“为什么不能把杨柳树都砍了？”官方回应
双语君约 4 分钟Every April, large parts of northern China enter "fluff season", as white catkins from poplar and willow trees fill the air.
While the drifting fibers may appear picturesque, they often trigger allergic reactions, causing itchy noses, red eyes and frequent sneezing.
图源：视觉中国
每年四月飘舞的白色绒毛，本质上是杨柳雌株的种子及其附着的绒毛，既不是花，也不是所谓的“白毛”。杨树和柳树为雌雄异株，只有雌树才会飘絮。春季授粉后，雌树结出果实，成熟后裂开，绒毛带着种子随风飘散。
The airborne fluff consists of seed-bearing fibers produced by female poplar and willow trees. Both species are dioecious, meaning only female trees generate the cotton-like material. After pollination in spring, the trees produce fruit that eventually splits open, releasing the fibers and seeds to be dispersed by the wind.
虽然飞絮扰人，但杨柳树是早年城市绿化的主力树种，它们的快速生长和强大遮荫能力，见证了城市绿化的基础建设。
Despite the nuisance, poplars and willows offer notable benefits. They grow quickly, provide ample shade, absorb carbon efficiently and require relatively low maintenance. At a time when urban greening resources were limited, they became a mainstay of city landscaping, supplying much-needed shade during the summer months.
Today, rather than removing the trees outright, authorities are adopting science-based measures to curb the spread of fluff. These include planting male trees, grafting, and applying chemicals to inhibit flowering.
对此，北京市园林绿化局科技处处长姜英淑，也正面回应了这个问题。
But could Beijing eliminate the problem by cutting down all fluff-producing trees? Jiang Yingshu, head of the Science and Technology Division at the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau, said that is not a viable option.
姜英淑表示：“不能大面积、一次性砍伐所有壮年杨柳树。像现在胸径30公分（厘米）的杨树，树龄大多在三四十年以上。如果新种植5、6公分（厘米）的树苗，等它长到胸径30、40厘米的成树，至少需要三四十年时间。这段时间里，树木的生态效果，包括水土保持等功能，没法快速弥补。在更新改造过程中，我们会逐步地把老弱病残雌株替换掉。”
"We cannot remove all healthy, mature poplar and willow trees in a single large-scale effort," Jiang said. "A poplar tree with a diameter at breast height of 30 centimeters is typically 30 to 40 years old. Replacing it with a sapling of just five or six centimeters would mean waiting at least three to four decades for it to reach a comparable size."
"During that period, key ecological functions, including soil and water conservation, would be significantly reduced and cannot be quickly restored. As part of urban forest renewal, we will instead gradually replace older, weakened and female trees."
防护可以概括为六个字：躲、捂、扫、查、清、防。
❶ 躲：尽量避开上午10点至下午4点外出，选择清晨、傍晚或雨后出门。
❷ 捂：佩戴口罩、护目镜，穿着长袖衣物并戴帽子，减少皮肤和黏膜暴露。
❸ 扫：及时清扫室内外堆积的飞絮，避免长时间停留。
❹ 查：检查门窗纱窗、空调滤网等，防止飞絮通过缝隙进入室内。
❺ 清：回家后及时洗脸、清洗鼻腔、更换外衣；若飞絮入眼或接触皮肤，用清水冲洗，不要揉搓或抓挠。
❻ 防：不玩火，不乱扔烟头，远离飞絮堆积区域，严防火灾。
来源：央视网综合光明网、央视新闻、新华社、中国气象报社、北京日报
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