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The desert,
a barren extension of sand and stone.

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The desert is also dryness and heat.

The desert evokes remote places,
exotic countries,

unexplored empty lands…

with no water.

The water in the desert
is nothing more than a mirage.

But this desert isn't entirely like that.

This is a lying desert.

The Bardenas Reales
are an exception among deserts.

The biodiversity here is stunning,
the kind you see on an island.

But this is inland Europe,

a continent of mountains,
forests, and tundras,

where marshes, rivers, lakes,
and grasslands abound.

In Europe, there are many ecosystems,
but not many deserts.

The Desert of Las Bardenas Reales
is the continent's most notable exception,

or nearly so.

The Bardenas Reales
are in the north of Spain

in a region that isn't exactly hot.

Is this a vision of what's to come
in the 22nd century?

This desert is uniquely distinctive,

and learning more about it
could help us to understand

the unavoidable climate changes
that lie ahead.

What brought about this strange desert

where, in theory,
there should be plant life?

Is it merely the product
of the soil's chemical makeup?

This clay is more than
30 million years old.

The water that is lacking here dried up
when the Pyrenees Mountains were created.

This was once a great underwater ecosystem

that lay beneath the waters
of the Ebro River

as it ran toward the Mediterranean Sea.

But now, there is no water at all.

The substrate that remains
is unable to retain liquids.

In the middle
of the bed of Spain's mightiest river,

just a few kilometers away
from the fertile wine region of Rioja,

we find Europe's
greatest extension of desert:

42,000 amazing hectares

with whimsical shapes,

and landscapes
that are strange and singular.

In many ways, the Bardenas lie.

The typical scorching temperatures
of the desert

do make their appearance in summer,

but they are not the rule here.

Normally, it's not hot.

In winter, it even freezes over.

Temperatures drop below freezing
some 40 to 50 days per year.

The wind, cold and cruel, known
as the"cierzo," never stops blowing.

It's a dry wind,
which blows down out of the Pyrenees,

easily sculpting all of the loose soil

that the sparse vegetation
can't anchor to the ground.

And this desert isn't unpopulated either.

It's inhabited by two types of species.

One includes those that are adaptable.

That's to say, plants and animals
that can modify themselves

in order to resist the unique conditions
of such a peculiar habitat.

This is also home to beings
that are highly specialized.

Beings which,
after many variations and mutations,

and a process of natural selection,
have achieved a genetic metamorphosis

and become entirely new species,
which no longer live any other place.

Endemic species, the original
solutions provided by evolution.

These are the beings that have managed
to adapt to singular circumstances.

They are living treasures.

But they are also delicate,

trusting that their particular ecosystem
will not change yet again,

because specialization
stands in contrast to adaptability.

The lesser kestrel will fly
over almost any open area.

The heat and arid conditions
aren't a problem.

In fact, he prefers it this way,

because it's better for him.

These barren areas
are perfect for hunting prey.

The lesser kestrel knows quite well how
to survive in this desert full of insects.

The tiny village of the Bardenas Reales
is surprisingly rich and varied.

Perhaps, among other reasons,
because for many species,

leaving behind their optimal habitat

and trading it in for a harsher one
does have its advantages.

There's less competition,
and fewer predators.

But colonizing a new space
is no easy task, and it takes time.

Here, the harsh climate,
extreme temperatures,

scarceness of water and humidity,
sparse vegetation,

and continual erosion of the soil
make this a hostile environment.

Learning to survive here
implies a high death rate for the species.

And once they have achieved success,

those who didn't make it
will be forgotten.

But if more ecological niches
follow this path of desertification,

the species that triumphed here

will be able to live with whatever changes
global warming may bring.

It's interesting that the Bardenas
are literally crawling with millipedes.

Maybe there are so many because
no natural predators or parasites

have managed to take up residence
in this ecosystem.

Millipedes defend themselves
with liquids and gases

that are toxic to their predators,

making those who hunt them
highly specialized creatures.

Perhaps millipede
hunters aren't adaptable.

In theory, this species shouldn't
feel comfortable in these conditions.

By contrast,
this strange snouted grasshopper

does fit the pattern
of an authentic local inhabitant.

He represents how life has managed
to diversify in this lying desert.

But what about the dragonflies?

Why are the Bardenas
plagued with dragonflies

even though there's no water around?

These are formidable flying insects
that can get around at high speeds,

traveling many kilometers without resting.

But why are they here,
instead of flying over a river or a lake?

Is it an abundance of prey?

Or are they searching for a hiding place

where there are no birds
that will hunt them?

There are also many birds in this desert.

One hundred and twenty-five species
have been recorded.

This is an enclave
of extremely high ornithological value.

A large part of this territory
has been declared

a special protection area for birds.

If this woodchat shrike
can raise its offspring in this desert,

it's because this desert
isn't unpopulated by any means.

The presence of shrews
is also a reliable indicator

that the Bardenas ecosystem
is densely populated with tiny life forms.

Shrews are one of the smallest mammals
in the world,

but their metabolism is so high

that they are forced
to ingest their own body weight every day.

That's a lot of insects to hunt.

Shrews live in the lush, forested wetlands
of northern Spain and throughout Europe,

but they have also adapted
to this extremely dry terrain.

Nevertheless,
when faced with demanding surroundings,

it's important to have hunting grounds
that are clearly defined.

Each shrew has its own.

Although, along the borders
there are often conflicts,

and it must be decided
who has the right to disputed prey.

The shrew is armed
with sharp, venomous teeth.

One of the only venomous mammals
in the world,

the shrew can easily kill a rival
in a fight.

The reason they're willing to risk so much

is that if they don't eat
every three or four hours,

they could starve to death.

The struggle to survive in the wild
is relentless.

The life of an animal is not calm,

but rather stressful and exhausting
as they try to get by.

And in this sort of ecosystem,
there is nothing to spare.

There is no abundance, nothing,
at least not for most of the year.

In any ecosystem, the presence or absence
of water marks the rhythm of things.

The Mediterranean climate
has very little water,

and there is even less in Las Bardenas.

Clouds generally skirt this place,
surrounding it, avoiding it,

not by much, but almost always.

The average precipitation
is below 400 millimeters per year.

And in Bardena Blanca,
the most arid spot here,

precipitation isn't even 25%
of that number,

just ten liters per square meter
for the entire year.

That rainfall is similar
to most of the Sahara.

And there are no aquifers.

When it rains, the downpours
tend to be torrential,

and afterward, small streams and gullies
quickly carry the water away

before the soil can filter the liquid,

making it difficult
for plants to absorb it.

The animals that live at a distance
from these streams

don't have many opportunities
to drink here.

Months, and even years, can go by

in hope of a soft rainfall
that can permeate the soil.

Snakes can survive
in almost any corner of the globe,

being better than anyone else
at dominating their thirst and hunger.

This type of ecosystem sometimes
makes it necessary to fast

for long stretches,
going months without food.

A ladder snake wanders about
in search of tracks

in the gorges and ravines of the Bardenas.

This is no skinny snake.

It's not out hunting,

it would do that by hiding, stalking,
waiting in the shadows.

This must be a male in search of a mate.

His tongue can pick up
even the smallest molecule

to figure out who is approaching.

Not all snakes are alike.

Here there are also smooth snakes,
and Montpellier snakes.

The viper, on the other hand,
hasn't been spotted here for years,

although those animals
are great at hiding.

They have to be.

The presence of the short-toed snake eagle

proves that this desert
is full of reptiles

and offers enough food
for even the largest specialized species.

Although in winter, when the sun
doesn't warm things up very much,

scaly creatures take to their beds,

and the eagle is forced to fly
south to Africa,

so he won't starve to death.

The extreme erosion suffered
by this landscape,

almost entirely void of vegetation,

results in incredible shapes
that are precariously balanced.

Time, and the wind and rain,
which makes deep scratches when it falls,

reveal ancient marine sediments

that are crowned by sandstone
in some spots.

Sandstone is more
resistant to erosion than clay,

which is why the top section has held up.

But it won't forever.

The isolated peaks, called"cabezos,"
also known as "fairy chimneys,"

are short-lived.

The most emblematic of these,
El Castildetierra, is still standing.

In its precarious position,
it can survive one more day,

one more week, or perhaps a decade.

But not forever.

Perhaps the next storm will destroy

part of the loveliest bit of architecture
in Las Bardenas,

but it will also create something new.

And maybe the next storm
will take a while to get here.

It's been a long time since it rained.

In the Bardenas, there is water
only in the largest ravines.

But this isn't rainwater.

It's water from the Pyrenees
that gathers here naturally,

and which has managed to stay here
with some help from humans,

who have always planted crops here
and brought their animals to graze.

These ponds are so stable that this desert
even receives visits from aquatic animals.

Some birds have become accustomed
to raising their young here.

It's a phenomenon
that isn't entirely natural,

but almost everything on the planet

is affected by the actions of man
in some way.

The bottom of these lakes

and the larger channels
that lead to and from them,

have gradually been covered with sediment.

And vegetation now covers the banks,

so some of the water that flows by

doesn't do so as quickly
as the waters after a torrential rainfall.

In some years, the most forgiving ones,

these ponds even hang on until summer
without completely drying up.

In any case,
most of the wildlife in the Bardenas

lives far away
from these artificial oases,

forced to wait for the rain.

The clay cliffs, with their multitude
of nooks and crannies,

are ideal for the young
of the demanding lesser kestrel.

These cliffs, where the wind
and runoff carve out countless holes,

are perfect for those who aren't able
to build a platform out of branches,

instead substituting trees and crags,

in order to keep their chicks
from being hunted.

The lesser kestrel
is a very adaptable bird.

The abundance of prey and the fact
that they don't have to build nests here

means they have dared to inhabit
the harsh desert lands, settling here.

Seventy-five percent of the Mediterranean
territory is in danger of desertification.

Many will need to adapt
their way of living,

but not all will be able to do so.

In spite of all of our technology
and our ability to alter the environment,

we remain unable
to keep the deserts from expanding.

Las Bardenas are referred to
as"reales," or "royal,"

because this was a territory
that traditionally belonged

to the Spanish Crown.

But its real owner is someone else.

There is an animal that seems
to have been designed

especially for life in Las Bardenas.

Or shall we say Las Bardenas
seem to have been made for it.

Its adaptations are perfect
for prospering in this dry, sandy spot.

As far as we know, this species is
not commonly found in any other ecosystem,

and its biology and distribution
remain largely unknown.

Nevertheless, here, it's king.

It's incredibly abundant,

although its presence goes unnoticed
by almost everybody.

In every hole, beneath every overhang,

in even the smallest corners
with the finest sand,

wherever there is a roof,

vermileonid larvae,
or wormlions, build their traps:

cones of sand
that no insect can escape from.

The wormlion is a strange being

with the highest level of specialization
that evolution can generate.

There is only one other species
on the planet that shares this skill:

the antlion.

These are quite different families
of insects, but amazingly,

they have arrived at the same solution
for survival and hunting ants.

Normally, you won't find
both species living in the same place.

The one that has colonized Las Bardenas
is the wormlion.

This clay universe
is ideal for another species

that also needs to make holes
where it lays its eggs.

The European bee-eater
is objectively one of the loveliest birds

on the continent, and perhaps beyond.

Its many colors are beautiful,

as are its elegant shape
and precise manner of flying.

European bee-eaters hatch here,

but spend their winters in Africa,
where there are insects.

They return in the spring.

With their long, sharp beaks,

they carve out tunnels
more than one and a half meters long.

Then the males bring gifts to their mates.

They try to prove
that they will be good fathers

who will help to feed their young.

Especially by hunting bees,

because where there are bees,
there are bee-eaters.

And in Las Bardenas
there are still wild hives.

Bees are disappearing
from many ecosystems.

This is a problem with consequences
that are impossible to predict,

but what we know for sure is
that they will be negative for everyone.

Bees pollinate
a significant part of the plant kingdom,

in addition to our own gardens and crops.

So without bees,
the process of desertification

l will be quicker,
more severe, and more serious.

This gigantic wild hive
is populated by about 80,000 honeybees.

It's found in a gully that
has been carved out by water erosion,

about 60 meters up,
in an abandoned Egyptian vulture nest.

This is a difficult show
to get tickets to.

And it's getting even harder.

It seems contradictory
that bees choose to build their hives

in the arid zone of Las Bardenas,
where there aren't many flowers,

and where they must fly
great distances to find pollen.

And while bees are believed to be
quite sensitive to extreme temperatures,

it's very hot here.

It remains a mystery
as to why bees emigrate here

from many of their usual habitats.

We have pointed the finger
at global warming

as being the main motivating factor,

but here,
they are not bothered by the heat.

The challenges the species
are suffering from on a global scale

must have various causes,
which we need to uncover.

It may be a combination of factors,
as it usually is.

We are using new insecticides
and new technologies,

and it could be that we are unable
to calculate the real impact

resulting from satisfying our own needs.

But if we don't learn to do so,

we will be forced to face
the consequences.

The fact is,
there are bees in Las Bardenas,

although being a bee in the desert
is no picnic.

In addition to a lack of flowers,
great distances,

extreme temperatures, and crab spiders,

flash floods can flow through,

killing entire colonies
if they are caught unawares.

Luckily, these tragedies
occur only rarely here,

rain is the exception to the rule.

Here in the lying desert,
Europe's largest,

the key for insect survival

is to know how to protect themselves
from high temperatures.

This latticework
helps to provide a refrigerated entrance

to the nests of
some sophisticated potter wasps.

The strange construction is a mechanism
to ventilate and cool

the cells where larvae grow.

And at the same time,
they are a sure-fire tool

for throwing parasites off their trail

and blocking their access
when they try to eat the young.

The Bardenas lie.
This is a desert that is far from empty.

Quite the contrary, it is full of life,
and there's also water.

In addition,
it's cold here for much of the year.

But despite being an unconventional
desert, it is still just that, a desert.

And when summer rolls around,
the sun beats down hard.

Temperatures shoot up to
nearly 50 degrees Celsius in the shade,

and the soil reaches some 70 degrees.

Amphibians,
especially many species of toad,

are well-adapted
to severe desert temperatures.

Now, this one has no choice
but to spend the summer here.

During the driest part
of the blazing summer months,

he will have to hide out from
the unforgiving rays of the sun,

buried in the wettest
patch of mud he can find.

It's also puzzling that there
are so many snails in Las Bardenas.

Their presence leads one
to believe that snails are

an important source of protein
in the local food chain.

There is no doubt that these creatures,

which must be covered
in a moist mucous membrane,

are better suited to a wet environment.

But some snail species
have adapted even to the desert,

developing the ability to quickly
start or stop their own metabolism.

Depending on environmental conditions,

if it's hot, they use their own mucous to
seal themselves off inside their shells,

conserving humidity
for days, weeks, even months…

waiting for water,

water that is taking far too long
this year.

Vultures resist the challenges
of summer perfectly well.

This is the Egyptian vulture
found at these latitudes.

Its plumage allows it
to deflect most of the sun's heat.

Although its main method
for weathering the heat

is much more extreme.

It defecates on its own feet.

And when the fluids evaporate,
it has a cooling effect on the blood.

This strategy functions much
the same way sweating does in mammals,

but doesn't waste as much water.

The Egyptian vulture is in
danger of extinction all over the world.

The Bardenas Reales are one of
the animal's final strongholds in Europe.

It still nests here,
but unfortunately, since the 1990s,

the population has dropped by half,
from 80 mating pairs to just 40.

The recent trend of climbing
these rock walls is great for tourism,

but it has also meant that many birds
have abandoned their nests.

We weren't allowed to record
their breeding process,

even from a great distance.

Perhaps we must rethink ecology itself.

Few individuals are familiar
with this extraordinary animal,

so not many people will miss them
when they're gone.

Not even the Bardenas Reales themselves
are known beyond the south of France.

And they are an essential sanctuary,

full of a strange beauty

that has much
to teach us about our future.

As the heat rises, everything dries out.

The last of the wet mud dries into cracks,
like the scab on a wound,

protecting those who have
managed to bury themselves well.

The lack of water brings together flocks
of linnets and other birds, all parched.

Those who are
able to travel might survive,

but those who remain here
looking for water will not.

This is also the end of a cycle
for the tarantula,

a habitual resident
of this challenging region.

She has learned to eat
her partner after mating

if there isn't much prey available.

She still carries her young on her belly,
but her strength is quickly fading.

As no rain has fallen to moisten the soil,

there will not be enough food
for her children in the coming weeks.

And the ground
will remain impenetrable for too long.

Unless these clouds can conquer the sun,

unless they can gather
and bring water to Las Bardenas.

Hope builds as the sky darkens.

But the initial promise is weak indeed.

The first clouds are
nothing more than a cruel mirage.

As quickly as they appeared, they vanish.

Thirst is all that is left.

Temperatures are bearable only at night,

providing respite
for the inhabitants of this desert,

which no longer lies.

Only the scorpions are still active.

But these are tough characters.

They've been adapting to jungles
and deserts for 400 million years.

Now conscious of the lack of prey,
they defend their territory fiercely,

though they don't
always resort to violence.

In theory,
they don't try to kill each other,

they just size each other up.

They only use their stingers
if the fight goes on too long.

Normally, it ends quickly in a draw.

Very gradually,
the nights get longer again,

and the days get shorter.

The change of season is on the horizon.

Autumn is drawing near.

Although the heat persists
and the rain doesn't come.

The shrew will need animal fat
in order to survive the winter

in a state of torpor, with no insects.

But the swallowtail caterpillar
knows how to defend itself.

A foul smell and confusing colors
have thrown the hunter off.

This creature
has also completed its cycle,

having eaten and grown
as much as it needs to.

Tonight it will enter the pupa stage
without waiting any longer for water.

Turning into a chrysalis,

the caterpillar
becomes a sort of time machine,

able to wait for the coming spring
without suffering the present conditions.

More clouds!

More… false alarm.

Everyone in the Bardenas
will have a tough road ahead

if another year goes by with no rain.

The tarantula returns
to her burrow with most of her young.

Now, they all wait for water together,
in the doorway to their home.

Their mother has accomplished her mission.

Her own flesh will be sufficient
for these 100 tiny tarantulas,

until the weather turns.

Another dry night.

The last swallowtail caterpillar
wraps itself up

to try and hold out until next May.

And September ended several days ago.

A terrible tempest is brewing,

but for the moment, it is nothing more
than an electrical storm.

Where there is lightning and thunder,
is there also rain?

The nighttime storm
predicted the arrival of water.

The moment is finally here.
It rains, at long last.

Rain that falls hard,
but just long enough,

saturating the earth.

Turning dirt into mud,
and then into liquid.

Autumn has come, later than ever.

It's possible that every season
arrives a bit later now,

a sign of other changes to come.

But in the short term, what matters is
that it is right on time

for the plants and animals
of Las Bardenas.

The long-awaited
but short rainy season has begun,

although it may rain
for just a day or two.

The gullies act as natural pipes,

generously distributing water
throughout the ecosystem,

but not for long.

This time, the mating season
for the natterjack toad

has arrived in October.

But for this population,
the calendar is of no importance,

it doesn't matter
what month they breed in.

The one essential condition is water.

It may be that there
are many males chattering,

or perhaps the puddle
is too small for all of them.

The sound is deafening,

but they don't get
to make this call very often,

only once a year at most,
so this is a special occasion indeed.

Large fights will decide
who are the chosen few

that will mate this time around.

The best fed, the biggest,
and also the most capable,

above all, the most capable.

The slippery struggle ends when a male
manages to embrace a female successfully.

But sometimes they can get confused
about the sex of their mate.

At this point, they can only tell
by the resistance offered.

This is the winner.

Nothing will separate him from his mate
for the next 20 hours.

The pools where the natterjack toad breeds
are shallow, making them temporary.

The water will quickly evaporate
or filter down,

which not only forces
the animals to hurry,

but helps them to limit the number
of egg and tadpole hunters.

In fact, this species prefers
ephemeral bodies of water.

Their adaptation aims to turn them
into an exclusive species.

The natterjack toad has
the shortest metamorphosis cycle

of any European amphibian.

In just 20 days,
the tiny tadpoles will have become

mini versions of their parents.

There is another species that reproduces
during the summer in other places.

But here, it has adapted
to the changing conditions

of a desert that lies
even about the seasons.

In Las Bardenas, mosquito spray is a must,
no matter when you visit.

The rain has closed out another year
in the Bardenas Reales.

Or has another year just begun?

No matter how you look at it,

this year's rain in Las Bardenas
is already a distant memory.