerating trees on about 350,000 hectares of land in just three years. Since then, Pakistan has upped its green ante, pledging to plant 10 billion trees within five years.

2014年，在伊姆兰汗总理的领导下，该国启动了一项雄心勃勃的计划，以避免气候变化带来的破坏。被称为“十亿树海啸”的巴基斯坦花了大约1.69亿美元，继续疯狂植树。根据世界经济论坛的数据，中国提前实现了目标，仅用三年时间就在约35万公顷的土地上种植或再生树木。从那以后，巴基斯坦加大了绿色环保的投入，承诺在五年内种植100亿棵树。

That was just what the bees needed.

这正是蜜蜂所需要的。

The trees not only provide more flowers for bees to forage, but even trees that don't flower offer benefits, writes Hilary Kearny for Keeping Backyard Bees. Bees collect saps and resins from nearby trees, using those ingredients to create propolis, which is used to waterproof and sterilize the hive. Plus, trees last a lot longer than a regular garden and don't require as much human intervention.

这些树不仅为蜜蜂提供了更多的花朵供它们觅食，甚至连那些不开花的树也能提供好处，希拉里·科尔尼在《饲养后院蜜蜂》中写道。蜜蜂从附近的树上收集树液和树脂，用这些成分来制造蜂胶，蜂胶用于防水和消毒蜂巢。此外，树木比普通花园的寿命要长得多，也不需要太多的人为干预。

But probably the best benefit of trees — for all creatures — is the air-cleaning services they provide by absorbing carbon dioxide.

但对所有生物来说，树木最大的好处可能是它们吸收二氧化碳所提供的空气净化服务。

So while those trees will play a critical role in buffering the ravages of climate change, they're also paying dividends for the country's honey industry.

因此，尽管这些树将在缓解气候变化带来的破坏方面发挥关键作用，但它们也在为该国的蜂蜜产业带来回报。