您知道索尼安森林（Sonian Forest）拥有欧洲，甚至是世界上最古老、最大的山毛榉树吗？这片壮丽的森林位于布鲁塞尔郊外，占地面积超过4000公顷，通常被称为 “绿肺”。

Did you know that the Sonian Forest is home to some of the oldest and largest beech trees in Europe—and possibly the world? This magnificent forest, located just outside of Brussels, is spanning over 4,000 hectares and often referred to as a 'green lung.'

这里曾经是皇室的狩猎场，如今已成为徒步旅行者、自行车爱好者和骑马者的天堂。17世纪末和18世纪初，地主们开始大量采伐木材以减轻债务。18世纪，奥地利哈布斯堡王朝统治了这一地区，并委托出身于园艺世家的景观设计师Joachim Zinner对所有空地进行重新植树造林，这并非出于对环境的考虑，而是为了经济利益，特别是木材和木柴供应。Joachim Zinner倾向于单一种植榉树，因为索尼安森林的土壤和气候非常适合种植榉树：肥沃且持续湿润。齐纳在森林边缘建立了苗圃，种植榉树，以便定期移植，同时他还开垦了更多的林地用于新的种植。到19世纪末，公众有组织的抗议有效地阻止了大面积伐木。

Once the hunting grounds for royalty, this area has now become a paradise for hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, landowners began extensive timber harvesting to relieve their debts. During the 18th century, the Austrian Habsburgs ruled this region and commissioned landscape architect Joachim Zinner, from a family of gardeners, to replant any vacant land—not out of environmental concerns, but for economic gain--specifically timber and firewood supply. Zinner favored a beech tree monoculture, as the soil and climate of the Sonian Forest were ideal for these trees: fertile and consistently moist. Tree nurseries were established around the forest's edges, growing beech trees for transplanting at regular intervals, even as he cleared additional forest land for new planting. By the late 19th century, organized protests from the public effectively halted the extensive logging.

自1983年以来，森林的一些区域一直处于无人管理的状态，以便自然重新生长。位于弗拉芒地区的Joseph Zwaenepoel自然保护区就是其中之一，它是联合国教科文组织认定的世界自然遗产。该保护区是法兰德斯地区最古老也是最大的树木保护区，占地230公顷，拥有全国最高的山毛榉树，每英亩高达30棵，密度极高。树木高大纤细的树干支撑着茂密的树冠，限制了阳光对低等植被的照射，有利于甲虫、苔藓和蘑菇等地下生态系统的生长。

Since 1983, some areas of the forest have been left unmanaged, allowing for natural regrowth. One such area is the pristine Joseph Zwaenepoel nature reserve, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in the forest's Flemish region. This reserve is both the oldest and largest tree reserve in Flanders, covering 230 hectares and hosting some of the tallest beech trees in the country, with up to 30 trees per acre—a remarkable density. The trees' tall, slender trunks support a dense canopy that limits sunlight for lower vegetation, benefiting the underground ecosystem, including beetles, moss, and mushrooms.

无论您是寻找具有挑战性路径的徒步旅行爱好者，还是寻找风景如画路线的休闲自行车骑行者，索尼安森林都能满足各种水平冒险者的需求。郁郁葱葱的树木、蜿蜒曲折的小路和宁静的林地，让您很容易就迷失在这迷人的美景中。

索尼安森林拥有丰富的历史、多样的生态系统和令人印象深刻的山毛榉树，它不仅仅是一个目的地，更是一种等待您去发现的体验。

Whether you're an avid hiker seeking a challenging trail or a casual cyclist looking for a picturesque route, the Sonian Forest caters to all levels of adventurers. With its lush greenery, winding paths, and serene woodlands, you can easily lose yourself in the beauty of this enchanted landscape.

With its rich history, diverse ecosystem, and impressive beech trees, the Sonian Forest is not just a destination; it's an experience waiting to be discovered.

© Creative commons (CC BY-SA 3.0): Samain Didier

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