Recently a new study found that elephants in central African forests can encourage the growth of slow-growing trees and increase the ability of the forest to store carbon.

“As a tree, there’s a so-called balance that you can’t have it all,” explained Fabio Berzaghi, who led the study. Elephants prefer to eat fast-growing trees in more open spaces. As they feed and walk, they cause damage to these species, knocking over trees or breaking off branches, which results in an ecosystem that favors large, slow-growing hardwood trees. “As the elephants thin the forest, they increase the number of slow-growing trees and the forest is capable of storing more carbon,” said Stephen Blake, one of the paper’s authors.

Scientists collected field measurements in the Congo Basin and used a computer model to predict how elephants would affect forest structure, and carbon storage potential in the long term. The data confirmed that when elephants are present, the forest contains larger trees and higher abundances of species with high wood density. On the contrary, should forest elephants go extinct, leaving those slow-growing trees struggling to compete with fast-growing species, it would result in a 7 percent loss of above-ground biomass (生物总量). As a result, central African forests could lose up to three billion tons of carbon, potentially accelerating climate change.

The sad reality is that humans are doing their best to rid the planet of elephants. lain Douglas Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants said, “It is shocking that just as we are beginning to understand how elephants might have a key role in Africa in storing carbon, they are under real threat of extinction.” One limitation of the study, Mr. Berzaghi said, is that we do not know how much carbon has already been lost because of the elephants’ decline. But it does seem certain, he added, that putting a stop to illegal hunting and restoring forest elephant populations would bring climate benefits.

Today’s children spend too much time online, which gives them an abnormal perception of reality. We adults are expected to fill their lives with wonder by taking them to a site featuring something natural.

Nature is actually the best environment for children to enjoy, explore, and absorb. When exposed to nature, children don’t just see the beauty as we adults do. 【小题1】 They automatically become hands-on in nature, climbing on rocks, swinging from trees and picking things up.

Children begin to wonder in nature. Natural materials such as leaves and sticks provide endless possibilities for play and imagination. 【小题2】 Children have to come up with ideas of how to use them.

Additionally, nature gives children ultimate freedom — they don’t necessarily have to follow the rules and tasks set for them when indoors. They become more confident by learning new skills. If they can catch a fish, they’ll have a cool story to share with their friends. 【小题3】

Given so many benefits, we need to find ways to support children’s connection with nature. 【小题4】 Shovels (铁锹), cameras and related resources may unfold a more magical world. When exploring its components, children develop their own personal relationship with nature, which will carry meaning into their understanding of nature.

【小题5】 Tree branches can be suspended from the ceiling, displaying children’s artworks. Loose materials, such as stones and leaves, can be exhibited in baskets for their imagination to provide an idea. All this strengthens nature’s beauty, purpose and gifts.

It might not surprise the average Floridian to find a baby turtle on a sidewalk, but to my teenage eyes it appeared to be something unusual.

One morning, when my mother and I were jogging outside our neighborhood, from a distance I spotted an object about the size of a quarter moving on the sidewalk. When my mother and I were close enough, we realized the quarter was a baby turtle. It looked as though it was on a journey. Yet I wondered if it really knew where it was going because it was heading straight for the road. I told my Mum that if we didn’t take this baby turtle home it would become roadkill. She finally agreed to save it and told me turtles represented good luck. We carried it home, named it Morton and cared for it the best way we could.

We first placed Morton in mother’s bathroom sink (槽) and then an amphibian tank (两栖动物水箱). Slowly Morton grew from a quarter, to a dollar, a chocolate cookie, then eventually a disk.

I knew that people kept turtles like Morton as pets. However, one day it occurred to me that Morton wasn’t a domesticated turtle in a pet store. He was a wild turtle taken from nature and forced into the tank. I was trying to protect him like an overprotective parent by not setting him free. Suddenly, my heart broke into pieces. Slowly I picked up Morton and transported him to his original amphibian tank. It was time.

I will never forget the day I set Morton free. I walked to the neighborhood lake and carefully placed him on the shore. Morton didn’t hesitate to swim into the lake and that was the last time I had seen him.