Today’s Moment of Science “digs up” the story behind one of the grizzly bear’s more unusual nicknames: the “Rototiller of the Rockies.”
今天科学一刻将会深入“挖掘”灰熊的一个不同寻常的绰号背后的故事，这个绰号就是“落基山脉的旋耕机”。
Grizzly bear claws are huge–usually three to four inches long. This is perfect for an animal who survives by digging around in the landscape, unearthing tasty treats like ground squirrels and root vegetables.
灰熊熊掌很大，一般有3到4英寸长。这种尺寸对于靠挖食为生的动物来说是极为有利的，它们能够在地里挖掘出美味的食物，如地松鼠、根茎类植物等。
One of the grizzly bear’s favorite early season foods is the glacier lily, a beautiful yellow flower with a starchy, nutritious bulb. Bears “till” up the land, turning over chunks of soil to access those tasty bulbs. And guess what: scientists working in Glacier Park, Montana have learned that this “tilling” has some important side effects. Areas with recent bear diggings have less plant diversity and higher nitrogen levels than undisturbed parts of the landscape.
早春季节，灰熊最喜欢的食物之一就是冰川百合，这是一种非常美丽的黄色花朵，它的球茎内含有大量淀粉和多种营养物质。灰熊会刨开土壤来寻找美味的球茎。你知道吗：在蒙大拿冰川公园的科学家们了解到，灰熊的这种挖掘方式会对土壤产生一些副作用。灰熊挖过的区域会造成植物的多样性减少，并且土壤的含氮量会高于那些没被挖掘过的区域。
Without much competition from other plants, left behind glacier lily bulbs can quickly regenerate, and these new lilies produce twice the usual number of seeds, thanks to the nitrogen rich soil!
由于没有来自其它植物的竞争，冰百合能够迅速繁殖，同时，由于土壤含氮量高，新生的百合能够产出比平常多一倍的种子。
We humans have also gained important culinary knowledge. You see, after digging up glacier lilies, bears often leave the bulbs for a few days to wilt in the sun.
我们人类从中也了解到很重要的烹调小贴士。你看，灰熊挖出球茎后，通常会将它晒上几天。
This “cooks” them a bit, and makes them sweeter and easier to digest. First Nations lore shows that early peoples learned to dry and cook glacier lily bulbs by copying the grizzly bear.
晒过之后的球茎会更甜，更容易消化。据原住民记载，早期的人类就是通过模仿灰熊才学会晒干和烹制冰川百合的。 |