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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,239 Plants cover 2 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,199 much of the land surface of our planet. 3 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,359 But there is another extraordinary green world 4 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:46,719 that is often hidden from us. 5 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,039 It's one where plants have overcome huge challenges 6 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,079 in order to survive. 7 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,559 The world of freshwater. 8 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:32,239 At first sight, 9 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,239 a lake like this would seem to have 10 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,199 everything that life needs in order to thrive - 11 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:42,999 clear, oxygen-rich water, 12 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,719 plenty of dissolved nutrients and minerals 13 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,799 and lots of sunlight. 14 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,079 But in fact, life in freshwater 15 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,639 presents plants with huge problems. 16 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,999 To succeed, plants have had to abandon 17 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:04,719 many of the adaptations 18 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,759 that have served them so well on land 19 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,359 and evolve something quite new. 20 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:12,039 And in doing that, 21 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,519 they have created some of the most beautiful 22 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:19,839 and bizarre and important habitats on Earth. 23 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:28,359 There are few places where it's more difficult 24 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,039 to make a permanent home 25 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,519 than a freshwater torrent like this one. 26 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:58,039 Violent currents rip across the riverbed, 27 00:02:58,160 --> 00:02:59,919 scouring it clean... 28 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,039 ...ripping land plants from their margins... 29 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:10,759 ...and drowning them. 30 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:18,999 How could any plant survive in a place like this? 31 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:37,279 Yet even here, some do manage to, quite literally, hold on. 32 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,879 They can grasp the bare rock with remarkable strength. 33 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,759 This ability allows plants to thrive 34 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,359 in these otherwise hostile environments. 35 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,079 This is the Caño Cristales river 36 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:07,919 in Colombia. 37 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:26,639 These plants are red macarenia, 38 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,479 sometimes called the orchid of the falls. 39 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,719 They cling to the riverbed not with their roots 40 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,919 but with their stems, 41 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,679 glued to the rock surface 42 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,999 by one of the most powerful adhesives in nature. 43 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:59,599 The rock itself will break 44 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,119 before these anchors lose their grip. 45 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,799 These feathery filaments are their modified leaves, 46 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,079 and they do what roots normally do - 47 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,919 gather the minerals and nutrients they need 48 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:24,879 that are dissolved in the water. 49 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,239 With such spectacular colours, 50 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:34,679 it's hardly surprising 51 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,439 that the Caño Cristales is sometimes called 52 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,399 the most beautiful river on Earth. 53 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:49,439 But being rooted to the spot 54 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,319 is not always the best strategy 55 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,679 for living in a water world. 56 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,959 This is a water lettuce, 57 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,439 and it has some remarkable adaptations. 58 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,639 Its roots hang freely. 59 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:10,759 So it's not anchored to the ground. 60 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,959 And its leaves are thick and spongy 61 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,319 and covered in fine hairs, 62 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,839 so the plant itself is, more or less, unsinkable. 63 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,639 This combination of characteristics 64 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,239 enable the water lettuce to do something 65 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,959 that almost no land plant can do - 66 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:39,719 it can travel. 67 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,399 It is an ability that becomes invaluable 68 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,639 when, during the wet season, 69 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:51,439 flooded rivers become great highways, 70 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,679 as they do here, in South America. 71 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:03,519 This is the largest inland water world on Earth, 72 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:05,479 the Pantanal. 73 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,359 For a few months every year, 74 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,519 it provides water plants with ideal conditions. 75 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,079 But all too soon, 76 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,799 it becomes a battleground. 77 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,639 Plants are racing to claim their space on the surface. 78 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,239 The water lettuce rapidly expands 79 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,559 its network of hanging roots 80 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,239 so that it starts absorbing nutrients 81 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,599 before other competitors arrive. 82 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,279 Water hyacinth appears. 83 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,759 Its leaves are carried on stalks 84 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,319 filled with air 85 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,119 that also make it virtually unsinkable. 86 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,399 The race for space intensifies. 87 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,479 A new competitor arrives - ludwigia. 88 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:31,279 It spreads by developing a chain of tiny rafts... 89 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:34,439 ...and jostles for space 90 00:08:34,560 --> 00:08:38,279 with the densely packed leaves of mosaic plants. 91 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,799 All are racing to claim as much sunlight as possible. 92 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,839 They flower quickly, before the floodwaters recede. 93 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,999 And these surface dwellers also have competitors. 94 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,919 Including one that has been waiting 95 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:24,119 in the depths... 96 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:25,999 ...and is now stirring. 97 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:38,839 It's a monster. 98 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:08,279 It's well armed. 99 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,199 It clears space for itself... 100 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:30,839 ...by wielding one of its buds... 101 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:33,679 ...like a club. 102 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:40,639 And now... 103 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,799 ...it dominates the surface. 104 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,719 This is a leaf of the giant waterlily. 105 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,239 It expands by over 20 centimetres a day 106 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,159 and eventually measures more than two metres across. 107 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,239 Its immense leaves are supported 108 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,839 by a network of air-filled struts 109 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,839 and protected by spines two centimetres long. 110 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:55,479 The leaves float high in the water, 111 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,999 and their surfaces are dotted with tiny holes - drains - 112 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:01,559 that help them ensure 113 00:12:01,680 --> 00:12:05,039 that rainwater doesn't accumulate and sink them. 114 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,799 Nutrients from the fertile mud below 115 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,879 are carried up by tubes in its stem 116 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,519 to fuel the leaf's expansion. 117 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:37,079 Over the next few months, 118 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,359 the lily will produce some 40 or so 119 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:42,719 of these gigantic leaves. 120 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,239 And as each one reaches the surface and expands, 121 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,199 more and more light is taken 122 00:12:58,320 --> 00:12:59,239 from those plants 123 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,239 that are trying to grow beneath. 124 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,639 Competitors are pushed aside. 125 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,039 Some are crushed... 126 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,399 ...or skewered. 127 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,319 Eventually, its immense leaves press their margins 128 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:27,719 against one another, 129 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:31,759 totally cutting off the light from the plants beneath them. 130 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,399 The battle is over... 131 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:40,919 ...and victory is total. 132 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,799 The frozen water world of Lake Akan, 133 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:04,199 in northern Japan. 134 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,719 Home to one of the strangest and most primitive of plants. 135 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,559 It's an alga, 136 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,319 like those that appear so mysteriously in our ponds. 137 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,719 But this one is truly extraordinary. 138 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,279 Each spring, the melting ice releases 139 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,799 soft, velvety balls of interwoven threads 140 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,679 called marimos. 141 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,599 This one is small, no bigger than a walnut. 142 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:55,999 But there are lots of them here. 143 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,319 They attract the attention of visiting whooper swans. 144 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,239 But there is one way for the marimo to escape 145 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:38,639 from the danger, 146 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,999 and it depends on a change in the weather. 147 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:48,599 Fortunately, in the spring, 148 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,319 winds sweep across the lake... 149 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:57,599 ...creating currents that carry some of the marimos 150 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,479 beyond the reach of hungry swans. 151 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,719 It's the start of a remarkable journey. 152 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,919 They are gently carried back and forth 153 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:28,399 by the currents 154 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:32,679 so that the marimos become more and more spherical. 155 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:43,159 And slowly, they travel into deeper water. 156 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:57,999 Here, there are great numbers of them, 157 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,559 certainly many millions. 158 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,599 Some are the size of basketballs. 159 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,159 They are safe from swans 160 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,399 and the water is still shallow enough 161 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,279 for some sunlight to reach them. 162 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,559 It seems a perfect home. 163 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:23,359 And so it is. 164 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:25,879 Almost. 165 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:32,319 The snag is that these waters also carry a fine sediment 166 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,759 that can clog the marimos' surface, 167 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,919 cutting off the all-important light. 168 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,159 But the marimos are not entirely immobile. 169 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:55,639 They dance. 170 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,679 The winds blowing over the lake's surface 171 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,479 create currents beneath 172 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,839 that are sufficiently strong to move the marimos. 173 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,439 They rub against each other. 174 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,679 And, in just a couple of hours of gentle movement, 175 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,399 they're all clean once more. 176 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:37,119 As they spin, 177 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:38,879 every part of their surface 178 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,919 gets enough time in the sunlight 179 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:42,439 to keep growing. 180 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,279 This is the heart of the Amazon. 181 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,719 There are water worlds here that are so remote 182 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,439 that, even today, few people have ever seen them. 183 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,679 This barely explored tributary 184 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,519 is Rio Claro. 185 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,279 And here, 186 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,319 when conditions are just right, 187 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:40,599 it's possible to witness 188 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,799 a rare and remarkable spectacle. 189 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,199 The river is so crystal clear 190 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,199 that its bed is bathed in sunlight. 191 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:09,319 A magical landscape of miniature mountains 192 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:10,839 and valleys. 193 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,719 It's carpeted by pipewort, 194 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,959 fanwort and star grasses. 195 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,679 As the sun climbs in the sky... 196 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,639 ...bubbles of gas appear. 197 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,479 Evidence of photosynthesis. 198 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:07,519 Deep inside the plant cells, 199 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,159 tiny structures called chloroplasts 200 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,599 move towards the light. 201 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,759 They absorb carbon dioxide 202 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,119 and use the sun's power to synthesise the sugars 203 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,519 that the plant needs to grow. 204 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,679 And, as a by-product, they release oxygen... 205 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,519 ...the gas that we 206 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,439 and all other animals 207 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,279 must have in order to breathe. 208 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:05,799 Now, in late afternoon, 209 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,439 bubbles of oxygen make the river water fizz 210 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,559 like champagne. 211 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,519 The plants can become so buoyant with gas 212 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,879 that they rise to the surface... 213 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,559 ...even carrying the bedrock with them. 214 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,039 Only in this remote water world 215 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,519 can this spectacular natural wonder be seen. 216 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:36,919 Eastern Venezuela. 217 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:44,919 Here, rectangular table mountains known as tepui 218 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,519 stand above the tropical forest. 219 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:53,439 There are more than 50 such 220 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,759 isolated mountain plateaus here, 221 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,959 each home to a unique community of plants. 222 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:08,319 Downpours are so torrential that no soil can accumulate 223 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,479 on their broad, rocky summits, 224 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:12,399 and some plants living up here 225 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,639 have to find their nutrients from another source. 226 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,039 These are bromeliads. 227 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,439 Their leaves are shaped like a funnel 228 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:35,039 and collect rainwater, 229 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,839 which accumulates in the centre. 230 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:47,919 This small pond is colonised by all kinds of tiny animals. 231 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,119 And it is their bodies, when they die, 232 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,239 that provide some of the nutrients 233 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:02,919 the bromeliads need. 234 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:06,759 This makes a good partnership, 235 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,479 in which both parties can thrive. 236 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,319 But it can be exploited... 237 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,519 ...by a plant predator. 238 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,279 This probing stem 239 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,319 belongs to a plant called a bladderwort. 240 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,679 It too is in need of nutrients. 241 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,079 And a well-stocked bromeliad pool 242 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,759 is just the place to find them. 243 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,679 This one is full of aquatic animals. 244 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,079 The bladderwort begins to change... 245 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:50,639 ...into a hunter. 246 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:56,319 It develops bladders 247 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,039 and removes sufficient of the water within them 248 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,279 to create a partial vacuum. 249 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:11,479 Each bladder has a trap door beside it with trigger hairs. 250 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,679 And now all the bladderwort has to do... 251 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,599 ...is to bide its time. 252 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:43,879 It only takes one touch 253 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,279 for the trap door to snap open... 254 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:51,439 ...and suck in its prey. 255 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,839 It's all over in a millisecond. 256 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:13,959 And after it has fed, 257 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:15,959 a bladderwort has enough energy 258 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:18,359 to produce another tendril, 259 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,359 to search for another bromeliad pool. 260 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:41,479 Swamps and bogs are also poor in nutrients. 261 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,359 So several plants that live in such places 262 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:47,879 catch insects too, 263 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:49,519 if they can. 264 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,679 The leaves of sundews 265 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,519 are covered with long red hairs, 266 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,439 each tipped with a droplet. 267 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:34,719 These glistening globules are in fact glue. 268 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:52,919 Once the sundews detect 269 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:55,039 the taste of their victim's body... 270 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:00,559 ...they flood it with digestive enzymes. 271 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,639 The little body disintegrates. 272 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,359 And the sundew gets the nutrients it needs. 273 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:30,279 Another plant has an even more elaborate way 274 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:31,559 of catching a meal. 275 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,879 The Venus flytrap has leaves 276 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,759 that are lined with interlocking teeth. 277 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:52,839 It attracts insects by producing a sweet perfume, 278 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:54,799 just as a flower does. 279 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,399 It too has a hair trigger. 280 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,959 And another insect is caught. 281 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,559 But the technique is more complex 282 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:31,799 than it might seem. 283 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,159 The Venus flytrap has a problem. 284 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,039 It needs to avoid false alarms - 285 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,359 snapping shut on something inedible, 286 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:49,279 like a raindrop or a little bit of twig. 287 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:53,999 That would be a waste of both time and energy. 288 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,719 So how does it avoid that? 289 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,719 Well, it does it by counting. 290 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:05,119 If I touch this one sensitive hair just there... 291 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:08,759 No reaction. 292 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:10,399 That could be a false alarm. 293 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:15,279 But the plant remembers that for 20 seconds. 294 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:18,599 And if I touch it a second time within that time... 295 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,399 ...then that's much more likely to be worth eating. 296 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:24,439 And so... 297 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,719 ...it closes! 298 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,359 So far, so good. 299 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,239 But now it needs to be absolutely certain 300 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,639 that it's got something worth eating, 301 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,559 so it continues counting. 302 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,439 Only after it has totted up five separate touches 303 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:46,999 to those hairs 304 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,079 will it give the final squeeze 305 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,639 and then begin to produce the liquid 306 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:54,399 from the surface of the leaf 307 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:58,199 which will dissolve the body of its unfortunate victim. 308 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,799 The flytrap now has enough energy 309 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:05,319 to produce flowers 310 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:08,679 and attract pollinating insects. 311 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:21,399 Wind and insects, between them, 312 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,759 pollinate virtually all land plants. 313 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,759 But neither method can be used 314 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,919 by plants that live entirely underwater, 315 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,719 so some lead double lives. 316 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:39,679 At York Stream, in southern England, 317 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:41,239 and swaying in the current 318 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,319 is a plant for which these rivers are famous. 319 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:51,039 This is water crowfoot, a kind of aquatic buttercup. 320 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,919 For most of the year, it is underwater. 321 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:57,399 And if I take this underwater camera... 322 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,999 ...you can see its floppy stems grow horizontally. 323 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:06,879 That reduces the risk 324 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,039 of being swept away by the current. 325 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,919 But each spring, when it's time to flower, 326 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:19,079 it produces something crucially different. 327 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,559 A stem that is stiff enough to resist the current... 328 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,279 ...and lift its flowers into the air above. 329 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:52,439 And now, of course, they can get help from insects. 330 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:11,799 So, every year, in part at least, 331 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,959 water crowfoot becomes a land plant... 332 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:19,279 ...and provides us 333 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:21,879 with one of the loveliest natural spectacles 334 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:23,799 of the early English summer. 335 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,519 Water crowfoot is not the only water plant 336 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,559 to lift its flowers above the surface. 337 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,959 Plants do so all around the world. 338 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:56,119 From the swamps of the Pantanal... 339 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,679 ...to the lakes of Thailand... 340 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,039 ...they all burst into spectacular bloom. 341 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:21,639 Once they've been pollinated, they produce seeds. 342 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:36,679 And now their flowers have done their job, 343 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:38,599 some return to a life... 344 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:41,879 ...underwater. 345 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:49,439 Now they must ensure 346 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:51,279 that some of their seeds 347 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,759 will find suitable places in which to germinate. 348 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:10,679 Bulrushes, every year, 349 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:15,319 produce these long, brown, velvety objects. 350 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,079 Look what happens when I break one open. 351 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:27,079 It contains almost a quarter of a million seeds. 352 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:38,679 Each seed is attached to a delicate parachute. 353 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,759 Even the slightest breeze will lift it 354 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,319 and may carry it for very long distances indeed. 355 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,239 So even though suitable stretches of freshwater 356 00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,159 are few and far between, 357 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,799 there's a good chance that at least one 358 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,279 will end up in a place where it can grow. 359 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:17,559 Much bigger seeds, of course, can't travel by air. 360 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,439 A river can provide transport, 361 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,159 but it's a one-way journey - 362 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:31,639 downstream - 363 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:34,239 that often ends up in the sea. 364 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:39,319 And that's not ideal. 365 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,959 So how can any riverside plant avoid this 366 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:47,839 and travel upstream? 367 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:53,399 Here, along the Bonito river, in Brazil, 368 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:57,679 a variety of trees manage to do exactly that. 369 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,719 They embed their seeds 370 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,639 in the middle of soft, sweet fruit. 371 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:29,239 Monkeys, such as these capuchins... 372 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:34,639 ...make a meal of them just as soon as they're ripe. 373 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:42,719 But monkeys are very wasteful feeders. 374 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:44,319 And what's not eaten... 375 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:49,839 ...ends up in the river and is washed away. 376 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:05,799 But not all. 377 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:25,719 In the fruiting season, 378 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,119 hundreds of piraputanga fish 379 00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:31,079 gather beneath these trees. 380 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:43,959 But the piraputanga want more than the monkeys' leftovers. 381 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:50,319 The brightly coloured fruits are clearly visible, 382 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:52,999 even to the fish in the water below. 383 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:04,759 And some manage to claim them 384 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:07,119 even before a monkey does. 385 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:22,799 This isn't a skill mastered 386 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,279 by just one particularly successful acrobatic fish. 387 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:30,159 Many of the piraputanga can do this. 388 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,799 Nor is this a disaster for the tree. 389 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:46,119 Far from it. 390 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,839 These piraputanga are migratory, 391 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:59,039 heading many miles upriver to spawn. 392 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:10,239 The trees, by enticing the fish to eat their fruits, 393 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:13,359 have a perfect means of transport for their seeds. 394 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:18,399 With luck, the seeds will be deposited 395 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:20,999 many miles upstream. 396 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:41,799 The ability to colonise new habitats 397 00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:44,919 has allowed one group of flowering plants 398 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,079 to venture out of freshwater 399 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:50,759 and into a world that may look the same to us... 400 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:54,519 ...but for a plant is crucially different. 401 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:01,719 The much greater, saltier world - 402 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:03,359 the sea. 403 00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:09,919 This is a fruit from one of the most important plants 404 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:11,999 on the Earth today. 405 00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:14,479 Sea grass. 406 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:26,599 This particular one is floating off the coast of Formentera, 407 00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:28,039 in the Mediterranean. 408 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:42,439 100,000 years ago, 409 00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:44,999 a sea grass seed like this 410 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:48,319 sank to the sea floor just here. 411 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,039 And eventually, it produced... 412 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:07,879 ...a great meadow. 413 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:16,199 A meadow that is still flourishing today. 414 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:22,479 It did so by cloning itself. 415 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:28,559 Now over ten miles across, 416 00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:30,719 it's not only one of the largest 417 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:32,519 living organisms on Earth... 418 00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:36,239 ...it's also one of the oldest. 419 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:46,319 And it supports a rich community 420 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:48,479 of many kinds of animals. 421 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:56,279 It's become a kind of marine savanna. 422 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:05,079 Over a thousand species now live here. 423 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:08,759 Some, like these elegantly camouflaged pipefish, 424 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:12,559 live nowhere else but amongst the sea grass. 425 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:26,239 Sea grass fringes many of the world's coasts. 426 00:46:33,240 --> 00:46:36,079 Turtles depend upon it, too. 427 00:46:40,120 --> 00:46:42,079 And so do dugong, 428 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:43,919 animals that are sometimes called, 429 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:47,919 very appropriately, sea cows. 430 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:59,079 Today, sea grass plays a critical role 431 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:01,479 in maintaining the health of our planet. 432 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:06,399 It creates stores of carbon around its roots 433 00:47:06,520 --> 00:47:08,599 at an enormous rate - 434 00:47:08,720 --> 00:47:11,359 35 times faster, in fact, 435 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,279 than plants that live on the floor 436 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:14,879 of a tropical rainforest. 437 00:47:18,480 --> 00:47:20,719 Here, off Formentera, 438 00:47:20,840 --> 00:47:23,679 it's possible to see beneath the living sea grass 439 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:26,599 layer upon layer of trapped carbon 440 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:28,519 that the plants have accumulated 441 00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:31,039 over the past 2,000 years. 442 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:42,639 Sea grass, however, is easily destroyed by human disturbance. 443 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:44,679 A third of the world's underwater meadows 444 00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:46,839 have already been lost, 445 00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:49,359 and many more are in decline. 446 00:47:57,480 --> 00:47:59,199 Biologists are now striving 447 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:02,359 to not only protect the remaining meadows 448 00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:04,079 but to restore them. 449 00:48:07,160 --> 00:48:09,879 One plant at a time. 450 00:48:16,720 --> 00:48:19,759 Sea grass could be a valuable ally 451 00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:22,159 in our fight against climate change. 452 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:30,279 Today, water worlds everywhere are under threat. 453 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:39,279 Many of their inhabitants are disappearing 454 00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:42,439 without us even being aware of their existence. 455 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:52,199 The plants that grow in water 456 00:48:52,320 --> 00:48:54,639 are probably the least noticeable. 457 00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:57,159 They're certainly the least studied. 458 00:48:57,280 --> 00:48:58,519 But the more you know 459 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:01,199 about the problems of living in that way, 460 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:04,479 the greater the wonder of their success. 461 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:09,239 Surely, they deserve more of our attention 462 00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:12,519 and, most importantly, our care. 463 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:32,679 This vast wetland is the Pantanal. 464 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:34,479 The Water Worlds team 465 00:49:34,600 --> 00:49:37,319 are heading to a plant battlefield - 466 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:41,839 the home of Brazil's giant waterlily. 467 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:46,759 This is like seeing the end of a war - 468 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:49,079 there are leaves growing on top of each other, 469 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,559 flowers going through leaves... Unbelievable. 470 00:49:55,360 --> 00:49:58,039 To capture this story in all its detail 471 00:49:58,160 --> 00:49:59,719 would take over a year 472 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:02,599 and require a unique Green Planet approach, 473 00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:04,479 both filming here 474 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,319 and in a parallel mini Pantanal, 475 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:09,159 in deepest, darkest... 476 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:10,839 ...Devon. 477 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:16,159 This is the unique world 478 00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:19,519 of specialist time-lapse cameraman Tim Shepherd. 479 00:50:22,480 --> 00:50:24,239 Tim has the reputation 480 00:50:24,360 --> 00:50:27,399 of being able to think like a plant. 481 00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:30,239 It's absolutely crucial 482 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:32,159 that you get the plant really happy. 483 00:50:32,280 --> 00:50:35,519 And to make the giant lily feel totally at home, 484 00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:39,359 Tim must build a little piece of Brazilian wetland. 485 00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:44,439 First, a 10,000-litre tank. 486 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:48,999 Hundreds of bricks, 487 00:50:49,120 --> 00:50:51,839 almost a thousand kilos of soil 488 00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:54,119 and countless cups of tea later, 489 00:50:54,240 --> 00:50:56,279 the foundations are complete. 490 00:50:57,800 --> 00:50:59,799 So far, so good. 491 00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:02,719 Now time to prepare 492 00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:04,959 for the new Green Planet camera system. 493 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:05,999 That way. 494 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:09,439 We're trying to assemble the main gantry framework 495 00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:11,839 so that we can mount the moving rig on top of it. 496 00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:15,079 So it's a bit of a fiddle to get all the screws 497 00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:16,719 in all the right places, basically. 498 00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:20,239 After a few weeks, 499 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:22,239 the building works are complete. 500 00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:25,759 The flood can now begin. 501 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:35,599 Tim needs to be sure everything in the room 502 00:51:35,720 --> 00:51:38,319 is heated to tropical temperatures... 503 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:39,879 Ah! 504 00:51:42,240 --> 00:51:45,479 ...before the star of the scene can move in. 505 00:51:48,640 --> 00:51:51,359 Carefully grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens 506 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:53,679 at Kew, especially for us. 507 00:51:58,400 --> 00:52:01,279 Everything depends on this one plant. 508 00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:04,239 There will be no time for a second attempt. 509 00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:08,879 And even more important for Tim, 510 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:11,279 to keep his guest happy and healthy. 511 00:52:12,560 --> 00:52:15,479 This big monster needs a lot of feeding. 512 00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:18,039 We've found we need about five sandbags 513 00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:21,199 full of compost every two or three weeks. 514 00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:23,479 So we just sort of lower them in 515 00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:24,919 and stick them down by the roots. 516 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:26,799 Whoa! There we go. 517 00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:29,799 Whilst the Devon giant settles in... 518 00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:32,839 ...the Pantanal crew 519 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:35,999 are continuing to get their shots. 520 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:37,039 Time to see 521 00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:39,119 some giant waterlilies underwater, 522 00:52:39,240 --> 00:52:42,159 and I hope there's no anaconda. 523 00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:49,639 Oof! 524 00:52:49,760 --> 00:52:52,159 Mission accomplished. 525 00:52:54,760 --> 00:52:57,359 The pressure is now on Tim. 526 00:52:59,920 --> 00:53:01,679 After months of pampering, 527 00:53:01,800 --> 00:53:04,639 the giant lily is ready for action. 528 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:10,159 First thing to film is a leaf spike rising up 529 00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:11,359 from the depths. 530 00:53:14,320 --> 00:53:16,639 Luckily, there are no anacondas here. 531 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:22,239 The special camera weighs over 40 kg. 532 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:24,759 It's suddenly become less heavy, which is good. 533 00:53:25,840 --> 00:53:26,999 The new rig 534 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:28,639 means Tim will be able to follow 535 00:53:28,760 --> 00:53:31,119 the emerging plant in any direction. 536 00:53:36,600 --> 00:53:38,599 Whoa! Fancy! 537 00:53:40,040 --> 00:53:42,159 The technology is working well, 538 00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:46,039 but nature is starting to derail Tim's plans. 539 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:49,159 Getting really tangled up with all these weeds! 540 00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:52,399 What happens is, we've got 541 00:53:52,520 --> 00:53:54,879 a bit of an ecosystem developing here. 542 00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:58,319 Before you know it, you get masses and masses 543 00:53:58,440 --> 00:54:00,079 of algae growing in amongst it all. 544 00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:01,719 Eugh! 545 00:54:01,840 --> 00:54:03,959 Gah! 546 00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:07,479 I think I've just released some anaerobic gases there. 547 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:09,639 No, not me, the... 548 00:54:09,760 --> 00:54:11,159 ...the algae. 549 00:54:12,520 --> 00:54:16,679 State-of-the-art tools help keep the algae at bay. 550 00:54:19,040 --> 00:54:21,119 Eugh! 551 00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:31,159 Just in time for Tim to film liftoff. 552 00:54:42,200 --> 00:54:44,719 Well, that's quite nice, coming out of the water. 553 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:45,759 Look at that! 554 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:47,679 Tim's focus can now shift 555 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:50,839 to the battle that's starting to take place on the surface. 556 00:54:54,240 --> 00:54:55,399 Well, I'm trying to film 557 00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:57,719 this new bud coming out on this lily leaf. 558 00:54:57,840 --> 00:54:59,599 It's going to take about three days 559 00:54:59,720 --> 00:55:02,079 to grow from where it is now 560 00:55:02,200 --> 00:55:04,799 to somewhere in this zone, between these two other leaves. 561 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:06,919 I want that to last about ten seconds. 562 00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:10,359 Ten seconds is about 250 frames. 563 00:55:10,480 --> 00:55:13,559 That works out to about one frame every 20 minutes. 564 00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:18,079 But plants don't read scripts. 565 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:20,679 It's nature - it doesn't always do 566 00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:22,279 what you think it's going to do. 567 00:55:28,120 --> 00:55:30,159 We've had a few false starts, 568 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:32,879 where the leaf has swung out of shot and gone somewhere else. 569 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:41,719 Or it just grows a lot quicker than you thought. 570 00:55:45,640 --> 00:55:47,759 It's a challenge to get things right, 571 00:55:47,880 --> 00:55:50,399 but with the combination of Tim's expertise 572 00:55:50,520 --> 00:55:51,679 and the new camera system, 573 00:55:51,800 --> 00:55:54,719 results are starting to look good. 574 00:55:54,840 --> 00:55:56,639 I think the difference now with this series 575 00:55:56,760 --> 00:55:59,719 is we can bring the plants much more to life 576 00:55:59,840 --> 00:56:01,079 as characters 577 00:56:01,200 --> 00:56:04,799 and tell their story in a much more dynamic way. 578 00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:10,679 It's great to be able to follow them around, 579 00:56:10,800 --> 00:56:14,079 much more in the way you'd film an animal behaving. 580 00:56:20,800 --> 00:56:23,799 These rigs have given us 581 00:56:23,920 --> 00:56:25,999 a whole new realm of possibilities. 582 00:56:26,120 --> 00:56:29,039 After over a year of filming and recording 583 00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:32,039 100,000 separate images, 584 00:56:32,160 --> 00:56:34,759 the secret life of the giant waterlily 585 00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:38,239 and the battle of the Pantanal has been revealed. 42973

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