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Trees.
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00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:44,105
Surely among the most magnificent
of all living things.
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00:00:46,036 --> 00:00:49,260
Some are the largest
organisms on Earth ...
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00:00:49,337 --> 00:00:55,268
dwarfing all others, and these
are the tallest of them all.
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00:01:08,026 --> 00:01:11,051
The deciduous and coniferous
woodlands that grow ...
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00:01:11,185 --> 00:01:13,547
in the seasonal parts
of our planet,
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00:01:13,714 --> 00:01:17,288
are the most extensive
forests on Earth.
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00:01:25,789 --> 00:01:29,864
Their sheer extent
stuns the imagination.
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00:01:42,487 --> 00:01:45,179
The barren snows of the Arctic.
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00:01:45,270 --> 00:01:48,036
A thousand miles from the North Pole,
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00:01:48,170 --> 00:01:50,136
and heading south.
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00:01:53,223 --> 00:01:57,010
This is the very first place
that trees can grow.
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00:01:59,853 --> 00:02:02,576
To begin with,
the conifers are sparse,
14
00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:06,058
but soon they dominate the land.
15
00:02:14,421 --> 00:02:17,919
This is the Taiga Forest.
16
00:02:19,698 --> 00:02:25,735
There are as many trees here, as in
all the world's rainforests combined.
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00:02:26,527 --> 00:02:32,320
The Taiga circles the globe and contains
a third of all the trees on Earth.
18
00:02:32,685 --> 00:02:34,935
It produces so much oxygen,
19
00:02:35,085 --> 00:02:39,955
that it refreshes the atmosphere
of the entire planet.
20
00:02:44,122 --> 00:02:46,554
At the Taiga's northern extent,
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00:02:46,706 --> 00:02:51,466
the growing season can last
for just one month a year.
22
00:02:52,028 --> 00:02:57,032
It can take 50 years for a tree
to get bigger than a seedling.
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00:03:10,689 --> 00:03:12,680
It's a silent world ...
24
00:03:13,061 --> 00:03:15,251
where little stirs.
25
00:03:16,999 --> 00:03:23,098
But there are occasional signs of life.
Stories written in the snow.
26
00:03:24,528 --> 00:03:30,124
The prints of an Arctic fox and
the hare it might've been stalking.
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00:03:35,614 --> 00:03:39,689
A female polar bear and her two cubs.
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00:03:49,984 --> 00:03:55,247
Some animals are so difficult to
glimpse that they're like spirits.
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00:03:55,551 --> 00:04:01,497
One could live a lifetime in
these woods, and never see a lynx.
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00:04:04,736 --> 00:04:08,705
The cat must roam hundreds of miles
in search of prey ...
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00:04:08,994 --> 00:04:12,857
and may never visit
the same patch of forest twice.
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00:04:14,637 --> 00:04:18,120
It's the very essence of wilderness.
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00:04:22,772 --> 00:04:29,479
With so few prey animals here, life
for a hunter is particularly hard.
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00:04:31,837 --> 00:04:36,292
Creatures are scarce because
few can eat conifer needles.
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00:04:37,158 --> 00:04:39,516
The moose is an exception.
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Growth is so difficult ...
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00:04:46,786 --> 00:04:51,165
that conifers protect their precious
leaves by filling them with resin.
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00:04:51,302 --> 00:04:56,564
That reduces water loss, but it
also makes them very distasteful.
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00:05:07,545 --> 00:05:11,210
At least the conifer's seeds
are edible.
40
00:05:11,453 --> 00:05:14,709
but they're protected within
armor plated cones ...
41
00:05:15,012 --> 00:05:18,404
and it takes a specialist
to reach them.
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00:05:20,775 --> 00:05:22,920
The crossbill's
extraordinary beak ...
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can prise apart the scales, so that
it's tongue can extract the seeds.
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Birds are fortunate.
45
00:05:34,144 --> 00:05:38,159
When the seasonal crop is gathered,
they can fly south.
46
00:05:42,721 --> 00:05:47,739
But one animal is so expert at
survival in this frozen forest,
47
00:05:47,982 --> 00:05:52,454
that it stays here and is active
all year long.
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00:05:54,994 --> 00:05:59,754
In local folklore, the wolverine
is a link to the spirit world ...
49
00:05:59,921 --> 00:06:02,719
and a cross between
a bear and a wolf.
50
00:06:03,054 --> 00:06:07,008
In reality, it's a huge weasel.
51
00:06:09,123 --> 00:06:13,869
It's bulk helps to conserve body heat
and also broadens it's menu.
52
00:06:14,051 --> 00:06:19,511
It's so big and powerful, it can
even bring down an adult caribou.
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00:06:21,061 --> 00:06:26,491
For it's size, it's said that the animal
can eat more in one sitting than any other,
54
00:06:26,719 --> 00:06:30,414
which is why it's also known
as the glutton.
55
00:06:47,963 --> 00:06:52,252
Being gluttonous here
is a very effective strategy.
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00:06:52,298 --> 00:06:56,510
It's wise to eat all you can,
when you can,
57
00:06:58,076 --> 00:07:01,179
and when even a glutton
can't eat more,
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00:07:01,255 --> 00:07:06,775
it stores what's left for later,
in the surrounding deep freeze.
59
00:07:13,587 --> 00:07:16,476
Spring in the ice forest.
60
00:07:27,805 --> 00:07:32,367
The capercaillie can also
digest conifer needles,
61
00:07:32,564 --> 00:07:36,184
but feeding is not
it's priority at the moment.
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00:07:38,678 --> 00:07:43,195
Like gladiators,
the males square up for a battle.
63
00:07:54,145 --> 00:07:59,437
Each may have just a single chance
to impress a female.
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00:08:00,517 --> 00:08:04,806
Neither can afford
a lapse in concentration.
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00:08:29,307 --> 00:08:33,413
The injured loser may not survive.
66
00:08:38,189 --> 00:08:41,002
The inhabitants
of this great wilderness ...
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00:08:41,003 --> 00:08:45,611
may live and die without ever
having contact with humanity.
68
00:08:46,248 --> 00:08:48,788
Long may it be that way.
69
00:08:58,657 --> 00:09:02,202
The northern forest
may be the largest on Earth,
70
00:09:02,203 --> 00:09:06,443
but to see coniferous trees that
have reached their full potential,
71
00:09:06,672 --> 00:09:10,640
you must travel
a thousand miles south of here.
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00:09:16,222 --> 00:09:19,005
The Pacific Coast of North America.
73
00:09:25,544 --> 00:09:31,506
The land of hemlock, douglas fir
and giant redwood.
74
00:09:39,187 --> 00:09:42,760
Here, water is never
locked up in ice,
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00:09:42,820 --> 00:09:44,646
and even if rains fail,
76
00:09:44,873 --> 00:09:50,622
the needles can extract moisture from
the fogs that roll in from the sea.
77
00:09:58,622 --> 00:10:01,571
The Sun's energy
powers these forests,
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00:10:01,572 --> 00:10:07,275
not for one month as it does in
the Taiga, but for half the year.
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00:10:16,081 --> 00:10:20,643
These conifers grow at 10 times the
rate of those near the Arctic ...
80
00:10:20,948 --> 00:10:24,323
and they live for thousands of years.
81
00:10:34,195 --> 00:10:37,190
One grove of redwoods
in California ...
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00:10:37,252 --> 00:10:41,388
contains 3 of the tallest trees
on Earth.
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00:10:46,650 --> 00:10:52,915
This one is over a 100 meters high,
the size of a thirty-story building.
84
00:11:21,214 --> 00:11:26,672
These forests were growing here
long before humans walked the Earth.
85
00:11:26,855 --> 00:11:30,210
They were in their prime
20 million years ago,
86
00:11:30,327 --> 00:11:36,236
and existed before the Swiss Alps or
the Rocky Mountains were even raised.
87
00:11:48,940 --> 00:11:52,917
There is more living matter in
a forest of giant conifers,
88
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,417
than in any tropical rainforest,
89
00:11:55,934 --> 00:11:59,305
but it's all contained within the trees.
90
00:11:59,555 --> 00:12:03,094
These are as inedible
as those in the Taiga,
91
00:12:03,311 --> 00:12:08,803
so animals are still scarce,
but they are present.
92
00:12:12,192 --> 00:12:19,669
A pine marten. It's spring, the best
time of year for a marten to find food.
93
00:12:35,109 --> 00:12:42,154
Bird's eggs are a seasonal snack and for
a short time, there's plenty of them.
94
00:12:43,540 --> 00:12:46,477
Sometimes perhaps, too many.
95
00:12:49,766 --> 00:12:51,341
But to live here permanently,
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00:12:51,479 --> 00:12:55,741
the marten needs a more
reliable food source.
97
00:12:56,459 --> 00:12:58,862
Squirrels fit the bill.
98
00:12:59,079 --> 00:13:04,004
They thrive here on the pine cones,
and although these are also seasonal,
99
00:13:04,087 --> 00:13:07,927
they can be stored and eaten
throughout the year.
100
00:13:12,234 --> 00:13:15,238
The squirrels are busy mating.
101
00:13:19,011 --> 00:13:24,819
Good news for the hunter. A distracted
squirrel is a vulnerable squirrel.
102
00:13:31,479 --> 00:13:34,968
But, this time,
the amorous couple is safe.
103
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There is a loner stocking his larder,
who will be the easier target.
104
00:14:15,493 --> 00:14:20,960
Early summer, and great
grey owl chicks are fledging.
105
00:14:23,318 --> 00:14:26,093
Adults can only raise
young here ...
106
00:14:26,156 --> 00:14:31,017
in years when the seasonal vole crop
is big enough to support them.
107
00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:39,802
The moment has arrived
for their first flight.
108
00:14:44,517 --> 00:14:51,047
Leaping from the world's tallest
trees is not for the faint-hearted.
109
00:15:16,292 --> 00:15:22,176
If you're going to fall here it's
quite a good idea to do it in stages.
110
00:15:40,497 --> 00:15:44,838
The ground is no place for an owl.
111
00:15:46,485 --> 00:15:51,513
If he's to climb to the top of his
class, he'll need to persevere.
112
00:15:54,101 --> 00:15:57,836
So now, let's have another go.
113
00:16:17,595 --> 00:16:23,082
The American conifer forests may
not be the richest in animal life,
114
00:16:23,312 --> 00:16:26,525
but their trees are extraordinary.
115
00:16:27,067 --> 00:16:30,440
This giant sequoia,
a relative of the redwood,
116
00:16:30,567 --> 00:16:33,640
is the largest living thing
on Earth.
117
00:16:34,014 --> 00:16:39,773
Known as General Sherman,
it's the weight of ten blue whales.
118
00:16:49,518 --> 00:16:54,201
Higher up in the nearby mountains,
bristlecone pines,
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00:16:54,338 --> 00:16:57,801
the oldest organisms on the planet.
120
00:16:59,345 --> 00:17:03,226
Some have been here for 5,000 years.
121
00:17:03,227 --> 00:17:06,315
They were alive before
the pyramids were built ...
122
00:17:06,482 --> 00:17:12,136
and were already 3,000 years old
when Christ was born.
123
00:17:16,519 --> 00:17:19,654
Across the Equator,
in the southern hemisphere,
124
00:17:19,789 --> 00:17:24,573
there are forests
that mirror those of the north.
125
00:17:24,948 --> 00:17:26,638
Here in South America,
126
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:32,084
araucaria trees or monkey puzzles
are like the conifers of the Taiga.
127
00:17:32,689 --> 00:17:35,818
They have waterproof scales,
instead of needles,
128
00:17:35,839 --> 00:17:41,306
and their cones look a little different
but the principles are the same.
129
00:17:45,646 --> 00:17:51,968
Slender billed parakeets rather than
crossbills, extract their seeds.
130
00:17:59,688 --> 00:18:01,811
Where the growing season is longer,
131
00:18:01,943 --> 00:18:07,011
there are alerce trees,
the redwoods of the south.
132
00:18:21,514 --> 00:18:23,404
As in the frozen north,
133
00:18:23,534 --> 00:18:28,504
the Valdivian forests of Chile
support very few animals,
134
00:18:28,776 --> 00:18:32,427
but that is the end of the similarity.
135
00:18:35,641 --> 00:18:40,669
This is a bizarre world
of miniature creatures.
136
00:18:42,943 --> 00:18:45,850
The pudu, the world's
smallest deer,
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00:18:45,982 --> 00:18:50,350
feeds on the giant leaves
of the gunnera plant.
138
00:18:57,423 --> 00:19:01,554
The female is just 30 centimeters
high at the shoulder ...
139
00:19:01,575 --> 00:19:05,707
and her infants are hardly
bigger than kittens.
140
00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:28,991
The male must stay alert. There are
hunters here who would snatch his young.
141
00:19:30,785 --> 00:19:34,500
Another miniature. The kodkod cat.
142
00:19:38,046 --> 00:19:44,681
It's the smallest cat in all the Americas
and a young pudu would be a feast for it.
143
00:19:45,891 --> 00:19:51,357
But, with the male on guard,
the kodkod must lower his sights.
144
00:19:56,407 --> 00:20:00,288
Moths are hatching.
They're the last of the summer.
145
00:20:00,602 --> 00:20:04,775
The tiny cat should be able
to score with these.
146
00:20:07,278 --> 00:20:10,492
No one knows why the creatures
here are so small,
147
00:20:10,554 --> 00:20:15,040
but at least they can
survive on meager rations.
148
00:20:41,164 --> 00:20:45,400
You might call this
a game of cat and moth.
149
00:21:09,186 --> 00:21:15,904
As winter approaches in Chile, spring
is arriving in the northern hemisphere.
150
00:21:23,687 --> 00:21:28,089
These are the deciduous
forests of Home.
151
00:21:28,820 --> 00:21:31,867
Dormant throughout the winter,
they now undergo ...
152
00:21:31,971 --> 00:21:36,832
one of the most magical transformations
in the natural world.
153
00:21:48,768 --> 00:21:53,984
By late spring, the landscape is
wrapped in a vibrant fresh green.
154
00:21:54,381 --> 00:21:58,637
Here, instead of conifers,
there are broad leaved trees,
155
00:21:58,867 --> 00:22:03,625
and that makes the character of
this forest entirely different.
156
00:22:07,797 --> 00:22:12,534
Being broad, these leaves trap
much more light than needles,
157
00:22:12,804 --> 00:22:17,185
but they're also thin,
soft and edible.
158
00:22:36,174 --> 00:22:39,826
And others can eat the leaf eaters.
159
00:23:02,025 --> 00:23:05,160
It's spring in the great
broad leaved forests ...
160
00:23:05,296 --> 00:23:09,160
of Eastern Europe
and Asiatic Russia.
161
00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:13,187
The mandarin ducks are courting.
162
00:23:26,561 --> 00:23:30,123
The female mandarin nests
in a tree hole,
163
00:23:30,317 --> 00:23:35,582
and when it's time for everyone
to leave, she leads the way.
164
00:23:38,278 --> 00:23:42,201
The ducklings are only 24 hours old.
165
00:23:44,353 --> 00:23:48,724
It's a long drop, and a few calls
of encouragement are required.
166
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,466
2 down, 7 to go.
167
00:24:39,762 --> 00:24:42,010
There are still 2 missing.
168
00:25:04,075 --> 00:25:06,351
All present and correct.
169
00:25:07,147 --> 00:25:10,122
But they won't be safe
until they reach water,
170
00:25:10,317 --> 00:25:14,199
and the forest pool
is almost a mile away.
171
00:25:50,104 --> 00:25:53,330
By June, the days are at their longest,
172
00:25:53,442 --> 00:25:59,056
and all across the northern hemisphere
the broad leaves are hard at work.
173
00:26:08,358 --> 00:26:13,623
On the east coast of North America, it
seems like any other summer's evening ...
174
00:26:15,885 --> 00:26:19,278
but tonight is special.
175
00:26:22,979 --> 00:26:26,093
After 17 years underground,
176
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,165
creatures are stirring.
177
00:26:35,170 --> 00:26:40,393
The nymphs of the periodical cicada
have been biding their time.
178
00:26:40,617 --> 00:26:47,684
Now they march like zombies towards
the nearest tree, and start to climb.
179
00:26:55,433 --> 00:26:58,255
At first, there are merely thousands,
180
00:26:58,576 --> 00:27:03,491
but soon, more than a billion
swarm all over the forest.
181
00:27:03,694 --> 00:27:08,460
The biggest insect emergence
on the planet is underway.
182
00:27:39,357 --> 00:27:41,421
They invade the upper branches,
183
00:27:41,557 --> 00:27:44,961
where they climb out of their
external skeletons ...
184
00:27:45,066 --> 00:27:49,011
and assume their adult winged form.
185
00:27:57,267 --> 00:27:59,705
At first they're white and soft,
186
00:27:59,902 --> 00:28:03,621
but they have until dawn to
complete their transformation.
187
00:28:18,109 --> 00:28:24,970
After an absence of 17 years, the
forest is now overrun by cicadas.
188
00:28:33,191 --> 00:28:37,869
The adults are clumsy and very edible.
189
00:28:47,068 --> 00:28:50,175
For turtles and other
inhabitants of the forest,
190
00:28:50,349 --> 00:28:54,136
this is a feast they're lucky
to see once in their lifetime,
191
00:28:54,206 --> 00:28:57,453
and they gorge themselves
while they can.
192
00:29:10,965 --> 00:29:13,269
Times have never been so good.
193
00:29:13,617 --> 00:29:15,550
The cicadas have no defenses ...
194
00:29:15,700 --> 00:29:19,762
and virtually offer themselves
to their attackers.
195
00:29:29,782 --> 00:29:32,714
The stream of insects
is so relentless ...
196
00:29:32,768 --> 00:29:37,655
that soon all the predators are
full to the point of bursting,
197
00:29:49,003 --> 00:29:51,621
and still the cicadas come.
198
00:29:51,830 --> 00:29:57,766
With the predators overwhelmed, the
survivors can achieve their purpose.
199
00:30:00,419 --> 00:30:06,022
After mating, the adults lay their
eggs and then their job is done.
200
00:30:06,476 --> 00:30:11,818
In just a few days they will all die
and the forest will fall silent.
201
00:30:12,236 --> 00:30:18,660
The cicadas here, will not be heard
again for another 17 years.
202
00:30:28,245 --> 00:30:35,157
Having fed the predators, the cicadas
leave one final gift for the forest itself.
203
00:30:35,315 --> 00:30:41,476
The nutrients in a generation of cicadas
are returned to the soil, all at once,
204
00:30:41,721 --> 00:30:45,386
and the trees enjoy a
marked spurt in growth.
205
00:30:45,752 --> 00:30:51,390
This may be the single largest dose
of fertilizer in the natural world.
206
00:31:12,651 --> 00:31:16,001
In the great broad leaf forests
of Eastern Europe,
207
00:31:16,125 --> 00:31:18,183
the days are beginning to shorten,
208
00:31:18,311 --> 00:31:24,783
and a primeval sound heralds
the onset of autumn.
209
00:31:42,552 --> 00:31:47,108
Male red deer are starting their rut.
210
00:31:52,380 --> 00:31:56,708
The air is heavy
with the scent of females.
211
00:32:08,055 --> 00:32:09,923
The rules are simple.
212
00:32:10,376 --> 00:32:12,629
Winner takes all.
213
00:33:06,794 --> 00:33:11,961
Across the northern hemisphere
the deciduous forests are changing.
214
00:33:12,276 --> 00:33:18,211
Leaves that have provided food and
shelter since the spring, are now shed.
215
00:33:22,643 --> 00:33:29,276
In the broad leaf forests of Russia,
winter is particularly severe,
216
00:33:33,886 --> 00:33:38,877
but there will always be some
who benefit from hardship.
217
00:33:42,719 --> 00:33:46,594
Black vultures scavenge from the
carcass of a seeker deer ...
218
00:33:46,681 --> 00:33:49,492
that has died of cold or starvation.
219
00:33:49,806 --> 00:33:52,232
These endangered birds are visitors.
220
00:33:52,268 --> 00:33:53,723
They've come down from the north ...
221
00:33:53,858 --> 00:33:57,923
to escape the even colder
conditions in Siberia.
222
00:34:35,469 --> 00:34:37,460
An Amur leopard.
223
00:34:37,652 --> 00:34:40,462
The rarest cat on Earth.
224
00:34:41,038 --> 00:34:44,162
Winter is a difficult time
for this hunter.
225
00:34:44,268 --> 00:34:48,545
There are no leaves for cover
and no young prey animals.
226
00:34:48,807 --> 00:34:54,636
This female has the added pressure, of
having to provide for her 1-year old cub.
227
00:34:54,934 --> 00:35:00,380
It'll be another 12 months, before
he'll be able to fend for himself.
228
00:35:12,912 --> 00:35:16,856
The bickering vultures
have abandoned the carcass.
229
00:35:16,892 --> 00:35:20,645
It's a valuable discovery
for the leopards.
230
00:35:25,323 --> 00:35:30,280
But the cub doesn't share
it's mother's sense of urgency.
231
00:35:59,717 --> 00:36:03,403
The vultures have left behind
plenty of good meat,
232
00:36:03,780 --> 00:36:06,168
but it's stiff with frost.
233
00:36:08,837 --> 00:36:14,409
The mother works to open the hide, and
make feeding a little easier for her cub.
234
00:36:26,055 --> 00:36:30,509
There are only 40 Amur leopards
left in the wild,
235
00:36:32,744 --> 00:36:35,621
and that number is still falling.
236
00:36:36,655 --> 00:36:41,361
The harshness of the winter here
hinders their increasing numbers.
237
00:36:41,584 --> 00:36:45,830
It takes one of these females longer
to raise her young to independence ...
238
00:36:45,899 --> 00:36:48,679
than it does a leopard in Africa.
239
00:36:56,513 --> 00:37:00,758
If the mother can sustain her cub
for a few more weeks,
240
00:37:00,843 --> 00:37:06,610
spring will bring an increase in
prey and her task will lighten.
241
00:37:11,734 --> 00:37:15,268
For all the inhabitants
of this seasonal forest,
242
00:37:15,477 --> 00:37:18,954
the long, cold wait is nearly over.
243
00:37:31,408 --> 00:37:35,625
Spring in a deciduous woodland
is special.
244
00:37:39,522 --> 00:37:44,605
With no leaves overhead, the rays of the
sun strike the forest floor directly,
245
00:37:44,773 --> 00:37:48,991
and their warmth rouses plants
from their winter sleep.
246
00:37:56,337 --> 00:37:58,794
The ground living plants
are in a hurry.
247
00:37:58,933 --> 00:38:03,933
Before long, the trees above will
come into leaf and steal their light.
248
00:38:13,916 --> 00:38:16,653
Their flowers decorate
the forest floor ...
249
00:38:16,709 --> 00:38:21,946
as they advertise their sweet nectar
to the newly emerged insects.
250
00:38:39,303 --> 00:38:43,548
The spring blooms of the deciduous
woodlands have no equivalent ...
251
00:38:43,658 --> 00:38:48,309
in either the great conifer forests,
or the tropical jungles.
252
00:38:53,252 --> 00:38:57,288
Within a matter of weeks,
the canopy has closed,
253
00:38:57,289 --> 00:39:02,497
and only a few wheeling shafts
of light penetrate the woodland.
254
00:39:10,848 --> 00:39:15,665
In the treetops, the broad leaves
rapidly expand to their full size ...
255
00:39:15,790 --> 00:39:19,603
to make the most of summer
while it lasts.
256
00:39:25,538 --> 00:39:30,286
Then, after a few months,
the days begin to shorten again,
257
00:39:30,524 --> 00:39:34,880
and the trees must shut down and
shed their leaves in preparation ...
258
00:39:34,881 --> 00:39:38,274
for the cold dark time ahead.
259
00:39:42,673 --> 00:39:48,413
Great tracts of North America flush
red as the season progresses.
260
00:39:49,725 --> 00:39:54,013
The effect is so spectacular
and so extensive ...
261
00:39:54,251 --> 00:39:57,183
that it can be seen from space.
262
00:40:12,196 --> 00:40:18,466
The threat of winter frost is not the
only reason for trees to shed leaves.
263
00:40:22,906 --> 00:40:25,727
These forests stand in the tropics.
264
00:40:25,993 --> 00:40:28,772
Here, day length never changes,
265
00:40:28,953 --> 00:40:31,285
but the dry season
is so severe ...
266
00:40:31,370 --> 00:40:34,540
that the trees can't afford
to loose the amount of water ...
267
00:40:34,609 --> 00:40:40,279
that would evaporate from their broad
leaves, so the leaves must be shed.
268
00:40:58,112 --> 00:41:02,706
The forest resembles a European
woodland in midwinter,
269
00:41:03,098 --> 00:41:08,627
but the heat is overpowering,
and it's inhabitants, unfamiliar.
270
00:41:12,467 --> 00:41:18,389
For the creatures of India's teak
forests, these are desperate times,
271
00:41:19,687 --> 00:41:21,963
but salvation is at hand.
272
00:41:22,215 --> 00:41:25,371
The mahwa tree is about to bloom.
273
00:41:29,701 --> 00:41:34,031
It's flowers are full of liquid,
making them irresistible.
274
00:41:41,278 --> 00:41:46,207
The mahwa is an oasis
in a hot dry desert.
275
00:41:56,598 --> 00:42:02,337
Those that fly or climb are not
the only ones to get a share.
276
00:42:05,507 --> 00:42:08,621
Chital deer follow
the langur monkeys,
277
00:42:08,858 --> 00:42:12,042
collecting the flowers that fall.
278
00:42:17,615 --> 00:42:23,926
The monkeys welcome the deer, for deer
are unrivaled at spotting predators.
279
00:42:25,364 --> 00:42:29,512
If they are relaxed, it must be safe
to come down to the ground ...
280
00:42:29,624 --> 00:42:32,221
and gather the food that lies there,
281
00:42:43,044 --> 00:42:47,737
but it's not wise to travel far
from the sentinels.
282
00:43:41,415 --> 00:43:43,314
Tropical Madagascar.
283
00:43:43,943 --> 00:43:45,940
The wet season.
284
00:43:52,559 --> 00:43:56,525
It's now that the baobab trees
regrow their leaves ...
285
00:43:56,721 --> 00:44:02,781
and collect water to store in their huge
trunks, ready for the dry season ahead.
286
00:44:24,232 --> 00:44:27,848
The prehistoric shape of these trees
is rightly famous,
287
00:44:28,030 --> 00:44:31,786
but few have ever witnessed
the baobab's real magic ...
288
00:44:32,038 --> 00:44:36,618
for that happens at night
and high in the treetops.
289
00:44:41,754 --> 00:44:49,347
Flush with water, the baobab prepares
itself for an unforgettable display.
290
00:45:05,896 --> 00:45:11,848
Once started, the foot-long flowers
can open fully in less than a minute.
291
00:45:56,606 --> 00:46:01,686
As the flowers open,
the creatures of the forest wake.
292
00:46:13,380 --> 00:46:17,604
The mouse lemurs have been hibernating
throughout the dry season.
293
00:46:17,971 --> 00:46:22,388
With the return of rains,
it's time to get busy.
294
00:46:27,134 --> 00:46:31,621
A dozen share this tree hole,
but there's plenty of room.
295
00:46:31,639 --> 00:46:36,596
The world's smallest primate
is no bigger than your hand.
296
00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:47,925
High in the branches above, the
baobab's nectar is starting to flow.
297
00:47:01,767 --> 00:47:05,189
A drink of this sugary
energy packed liquid ...
298
00:47:05,415 --> 00:47:09,866
is an ideal way for the lemurs
to start their day.
299
00:47:13,463 --> 00:47:19,171
Liquid oozes from the flower's center
and trickles down the petals.
300
00:47:35,318 --> 00:47:39,194
But the nectar is not
intended for lemurs.
301
00:47:42,754 --> 00:47:49,248
These giant hawk moths are the
drinkers the tree needs to attract.
302
00:47:58,429 --> 00:48:01,564
As they sip,
moving from tree to tree,
303
00:48:01,694 --> 00:48:06,564
so they transfer pollen
and fertilize the flowers.
304
00:48:20,372 --> 00:48:24,718
Nectar was an excellent first
course for the lemurs,
305
00:48:24,947 --> 00:48:28,140
but moths are the main dish.
306
00:48:29,433 --> 00:48:32,226
The moths are very important
to the lemurs.
307
00:48:32,401 --> 00:48:34,749
for they will replenish
the fat reserves ...
308
00:48:34,877 --> 00:48:39,349
that the lemurs need to survive
the barren dry season.
309
00:48:47,150 --> 00:48:50,677
The lemurs might seem to be a pest
for the baobab.
310
00:48:50,816 --> 00:48:54,255
They kill it's pollinators
and rob it of it's nectar,
311
00:48:54,359 --> 00:48:57,169
but they do give something in return.
312
00:48:57,275 --> 00:49:02,791
For, as the wrestle with the moths, their
fur inevitably becomes dusted with pollen,
313
00:49:03,035 --> 00:49:06,893
so they, too, become pollinators.
314
00:49:29,011 --> 00:49:35,819
As the alternation of wet and dry seasons
brings change to some tropical forests,
315
00:49:35,957 --> 00:49:42,380
so the progression of summer to winter
dictates life in more temperate regions.
316
00:49:51,301 --> 00:49:54,863
Whether trees have needles
or broad leaves,
317
00:49:55,001 --> 00:49:58,776
it is their ability
to survive annual change,
318
00:49:58,901 --> 00:50:00,972
that has enabled them to cover ...
319
00:50:00,973 --> 00:50:03,660
such vast areas of the Earth,
320
00:50:03,853 --> 00:50:06,104
and made the seasonal forests ...
321
00:50:06,297 --> 00:50:11,883
the greatest forests of all.
29027
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