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Across the globe,
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there is no place more changeable
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than the seasonal forest,
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going through constant new phases throughout the year.
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Adapting to the seasons makes our majestic
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woodlands of the world dynamic and varied.
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It can be hard to see the wood for the trees.
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But stop and look, and it's the trees themselves
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that tell the story
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in their never ending battle with the elements.
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(rain pounding)
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And around their feet, beneath their roots,
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in their cavities and branches,
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plants
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and animals
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find a generous
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(fire crackling)
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yet sometimes challenging homes.
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Spend a year in nature
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to watch the energetic and vibrant changes
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through the "Seasons of the Forest."
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(enchanting music)
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From tiny, humble beginnings,
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great things can come.
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(dramatic music)
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The tiny shoots breaking their way into the world
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have the potential for long and glorious life.
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Oak,
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beech,
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and pine.
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All the giants of this landscape start out small.
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But with lofty ambition,
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(birds chirping)
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each kind of tree faces different challenges
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and will navigate in their own way
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through the obstacles that lie ahead.
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(dramatic music)
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When trees produce these little babies,
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they do so in volume,
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and for good reason.
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Perhaps only one in 10,000
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will get the chance to realize its potential.
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(dramatic music)
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Nuts and seeds are food for just about
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everything in the forest.
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For the few that escape hungry mouths,
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they also begin a lifelong battle with each other.
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Trees, like all plants, need sunlight.
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The green in their leaves harvest it,
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converting it to sugars that fuel its growth.
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In the woods, the canopy can be dense.
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Each young tree needs to get tall
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as quickly as it can.
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Outcompeting its neighbors to get close to the light.
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(birds chirping)
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It's a race, but not one we can see.
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The speedy growth can take decades.
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For most of the creatures living in their shadows,
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things move a lot faster,
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especially in spring when their own race begins,
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to breed.
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(playful music)
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Newts and salamander live in the damp
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leaf litter of the forest floor.
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But a feature that defines amphibians
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is that their eggs are blobs of jelly
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that can dry out,
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so they must be laid in the water.
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From all over the forest to the America's Sierra Mountains,
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Sierra newts begin a march.
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Bold-colored and boldly confident,
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both because their skin is laced with a potent toxin
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to keep predators at bay.
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Who says romance is bad?
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(playful music)
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For the slimy-skinned newts,
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the strategy is somewhat like a rugby scrum.
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Males outnumber the females.
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But in this amphibian orgy, anything goes.
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During successful pairings,
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the females will carefully place
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sacks of fertilized eggs on the plants
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before they can crawl their way back into the forest.
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All around them, across forest all over the world,
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reproduction is bringing about some major changes.
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The plants of the forest explode with life.
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Many have laid dormant in the soil
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as seeds or bulbs over winter.
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But now warmed by the lengthening hours of sunlight,
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they have races of their own.
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They need to breed and so quickly unfurl their beauty.
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(dramatic music)
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They are alluring, and that is their purpose.
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Most plants can't fertilize themselves.
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They need a third party, a matchmaker
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to bring the male and female parts of the plants together.
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The flowers are a lure for insects.
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Like the flowers, bugs either died off for winter,
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leaving eggs or grubs in the ground,
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or lay dormant themselves,
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but they merge on mass to coincide with the floral chorus.
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(insects buzzing)
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Insects' compound eyes
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can see a much wider color spectrum than we can.
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We think the flowers look stunning.
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But to them, it must be an overwhelming sea of color.
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(insects buzzing)
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Each flower shouting, "Pick me, pick me."
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(insects buzzing)
(birds chirping)
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It's not just color, but scent too.
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A sweet smell promising a tasty reward
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for the winged workers.
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Flowers track the sun across the sky,
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letting its rays gently warm their petals,
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so that the insects can even enjoy a heated landing pad.
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The warmth helps carry their fragrant pheromones.
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(enchanting music)
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Some plants go a step further.
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Flowering in spring,
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in the cold damp, corners of the forest,
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warmth can't be guaranteed.
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So the arum lily creates its own.
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Its discreet flowers are shielded from sight
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in a leaf cloak known as the spadix.
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Like mammals, it uses cell metabolism to generate heat.
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Though how it controls the temperature remains a mystery.
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While most flowers offer sweet perfumes,
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the arum emits an odor reminiscent of rotting meat.
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Its heated body lifts the scent into the air,
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an advertisement to insects, midges in particular.
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That can't resist the suggestion food and the warm hideaway.
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(insects buzzing)
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The plants set a trap,
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planning to put the insects to work.
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The series of fine hairs temporarily trap the bugs.
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And while they fight their way free,
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they are doused with the plants pollen
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by the male part of the flower,
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the proud erection in the center.
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Then the flies are free to be tricked again.
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Harnessed as a free courier service,
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they carry the pollen to other lilies
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where it's dropped on the smaller female parts
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at the base of the flower.
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It's not just the flowers that are focused on reproducing.
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It's spring in the forest and love is in the air.
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One of the biggest birds in the forest of Europe,
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a capercaillie has to work hard
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before he'll get the chance to mate.
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(capercaillie snorting)
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He prances to show off his finery,
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gurgling his distinctive call.
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The difference between his plumage and hers
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is a clue about what happens next.
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The showy male will play no fatherly role.
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The female has cryptic camo feathers,
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ready for sitting on the nest.
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(playful music)
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Chaos reigns in the trees over head.
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The squirrel play a game of kiss chase
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as the females assess the stamina of each potential suitor.
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(playful music)
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The trees they are treating like climbing frames
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are in the midst of breeding themselves.
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Many of them produce catkins,
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long chains of tiny flowers.
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(enchanting music)
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The bigger ones are male
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and gently release their minute pollen into the air.
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(enchanting music)
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Drifting on the wind,
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some will settle on the smaller female flowers
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of neighboring trees.
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(enchanting music)
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(birds chirping)
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Pine trees do the same.
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The males contribution delivered by the wind.
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(gentle music)
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After a successful pollination,
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the trees can get to work on seeds
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that they will release later in the year.
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Meanwhile, the deciduous trees put a lot of energy
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into growing new leaves to make the most of the sunshine.
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(enchanting music)
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In the spring, everything has a light, bright,
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lush green hue.
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The young leaves wanting to soak up all the light they can
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to fuel further growth.
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(enchanting music)
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It's an all you can eat salad bar for local vegetarians,
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and so a perfect time for them
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to be raising their young.
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Deer mated last year
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and were pregnant through winter,
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but now they have their fawns.
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(playful music)
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(wild boars growling)
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There's a lot of activity on the ground.
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(gentle music)
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As the spring flowers finish their performance,
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they wither and drop their fertilized seeds to the ground.
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After a long, cold winter,
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ants rush to gather the spring's bounty,
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ferrying the nutrient-rich seeds back to there nest.
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They are taking the seeds as food,
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but stored away underground, some will sprout,
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unintentionally distributed and planted by the ants.
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In some forests,
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one in three seeds is planted this way.
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(thunder rumbling)
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Across the temperate zone,
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spring is the time of those classic April showers.
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(thunder rumbling)
(rain pattering)
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Regular downpours that help fuel the plant growth.
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(rain pattering)
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(birds chirping)
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Animals can get a bit soggy,
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but the trade off is plenty of food.
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(rain pattering)
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The plant life helps the insect population to swell,
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and birds start their families
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to coincide with the rich pickings.
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The smallest bird of the forest lives in North America
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and makes it thimble-sized nest
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from hairs and bits of lichen,
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woven together with spider silk.
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It's like an elasticated waist band
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that can grow the brood.
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While this smallest of birds
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can raise its family on the thinnest of twigs,
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The huge black storks of Europe
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need the whole crown of the tree.
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Secretive in nature,
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the canopy gives them the privacy they crave.
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They can return to old nests,
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piling branches higher to strengthen the platform.
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For several months, both parents will dash back and forth,
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collecting food for the hungry brood.
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(birds chirping)
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(gentle music)
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The huge oak tree is a fortress to this family,
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but other birds take a chance nesting on the ground.
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Here they are much more at risk
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from predator attack.
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But in North America, the whip-poor-will,
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a type of nightjar, is almost invisible,
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thanks to its cryptic camouflage.
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(gentle music)
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As some progresses,
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the forest of the world are alive with baby animals,
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growing
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and exploring their new home.
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(gentle music)
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European fox cubs spend their first weeks in a den,
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but now practice their hunting techniques
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one each other as they play.
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Many of the animals take advantage of the dappled shade
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provided by the canopy over head.
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There are hundreds of species
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that live up with the leaves themselves.
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And the bigger, older, and more craggier tree,
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the greater the number and variety
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of species living on it,
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including mammals,
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birds,
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insects,
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and fungi.
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An ancient oak tree like this giant
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can support 2,300 other species.
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In summer, the trees are a hive of activity, literally.
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Insects competing for sunning spots.
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00:20:42,571 --> 00:20:45,571
(suspenseful music)
273
00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:53,293
Upsetting hornets
274
00:20:53,293 --> 00:20:56,071
that are nesting in the crag in the bark.
275
00:20:56,071 --> 00:20:59,180
(suspenseful music)
276
00:20:59,180 --> 00:21:01,760
And despite this rush hour traffic,
277
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,930
giant stag beetles race through the middle,
278
00:21:04,930 --> 00:21:07,653
bulldozing their way into an arena,
279
00:21:11,660 --> 00:21:16,113
closer to the canopy, a bigger colony, honeybees.
280
00:21:20,620 --> 00:21:22,553
They don't welcome the intruders.
281
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,660
Despite the aggressive defense,
282
00:21:29,660 --> 00:21:31,493
the beetles soldier on.
283
00:21:33,150 --> 00:21:34,323
They are on a mission.
284
00:21:35,730 --> 00:21:37,203
It's the breeding season.
285
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:42,950
The beetle sumo wrestlers lock their embrace
286
00:21:42,950 --> 00:21:45,283
and try to throw each off balance.
287
00:21:45,283 --> 00:21:48,283
(suspenseful music)
288
00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,220
The less well-endowed females look on
289
00:22:05,220 --> 00:22:07,603
and will select a mate from the winners.
290
00:22:08,949 --> 00:22:13,949
(suspenseful music)
(birds chirping)
291
00:22:24,970 --> 00:22:27,126
The many bugs attract bird life,
292
00:22:27,126 --> 00:22:29,876
(birds chirping)
293
00:22:33,450 --> 00:22:35,360
some, like woodpeckers,
294
00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,540
even digging into the trees themselves
295
00:22:37,540 --> 00:22:39,090
to make their nesting chambers.
296
00:22:43,658 --> 00:22:46,241
(gentle music)
297
00:22:47,410 --> 00:22:49,433
Other birds don't dig the hole.
298
00:22:51,820 --> 00:22:54,023
Just take advantage of natural cavities.
299
00:22:58,320 --> 00:22:59,940
Nooks and holes can occur
300
00:22:59,940 --> 00:23:01,853
on any part of the giant trees.
301
00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:06,510
Gaps around the huge network of roots
302
00:23:06,510 --> 00:23:08,769
shelter a family of wood mice.
303
00:23:08,769 --> 00:23:11,352
(gentle music)
304
00:23:25,921 --> 00:23:28,671
(birds chirping)
305
00:23:32,610 --> 00:23:35,010
Now the sun is at its hottest.
306
00:23:35,010 --> 00:23:37,483
The leaves of the trees have become much darker.
307
00:23:40,870 --> 00:23:42,810
They have become thicker and waxier
308
00:23:42,810 --> 00:23:46,703
and are producing more pigment cells for photosynthesis.
309
00:23:50,970 --> 00:23:53,060
We mostly see greens,
310
00:23:53,060 --> 00:23:55,900
but the leaves are also producing reds and blues
311
00:23:55,900 --> 00:23:58,350
to harvest different parts of the light spectrum.
312
00:24:02,690 --> 00:24:05,683
These darken the overall tone of the green leaves.
313
00:24:07,997 --> 00:24:10,580
(gentle music)
314
00:24:12,670 --> 00:24:14,270
Animals seek shade
315
00:24:16,429 --> 00:24:17,311
(horse neighing)
316
00:24:17,311 --> 00:24:19,894
(gentle music)
317
00:24:22,490 --> 00:24:24,578
and a cool bath to beat the heat.
318
00:24:24,578 --> 00:24:27,161
(gentle music)
319
00:24:36,630 --> 00:24:40,180
But for the trees, this is a time of plenty,
320
00:24:40,180 --> 00:24:43,310
long hours of sunlight that they can capture
321
00:24:43,310 --> 00:24:44,563
and turn to food.
322
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,763
But the high temperatures can have drawbacks.
323
00:24:56,250 --> 00:24:59,167
(thunder rumbling)
324
00:25:05,809 --> 00:25:08,661
(thunder crashing)
325
00:25:08,661 --> 00:25:10,411
Vegetation dries out.
326
00:25:11,902 --> 00:25:14,893
And with high pressure, storm clouds build.
327
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,433
Just one lightning strike can start an inferno.
328
00:25:21,618 --> 00:25:24,618
(suspenseful music)
329
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,843
A scene of devastation quickly sweeps across the forest.
330
00:25:42,630 --> 00:25:44,683
Birds and large animals flee.
331
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,577
But for many, there's no way out.
332
00:25:48,577 --> 00:25:51,660
(squirrel squeaking)
333
00:25:52,682 --> 00:25:55,432
(fire crackling)
334
00:26:08,740 --> 00:26:11,173
Nothing appears to escape the devastation.
335
00:26:23,404 --> 00:26:25,654
But not all is as it seems.
336
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,290
Many forests around the world, like this in California,
337
00:26:32,290 --> 00:26:35,163
actually need fire to keep them healthy.
338
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:40,173
Among the trees, the flames will weed out the weak.
339
00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:45,700
Most of the species here have flame-resistant bark
340
00:26:45,700 --> 00:26:46,923
to protect their bodies.
341
00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,593
Even if they lose replaceable limbs,
342
00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,143
the flames will kill of parasites.
343
00:26:59,470 --> 00:27:01,750
And the wood that does burn
344
00:27:01,750 --> 00:27:05,083
will enrich the poor quality soil with ash.
345
00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,173
As seen of desolation follows,
346
00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:13,763
but it is short-lived.
347
00:27:16,190 --> 00:27:19,020
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes,
348
00:27:19,020 --> 00:27:20,893
a shoot breaks the surface.
349
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,370
The heat from the fire actually cracks
350
00:27:26,370 --> 00:27:28,550
the tree seeds' hard shells,
351
00:27:28,550 --> 00:27:29,953
helping them to germinate.
352
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,360
Some trees, like the sequoias,
353
00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:39,380
the biggest trees on the planet,
354
00:27:39,380 --> 00:27:40,560
are dependent on fire
355
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,913
to unleash the potential of their seeds.
356
00:27:49,130 --> 00:27:51,980
From the mineral-rich ashes of the fallen,
357
00:27:51,980 --> 00:27:53,373
new lives begin.
358
00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,230
There are many threats to young trees
359
00:28:01,230 --> 00:28:02,723
trying to make it to the top.
360
00:28:06,980 --> 00:28:10,752
Fire is just one of the natural disasters that can strike.
361
00:28:10,752 --> 00:28:13,100
(winds howling)
362
00:28:13,100 --> 00:28:15,010
Winds and wreak havoc.
363
00:28:15,010 --> 00:28:16,193
And in late summer,
364
00:28:22,010 --> 00:28:24,703
building storms can bring heavy rain.
365
00:28:27,482 --> 00:28:32,482
(rain pounding)
(thunder rumbling)
366
00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:56,930
Water-laden branches
367
00:28:56,930 --> 00:28:58,410
can be too heavy for their roots
368
00:28:58,410 --> 00:29:00,167
to support in wet ground.
369
00:29:01,072 --> 00:29:03,822
(dramatic music)
370
00:29:14,060 --> 00:29:17,543
Swept by flood waters, they can form log jams,
371
00:29:22,540 --> 00:29:24,230
the end of the road for some.
372
00:29:25,521 --> 00:29:28,104
(gentle music)
373
00:29:36,545 --> 00:29:38,230
But the carcass of a tree
374
00:29:38,230 --> 00:29:41,023
is one of the greatest gifts the forest receives.
375
00:29:42,417 --> 00:29:45,334
(enchanting music)
376
00:29:46,300 --> 00:29:49,330
For decades, sometimes centuries,
377
00:29:49,330 --> 00:29:51,510
these giants have been taking in,
378
00:29:51,510 --> 00:29:53,893
making, and storing nutrients.
379
00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:00,120
And now in their final act,
380
00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,053
they are returning it to the forest.
381
00:30:09,570 --> 00:30:13,260
Moses and fungi quickly colonize the use carcasses,
382
00:30:13,260 --> 00:30:16,176
breaking down the bodies as they feed,
383
00:30:16,176 --> 00:30:18,090
(birds chirping)
384
00:30:18,090 --> 00:30:21,283
and in turn feeding a host of other species.
385
00:30:30,299 --> 00:30:33,382
(animals squawking)
386
00:30:45,580 --> 00:30:48,453
Insects too hone in on the rotting wood.
387
00:30:50,740 --> 00:30:54,280
Many beetles are only beetles for the last weeks
388
00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,650
or months of their lives.
389
00:30:56,650 --> 00:30:58,740
Most have previously spent a few years
390
00:30:58,740 --> 00:31:00,290
living in dead trees,
391
00:31:00,290 --> 00:31:01,763
chomping at the rotting wood.
392
00:31:19,050 --> 00:31:22,540
Gradually, the tree rots down into the ground,
393
00:31:22,540 --> 00:31:25,963
enriching the soil that nourishes the roots of others.
394
00:31:28,220 --> 00:31:31,140
It's ensuring food for its offspring,
395
00:31:31,140 --> 00:31:34,533
the next generation of trees and their battle through life.
396
00:31:37,430 --> 00:31:39,880
Some even get a headstart.
397
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,700
Their seeds landing on the dead giants,
398
00:31:42,700 --> 00:31:44,500
giving a bed of compost
399
00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:46,663
where they can lay down well-fed roots.
400
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,260
The plants work hard every day
401
00:31:54,260 --> 00:31:57,060
to absorb food and water through their roots
402
00:31:57,060 --> 00:31:59,660
and producing food in their leaves,
403
00:31:59,660 --> 00:32:02,010
because each year is a race
404
00:32:02,010 --> 00:32:05,460
to thrive and grow while the going is good,
405
00:32:05,460 --> 00:32:07,743
knowing that some big changes lie ahead.
406
00:32:13,820 --> 00:32:17,792
Gradually, the evenings begin to draw in.
407
00:32:17,792 --> 00:32:20,792
(suspenseful music)
408
00:32:23,210 --> 00:32:26,660
The window to soak up sunlight shortens every day
409
00:32:29,890 --> 00:32:32,653
and temperature start to drop.
410
00:32:37,030 --> 00:32:38,440
These are the signals that trigger
411
00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:41,243
the biggest annual transformation of the forest.
412
00:32:44,660 --> 00:32:46,570
First things first.
413
00:32:46,570 --> 00:32:48,703
The trees have been ripening their fruits,
414
00:32:50,830 --> 00:32:52,810
an assortment of seed pods
415
00:32:52,810 --> 00:32:56,123
which are now ready to sent out to fend for themselves.
416
00:33:00,430 --> 00:33:04,390
Witch hazel in North America flowers later than most,
417
00:33:04,390 --> 00:33:06,123
just as autumn takes hold.
418
00:33:09,730 --> 00:33:11,570
As the flowers fade,
419
00:33:11,570 --> 00:33:14,973
the plants make sure each seed goes out with a bang.
420
00:33:21,540 --> 00:33:23,540
Building pressure at its base,
421
00:33:23,540 --> 00:33:24,823
ejects the seeds,
422
00:33:26,590 --> 00:33:28,253
sending them flying forth,
423
00:33:36,350 --> 00:33:39,383
scattering its legacy as far as it can,
424
00:33:43,940 --> 00:33:46,493
something much appreciated by those below.
425
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:51,920
Soon goodies are raining down
426
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,163
from the trees and forest across the world.
427
00:33:56,210 --> 00:33:59,770
Little parcels carrying the genes to grow a new tree,
428
00:33:59,770 --> 00:34:03,231
bundled with a good food store to nurture its growth.
429
00:34:03,231 --> 00:34:05,981
(graceful music)
430
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,130
Many of the plants' offspring
431
00:34:22,130 --> 00:34:24,423
have had spiny protective coverings.
432
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:29,530
It's an attempt to stop anything nibbling at them
433
00:34:29,530 --> 00:34:31,580
while they're still ripening on the tree.
434
00:34:33,950 --> 00:34:36,440
As the prickly, sweet chestnuts fall,
435
00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,093
the armor splits, spilling the nuts.
436
00:34:45,780 --> 00:34:47,773
Squirrels never seem to sit still.
437
00:34:49,260 --> 00:34:51,663
As if driven by an insatiable greed,
438
00:34:54,740 --> 00:34:56,773
they gather as many nuts as they can.
439
00:35:01,090 --> 00:35:02,773
Some will be eaten on sight,
440
00:35:09,316 --> 00:35:11,510
but most are carted off and buried,
441
00:35:11,510 --> 00:35:13,253
a handy snack pack for later.
442
00:35:16,020 --> 00:35:18,610
But actually, many trees count on squirrels
443
00:35:18,610 --> 00:35:20,200
and other food stashes
444
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:23,123
to export their seeds around the forest and bury them.
445
00:35:26,392 --> 00:35:29,640
(playful music)
446
00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:31,670
Squirrels stash so many
447
00:35:31,670 --> 00:35:34,170
that they never get around to collecting them all.
448
00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:40,000
In fact, up to 75% get left,
449
00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:44,123
conveniently buried, planted, and ready to grow.
450
00:35:47,130 --> 00:35:49,730
Not all animals are useful.
451
00:35:49,730 --> 00:35:51,663
Boars just chomp through the treasure.
452
00:36:01,500 --> 00:36:03,470
Some of the woodland animals
453
00:36:03,470 --> 00:36:07,200
don't need to wait for the trees to drop their seeds.
454
00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:09,023
Nutcrackers aim for the top.
455
00:36:11,190 --> 00:36:12,670
They live up for their name,
456
00:36:12,670 --> 00:36:15,403
with in-built tools for forceful extractions,
457
00:36:17,780 --> 00:36:20,430
nipping out the pine seeds before the cones are ripe.
458
00:36:28,100 --> 00:36:30,263
Bears try and get in on the act too.
459
00:36:32,468 --> 00:36:35,051
(gentle music)
460
00:36:45,865 --> 00:36:48,698
(leaves rustling)
461
00:36:53,770 --> 00:36:56,020
But most animals will just wait for the cones
462
00:36:56,020 --> 00:37:00,023
to ripen and fall, letting the food come to them.
463
00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,540
As they ripen, many pine cones dry and open up,
464
00:37:09,540 --> 00:37:11,923
releasing hundreds of small seeds into the air.
465
00:37:18,690 --> 00:37:20,860
They have sails to help them drift further
466
00:37:20,860 --> 00:37:22,053
from the parent tree.
467
00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:29,153
All gifts from above are welcomed by those below.
468
00:37:32,137 --> 00:37:34,580
(playful music)
469
00:37:34,580 --> 00:37:36,750
In Siberian forests,
470
00:37:36,750 --> 00:37:39,290
chipmunks are in hyperdrive,
471
00:37:39,290 --> 00:37:41,863
gathering the seeds from fallen pine cones.
472
00:37:44,860 --> 00:37:46,740
Their teeth never stop growing,
473
00:37:46,740 --> 00:37:48,813
and self-sharpen as they rub together.
474
00:37:51,802 --> 00:37:54,469
(playful music)
475
00:37:55,860 --> 00:38:00,860
They fill their cheek pouches and go stash the food,
476
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:07,230
a winter ladder in case they wake up from hibernation
477
00:38:07,230 --> 00:38:09,369
and need a night time snack.
478
00:38:09,369 --> 00:38:11,952
(gentle music)
479
00:38:19,460 --> 00:38:21,540
With winter approaching,
480
00:38:21,540 --> 00:38:23,093
competition is fierce.
481
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,420
With rodent so deeply engrossed in foraging,
482
00:38:32,420 --> 00:38:35,443
predators seize the opportunity for surprise attacks.
483
00:38:40,010 --> 00:38:43,550
The American bobcat has camouflage,
484
00:38:43,550 --> 00:38:47,683
patience, stealth, and speed.
485
00:38:48,909 --> 00:38:52,200
(animals squawking)
486
00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,853
One less nut thief for the trees to worry about.
487
00:38:58,540 --> 00:39:01,253
Everyone needs to eat while the going is good.
488
00:39:04,464 --> 00:39:05,380
(gentle music)
(animals squawking)
489
00:39:05,380 --> 00:39:09,200
In the temperate zone, winters can be harsh,
490
00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,203
with many days of frost or even heavy snow.
491
00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:19,670
Winter hits the extreme north first,
492
00:39:19,670 --> 00:39:20,943
the land of the pine.
493
00:39:22,818 --> 00:39:25,818
(animals squeaking)
494
00:39:33,860 --> 00:39:35,593
Pine trees are well-equipped.
495
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,263
Their leaves are tiny, spiky needles.
496
00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,893
A small surface areas, so less is exposed to the cold.
497
00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:51,400
They have a waxy surface to reduce loss of water,
498
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,500
helping to protect them from the elements.
499
00:39:55,500 --> 00:39:58,060
And the classic Christmas tree shape
500
00:39:58,060 --> 00:40:01,393
prevents too much snow from building on their limbs.
501
00:40:03,720 --> 00:40:07,463
When the snow burden gets heavy, it simply slides off.
502
00:40:11,350 --> 00:40:14,050
They also use proteins their manufacture
503
00:40:14,050 --> 00:40:16,633
as an antifreeze to protect their cells.
504
00:40:23,740 --> 00:40:26,410
With these preventative measures in place,
505
00:40:26,410 --> 00:40:29,000
the trees don't need to change for winter.
506
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,350
They can keep hold of their needles year round.
507
00:40:36,550 --> 00:40:38,630
But the strategies of desiduous trees
508
00:40:38,630 --> 00:40:40,630
couldn't be more dramatically different.
509
00:40:41,803 --> 00:40:44,470
(playful music)
510
00:40:51,350 --> 00:40:55,270
The big, thin, flat leaves have a large surface area,
511
00:40:55,270 --> 00:40:57,303
prefect for catching the sun's rays,
512
00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:03,523
but also very exposed and vulnerable to damage from frost.
513
00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:09,220
So as the trees sense the shortening days
514
00:41:09,220 --> 00:41:11,370
and dropping temperatures,
515
00:41:11,370 --> 00:41:13,360
they start to pull the goodies from their leaves
516
00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:14,723
back into their trunks.
517
00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:21,703
Woody cells start to build at the base of the leave stems.
518
00:41:23,220 --> 00:41:25,750
They are getting ready to shut up shop,
519
00:41:25,750 --> 00:41:29,093
so no longer need to chlorophyll to photosynthesize.
520
00:41:33,860 --> 00:41:35,920
But as the greens fade,
521
00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:38,280
they reveal other pigments in the leaves
522
00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:39,937
that had been hidden until now.
523
00:41:40,905 --> 00:41:43,572
(playful music)
524
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:56,460
The leaves may be dying,
525
00:41:56,460 --> 00:41:58,210
but they are going out with a bang.
526
00:41:59,908 --> 00:42:02,491
(gentle music)
527
00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,653
Putting on the greatest show nature has to offer.
528
00:42:12,540 --> 00:42:15,540
(animals squawking)
529
00:42:17,230 --> 00:42:18,063
Reds,
530
00:42:20,990 --> 00:42:21,903
oranges,
531
00:42:24,380 --> 00:42:26,437
and yellows flooded the forest.
532
00:42:26,437 --> 00:42:29,020
(gentle music)
533
00:43:09,290 --> 00:43:11,050
Despite the beauty,
534
00:43:11,050 --> 00:43:13,173
animals don't seem to stop to enjoy it.
535
00:43:15,580 --> 00:43:17,090
They are busier than ever,
536
00:43:17,090 --> 00:43:18,983
making the most of the last food.
537
00:43:20,431 --> 00:43:23,098
(moose bellows)
538
00:43:25,660 --> 00:43:28,383
The changes are not only impacting the trees,
539
00:43:30,290 --> 00:43:32,920
the personalities of some animals below
540
00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:35,053
are altered by a surge in hormones.
541
00:43:35,053 --> 00:43:37,886
(moose bellowing)
542
00:43:42,643 --> 00:43:47,226
Horned and antlered animals prepare to go head to head.
543
00:43:48,420 --> 00:43:50,003
Dear strut and bellow,
544
00:43:52,500 --> 00:43:54,503
challenging rivals to a brawl.
545
00:43:56,890 --> 00:44:00,003
Their antlers are grown anew for each annual tournament.
546
00:44:04,590 --> 00:44:05,960
But the horns of sheep
547
00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:07,863
keep growing throughout their lives.
548
00:44:10,310 --> 00:44:11,513
These are mouflon.
549
00:44:16,490 --> 00:44:19,743
The wild forest dwelling ancestors of domestic sheep.
550
00:44:21,860 --> 00:44:24,950
To persuade perspective females to mate with them,
551
00:44:24,950 --> 00:44:27,383
the rams must prove their worth.
552
00:44:38,820 --> 00:44:40,020
It's a short-lived show.
553
00:44:45,599 --> 00:44:50,599
(gentle music)
(birds chirping)
554
00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:53,610
The animals need to shift their focus to survival
555
00:44:53,610 --> 00:44:55,580
as the temperatures drop.
556
00:44:55,580 --> 00:44:58,163
(gentle music)
557
00:45:05,930 --> 00:45:07,993
As birds begin their journey south,
558
00:45:11,030 --> 00:45:14,670
it's time for now very plumped bears
559
00:45:14,670 --> 00:45:17,953
to find sheltered dens where they sleep out the winter.
560
00:45:31,980 --> 00:45:35,613
As the first snow falls, they vanish.
561
00:45:40,730 --> 00:45:42,770
Some birds will migrate.
562
00:45:42,770 --> 00:45:44,140
Many of the smaller animals
563
00:45:44,140 --> 00:45:46,630
will join the bears in slumber,
564
00:45:46,630 --> 00:45:49,213
but others will have others will have to stick it out.
565
00:45:55,450 --> 00:45:57,340
Late offering from the trees
566
00:45:57,340 --> 00:45:59,453
will be a lifeline to little birds.
567
00:46:02,790 --> 00:46:06,543
They in turn passing the benefits of the food chain.
568
00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:12,550
Each species has its own tactics,
569
00:46:12,550 --> 00:46:13,963
a niche to help it through.
570
00:46:19,350 --> 00:46:23,800
Siberian musk deer, in the absence of green leaves,
571
00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:26,313
nibble lichens from the bear branches.
572
00:46:31,030 --> 00:46:33,943
Ravens manage by monitoring the forest predators.
573
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:40,823
Scavenging from wolf kills, they'll find plenty to eat.
574
00:46:44,620 --> 00:46:47,550
For predators that cope with the conditions,
575
00:46:47,550 --> 00:46:49,240
there's plenty of prey,
576
00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:51,903
weakened by the cold and lack of food.
577
00:47:04,410 --> 00:47:07,700
But while the daily battles play out around them,
578
00:47:07,700 --> 00:47:10,853
the trees are following a similar strategy to the bears.
579
00:47:14,620 --> 00:47:16,143
They stand in torpor.
580
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,233
Bare branches furnished only with icicles and snow.
581
00:47:25,630 --> 00:47:28,253
The blanket of snow protects the forest.
582
00:47:29,730 --> 00:47:31,963
It's actually warmer underneath,
583
00:47:35,220 --> 00:47:37,323
helping to prevent frost damage,
584
00:47:38,540 --> 00:47:42,261
until finally the icy queen loosens her grip.
585
00:47:42,261 --> 00:47:44,844
(gentle music)
586
00:47:54,420 --> 00:47:56,620
The sounds of dripping through the trees
587
00:47:56,620 --> 00:47:59,857
are the first hint that winter is coming to an end.
588
00:48:04,930 --> 00:48:07,210
What now feels like a ghost town
589
00:48:07,210 --> 00:48:10,423
is poised and ready to embrace a new look.
590
00:48:11,990 --> 00:48:14,657
(playful music)
591
00:48:19,860 --> 00:48:22,530
And weak sunlight slowly breaths life
592
00:48:22,530 --> 00:48:23,843
back into the landscape.
593
00:48:32,170 --> 00:48:33,820
As the temperatures slowly climb.
594
00:48:39,220 --> 00:48:41,213
The trees get to work.
595
00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:50,193
Fresh buds and shoots bulge at the tips of branches,
596
00:48:51,490 --> 00:48:55,040
soon unfurling to reveal once again
597
00:48:55,040 --> 00:48:56,343
the beauty of spring.
598
00:48:59,700 --> 00:49:03,270
And thanks to the mulch of leaf litter from their parents,
599
00:49:03,270 --> 00:49:06,230
the seeds that have laid dormant over winter
600
00:49:06,230 --> 00:49:07,680
perform their greatest trick,
601
00:49:10,270 --> 00:49:11,413
building a tree,
602
00:49:14,270 --> 00:49:18,820
a tiny sapling ready to take part in the endless,
603
00:49:18,820 --> 00:49:22,460
beautiful, fascinating performance
604
00:49:22,460 --> 00:49:23,910
of the seasons of the forest.
605
00:49:25,151 --> 00:49:27,901
(graceful music)
44629
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