1
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:31,840
Rush hour.
2
00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:36,360
It's the same all over.
3
00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,840
You gotta get where you're going
the fastest way you can.
4
00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:46,720
In our busy world,
5
00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,920
nature has been banished to the shadows.
6
00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:00,280
But here, in Nepal,
the backstreets will only get you so far.
7
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,240
So when you're forced
to hit the main drag,
8
00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:08,760
you can either get snarled up in traffic...
9
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:11,880
...or create your own lane.
10
00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:26,120
This defiant commuter is doing
what his kind have always done...
11
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,720
making the nightly migration
between feeding grounds.
12
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,360
And if today
the savanna has become a suburb,
13
00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,120
well, that's not gonna stop him.
14
00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:06,680
Faced with our crazy world,
nature strives to find a way through.
15
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,360
And by doing so,
each of these determined rhinos
16
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:20,960
weaves its own tiny thread
into a vast web of life.
17
00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:28,000
A living network
that spans our entire world.
18
00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,000
It connects every living being.
19
00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:40,440
And now, for the first time,
we're gonna reveal how.
20
00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,200
From the densest forests...
21
00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:48,640
to the deepest oceans.
22
00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,680
The fiercest skies...
23
00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,800
to the hottest deserts.
24
00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,480
This hidden network
links the wonders of life
25
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,160
to the great forces of our planet...
26
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,640
keeping our whole world alive.
27
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,840
And even when we disrupt
these vital connections...
28
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,760
...nature fights on.
29
00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:42,760
This is the wondrous untold story
of the most powerful force on Earth.
30
00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,280
Life itself.
31
00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:57,040
Unlock its secrets,
32
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,480
and we'll discover how there could be
a brighter future for us all...
33
00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,400
on our interconnected living world.
34
00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,480
You can pick up a thread
of nature's network
35
00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,080
anywhere you care to look,
36
00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,200
{\an8}even in the wilds of the frozen north.
37
00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:39,600
She may not know it,
38
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,280
but this newborn reindeer
has a vital role ahead of her.
39
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,120
She just has to survive long enough
to play her part.
40
00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:04,000
The strongest possible bond
with her mother will help.
41
00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,440
But first, she will need to master
her most important survival tool.
42
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:16,120
Her legs.
43
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,920
She is a natural-born athlete.
44
00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,200
Speed, endurance, she's got it all.
45
00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,200
Or she will have when she finds her feet.
46
00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:09,720
Until then, the safest place
for a sprinter-in-training
47
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,280
is literally under her mother's feet.
48
00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,640
Because eagle eyes are watching...
49
00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,000
...waiting for her to stray.
50
00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:52,920
Mom has her back this time.
51
00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,080
But the sooner
she can get those legs working,
52
00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,840
the better her chances.
53
00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,480
The calf will find safety
joining the herd.
54
00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,920
And it's together
that these animals make an impact
55
00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,800
that's felt far beyond the Arctic.
56
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,520
But only if they're kept on their toes.
57
00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:40,720
Wolves.
58
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:55,680
Out on the plains,
59
00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,560
this herd can spot danger approaching
60
00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,200
and can do what they were born to do.
61
00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,600
In the open, they can hit top speed.
62
00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,680
But among the trees,
deep snow bogs them down.
63
00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:46,600
Lucky for them,
it's even harder work for shorter legs.
64
00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,000
Breaking for open ground
means better footing.
65
00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:02,800
And the skittish herd can once again
keep a watchful eye on their pursuers.
66
00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:15,200
The Arctic is a tough place to survive,
67
00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,400
even for a world-class runner.
68
00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,880
But this never-ending dance
of predator and prey
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00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,320
ultimately connects to us all.
70
00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,840
As the calf and her herd graze
on the grass and scrub...
71
00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:41,240
they trim it back,
72
00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,800
which allows snow to settle unbroken.
73
00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,640
While the predators
keep the herds on the move,
74
00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,000
spreading their grazing work far and wide.
75
00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:07,720
Together they help create
uninterrupted blankets of snow,
76
00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:13,520
turning these white plains
into a vast cosmic mirror...
77
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:22,880
which can reflect up to 85%
of the Sun's heat back into space.
78
00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:37,120
We need the Arctic to stay frozen
to help stabilize our climate,
79
00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:43,200
making the entire planet
more habitable for us all.
80
00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,920
And this astonishing cooling system
81
00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,080
helps set off
another physical chain of events...
82
00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:03,400
that plunges to the depths of our oceans.
83
00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:11,280
Because just off the coast,
the sea is freezing.
84
00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,240
Ice crystals rise to the surface...
85
00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:24,800
forcing denser seawater
to plummet to the seabed...
86
00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,720
and warmer surface waters
to flood in to replace it.
87
00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:40,160
It's the start
of a gigantic circulatory system.
88
00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:47,640
A pump that drives sea currents
on a thousand-year round trip
89
00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,200
connecting every ocean on Earth.
90
00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,000
Where there are currents...
91
00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:00,240
there's life.
92
00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:11,080
Nowhere more so
than on a tropical coral reef.
93
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,880
A quarter of all known marine species
live on reefs like these.
94
00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:27,520
And a billion of us humans
depend on them for our food,
95
00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,480
livelihoods, and protection.
96
00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,200
Even here in the currents around the reef,
97
00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,080
the same rules apply...
98
00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,080
for the hunters and the hunted.
99
00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:51,000
The trick is to stay ahead
of the competition...
100
00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,880
any way you can.
101
00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:03,040
These cuttlefish eggs were hidden
in the rocks by their mother.
102
00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,720
The trouble is,
they soon turn see-through.
103
00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:20,160
So the tiny embryos
must stay stock-still to avoid being...
104
00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,600
Oh. There's always one.
105
00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,360
No bigger than a peanut,
this precocious youngster
106
00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,720
is already enthralled
by the reef around him.
107
00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:43,960
He'll only live for a year,
108
00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,880
so he seems determined
to learn as much as he can,
109
00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,160
as fast as he can.
110
00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,240
But his exuberance
is attracting attention.
111
00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,280
A hungry mantis shrimp
with the sharpest eyes on the reef.
112
00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:13,280
He likes his eggs soft in the middle.
113
00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,800
But junior is already one step ahead.
114
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:25,520
Now you see me...
115
00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,200
now you don't.
116
00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,160
But not everyone
is gonna fall for that ruse.
117
00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,120
Epaulette sharks can sense
the electrical current
118
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,160
given off by their next meal.
119
00:14:54,560 --> 00:15:00,000
And the baby's heartbeat
is blaring out like a car alarm.
120
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:10,000
At the last second, he somehow knows...
121
00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:13,880
...to kill the switch.
122
00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:21,320
Holding his breath
and slowing down his three hearts
123
00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,280
to disappear once more.
124
00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:34,560
All this eager student needs now
125
00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,880
is a grown-up to teach him
how to catch his dinner.
126
00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,680
It's enough to make
a wannabe hunter burst.
127
00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:10,160
Graduating from egg school
gives him the best start in life.
128
00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:15,680
He will now feast
129
00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,720
on whatever opportunities
the currents bring.
130
00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,000
Tiny critters riding
the watery superhighway
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00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,360
from reef to distant reef.
132
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,920
Spreading new life and new hope
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00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,080
for the future
of these underwater wonders.
134
00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:52,560
From a baby reindeer
who helps power the ocean's heartbeat
135
00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:55,760
via a tropical reef,
136
00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:01,880
the network of ocean currents
connects both poles
137
00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,960
as it continues all the way to Antarctica.
138
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:11,320
Freezing temperatures
supercharge the ocean's pulse...
139
00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,400
...pumping seawater northwards once more...
140
00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:25,120
where the most powerful currents
rejuvenate life...
141
00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,800
in places you'd least expect.
142
00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,840
During the dry season
in Africa's Kalahari Desert,
143
00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,000
everyone is struggling to beat the heat.
144
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:50,280
Yet, even here,
145
00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:58,280
nature's network has a way of providing
exactly what life needs to flourish.
146
00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,200
All because, hundreds of miles away,
147
00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:11,000
an icy Atlantic current
meets hot desert air.
148
00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,720
Thick fog blows inland.
149
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,320
Thunderclouds billow up over the highlands
150
00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,200
where they perform nature's own alchemy.
151
00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,000
Each bolt of lightning is so powerful...
152
00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:43,880
it splits molecules in the air...
153
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,880
creating nitrates,
154
00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:54,600
a liquid fertilizer essential
for the growth of every plant on Earth.
155
00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:01,120
These nutrients rain down
and cascade south...
156
00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,440
crossing hundreds of miles
of Southern Africa...
157
00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:16,040
until they pour into the Okavango Delta...
158
00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:24,720
transforming the parched Kalahari
into one of nature's greatest oases...
159
00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,600
triggering an explosion of new growth
160
00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,680
in the once barren desert.
161
00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,400
But while a connection
to a distant ocean provides the waters...
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00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:00,720
it is down to the locals to create
a neighborhood where everyone can benefit.
163
00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,880
Heavyweight engineers bulldoze their way
through the vegetation...
164
00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,680
...creating networks of flowing channels...
165
00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:26,000
that connect pools and watering holes...
166
00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,480
allowing the rich waters
to spread further afield.
167
00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,760
Meaning, no one misses out.
168
00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,760
And for this family
of leisure-loving hippos...
169
00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:56,680
it's pool party season.
170
00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,640
They've got first dibs
on the best bathing spot in the area.
171
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,680
But Dad can't kick back completely.
172
00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:32,160
Keeping hold of this pool
and his harem of breeding females
173
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:33,960
is not gonna be easy.
174
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,480
Both are hot property for young bulls
looking to start their own family.
175
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:48,840
For the father,
176
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:54,560
this interloper is about as welcome
as a Band-Aid in a hot tub.
177
00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,440
Dad warns him to back off.
178
00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,840
Fighting a two-ton rival
would be exhausting.
179
00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:26,320
It could also be deadly.
180
00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:34,800
But if the rogue male steps into his pool,
181
00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,080
Dad has a simple choice.
182
00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:40,280
Lose his family...
183
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:43,640
or fight.
184
00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:15,080
Dad may have to see off
many more challengers
185
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:16,960
before the season is over.
186
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,920
But for now,
victory deserves a lap of celebration.
187
00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,800
Yeah. Still got it.
188
00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:44,600
All this frolicking and fighting
helps to prolong the party season.
189
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:51,400
It stirs the waters and stops the pools
from stagnating.
190
00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,120
So even as the flood begins to subside,
191
00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:04,240
their fellow landscape engineers
192
00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,960
can be sure that hippo-flavored water
is safe to drink.
193
00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:18,880
Just a few months on...
194
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,680
the riches of the flood disappear.
195
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,040
And the bulldozers bring
what food is left...
196
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:40,200
...down to earth.
197
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,120
But even this demolition dinner
198
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:51,720
sets off a chain reaction
199
00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,800
that sends ripples far beyond the desert...
200
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,720
by paving the way
for another natural phenomenon.
201
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:09,040
Fire.
202
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,760
Dead wood fuels seasonal bushfires
that rejuvenate the savanna.
203
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:32,800
And in these flames, a new thread
in the vast web of life begins...
204
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,040
with a link that connects continents.
205
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,880
As the brush and soil burn,
206
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:56,000
microscopic nutrients are released
from their earthbound existence.
207
00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:05,800
They rise up with the smoke...
208
00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:10,160
to meet the clouds.
209
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:15,920
High in the atmosphere,
210
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:21,400
plumes of phosphorus speed their way
through wind currents and weather systems.
211
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,720
Fertilizers carried all the way
across the Atlantic...
212
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,600
to the skies of South America...
213
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,400
where their magic rains down...
214
00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,840
over the mighty Amazon rainforest.
215
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,080
Remarkably, half of the phosphorus
that finds its way here
216
00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:59,720
originates from African fires...
217
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,720
providing an intercontinental lifeline
218
00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:10,400
for the three million species
that call this place home.
219
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:21,080
We used to think
the incredible diversity of life here
220
00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,560
evolved through the pressures
of competition.
221
00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:42,600
But there is also a more subtle
and equally powerful force at play.
222
00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:48,000
Collaboration.
223
00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:58,000
Rising above it all
is an elegant Brazil nut tree.
224
00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,600
She has been growing here
for over a century.
225
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:13,480
At nearly 150 feet tall,
she is a pillar of high society.
226
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:25,600
She has risen to the top
by being the ultimate forest networker,
227
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:30,440
and she has faith that her contacts
will provide everything she needs.
228
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:41,360
Bright yellow flowers brimming with nectar
announce that she is ready to reproduce.
229
00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,760
But she's a little bit picky.
230
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,760
She only wants to admit VIPs.
231
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:59,600
Very important pollinators who might have
visited another Brazil nut tree.
232
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,800
So her flowers have a protective hood.
233
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:14,200
It will take someone with a bit more heft
to deadlift this doorway.
234
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:23,920
Astonishingly,
this tree is so well-connected
235
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,960
that she can outsource the hard work
of finding such an exclusive creature
236
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,080
to a personal assistant.
237
00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,120
A neighboring orchid...
238
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:43,080
looking to lure in
a pollinator of its own.
239
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:49,080
Its captivating aroma is irresistible
240
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,080
to a connoisseur of scents.
241
00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:00,320
This orchid bee is a master perfumier.
242
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,320
Working on his own signature cologne,
243
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:13,440
he simply must add
this divine fragrance to his mix.
244
00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:19,920
He gently gathers
the finest aromatic oils with his brushes...
245
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,880
and deftly blends them together
in his pouches.
246
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:36,360
The perfect concoction will make him
more desirable to any admirer.
247
00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,760
So it must be just right.
248
00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,120
Maybe a dab more.
249
00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:53,240
But it's not this perfumed perfectionist
who will help the Brazil nut tree.
250
00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,160
It's who he attracts.
251
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:07,280
With the forest air now heady
with seductive scents,
252
00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:13,160
bigger, stronger female bees
start buzzing about.
253
00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:21,040
And it is these heavyweights
who the Brazil nut tree
254
00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:23,120
has been waiting to entertain.
255
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,440
Female bees have the power
to prise open the hood...
256
00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:46,120
and deliver the pollen
the tree needs to reproduce.
257
00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:56,600
The tree's mastery
of the forest network has paid off.
258
00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:08,560
But by next year, her exclusive flowers
have turned into a fruit
259
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,320
that is even harder to get into.
260
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,040
Not even a 100-foot drop...
261
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,280
...can spring its seeds
from their rock-hard shell.
262
00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,000
Only a safecracker
could bust into this strongbox.
263
00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:42,200
But this noble tree even has contacts
in the forest underworld.
264
00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:46,880
Suspect number one,
265
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,360
the light-fingered agouti.
266
00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:59,840
This toothy rodent
is the only creature with the right tools
267
00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:01,480
to jimmy open the case.
268
00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:09,440
And when it comes to the nuts inside,
he's just gotta have them all.
269
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:19,480
If there's any leftovers, he stashes them
in little caches throughout the forest.
270
00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:26,440
So he can enjoy them later.
271
00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:38,640
But this forest filcher
has so many hidden away,
272
00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,480
he can't possibly remember
where they all are.
273
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:51,960
And it's his lost seeds
that the Brazil nut has been counting on.
274
00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:13,600
Placing her precious legacy in the hands
of such a motley crew might seem reckless.
275
00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,720
But that's the wonder of nature's network.
276
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,880
These fantastical collaborations
really do work.
277
00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:32,600
And they're so reliable
that every single Brazil nut
278
00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,320
is created in this extraordinary way.
279
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:44,880
They are a crop that can only come
from a healthy, intact rainforest.
280
00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,880
And there's one animal in particular
281
00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:57,400
who is crucial to keeping
this whole forest healthy.
282
00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:07,200
A creature who rules his kingdom
with an iron fist of fear.
283
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,760
Well, at least he will
when he gets out of bed.
284
00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:28,440
A typical teenager.
285
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:33,520
This young jaguar spends his days sleeping
286
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:38,640
and occasionally getting up
to raid the pantry.
287
00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,960
His snacks range
from the tops of the trees...
288
00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:59,000
right down to beneath the waterline.
289
00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:08,400
But his boundless appetite
means that everywhere he treads,
290
00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:13,000
he breathes not death but life.
291
00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:17,960
Without big cats like him,
292
00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:23,080
this place could look very different.
293
00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:31,360
Fewer hunters would mean a boom of grazers
294
00:36:32,240 --> 00:36:35,600
devouring saplings
before they reach maturity.
295
00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:43,880
As older trees die off,
fewer young ones replace them.
296
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:53,240
Sunlight streams in through gaps
in the canopy.
297
00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,680
The damp understory dries out,
298
00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,600
and those that rely on moist conditions...
299
00:37:03,720 --> 00:37:04,720
disappear.
300
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,600
Flowers wilt.
301
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,720
Hummingbirds starve.
302
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:18,640
Where no large predators roam...
303
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:25,640
leafcutter ant numbers
explode a hundredfold,
304
00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:32,800
ready to strip away the forest
one leaf at a time.
305
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,600
Just one missing link,
306
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:43,880
and the whole network
begins to fall apart.
307
00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,600
But where jaguars still hunt,
308
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:56,680
they are the glue that binds together
the complex web of the rainforest.
309
00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:00,880
And this voracious teenager,
310
00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:06,640
will even attempt something
few other hunters would dare...
311
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,600
taking on another top predator.
312
00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:19,640
A caiman...
313
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,200
waiting to ambush her own prey.
314
00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:29,680
A naive jaguar
would be well within her power.
315
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,080
It's all about who gets the jump on whom.
316
00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:23,200
He has landed a meal worthy
of even the heartiest teenage appetite.
317
00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:31,000
And one that will have
profound knock-on effects.
318
00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:40,200
Because his leftovers
are about to start their own journey
319
00:39:41,240 --> 00:39:44,440
that will reveal the mind-blowing secret
320
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:49,000
of how forests
all over the world really work.
321
00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:59,040
The rotting carcass releases
a lifetime's worth of nutrients
322
00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,280
that seep into the forest floor.
323
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:09,800
And underground,
something is waiting to receive them.
324
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:17,600
A microscopic thread absorbs the nutrients
325
00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,280
and transports them
beneath the trees above.
326
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:32,200
It is just one filament
in a vast living network.
327
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,880
The mycelial tissue from colonies of fungi
328
00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:45,080
that spread beneath
this entire rainforest.
329
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:54,880
Their tiny terminals connect to tree roots
trading captured nutrients
330
00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,480
in return for a share
of the tree's own food.
331
00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:05,160
But this is more than
just a business transaction.
332
00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:11,880
In some forests,
underground networks unite their trees
333
00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,920
into a single wood wide web.
334
00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:21,200
A smart system that allows
a mutual flow of food and water
335
00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:24,120
from the strongest to the weakest.
336
00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,080
Even between species.
337
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:34,520
A sapling starved of sunlight
can be nursed to full strength
338
00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:36,320
by her taller neighbors.
339
00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:43,920
The trees might even use their network
to communicate with each other.
340
00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,960
A hivemind warning others
of disease or attack,
341
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:53,000
so they can prepare for tough times ahead.
342
00:41:56,600 --> 00:42:01,000
The scale of the planet's fungal networks
is staggering.
343
00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:07,440
Laid end to end,
they would spread beyond our solar system,
344
00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:11,440
extending more than halfway
across our galaxy.
345
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:17,440
But here on Earth,
they work with their trees
346
00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:20,280
to lock away three-quarters
347
00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:25,080
of all our terrestrial carbon
safely beneath the soil.
348
00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:35,520
This fig tree is hundreds of years old.
349
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:39,280
A mother tree.
350
00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:44,680
Many saplings have grown up in her shadow.
351
00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:53,600
But now her life is coming to an end.
352
00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:10,600
The fungal network may allow her
one final act of selflessness.
353
00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:18,680
To gift the last of her precious nutrients
to her community.
354
00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:30,000
A grandmother's dying wish to provide
the best chance for her forest family.
355
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:40,600
Another tree will grow to take her place
and continue her enduring role.
356
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:48,280
Thanks to the wonders
of the wood wide web.
357
00:43:56,280 --> 00:44:00,920
Some scientists today
are increasingly seeing forests
358
00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:04,880
as a single interconnected entity...
359
00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:13,720
where plants, animals,
and fungi all work together...
360
00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:21,120
as a collaborating,
self-supporting community.
361
00:44:22,720 --> 00:44:27,000
The epitome of nature's amazing network.
362
00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:36,280
In the light of these recent discoveries,
363
00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:40,760
it's not too great a leap
to see the whole planet
364
00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:42,800
functioning in the same way.
365
00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:46,160
Every life connected.
366
00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:49,280
From a speedy reindeer
367
00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:51,800
to a triumphant hippo.
368
00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:56,240
Every action with its consequence.
369
00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:02,920
From an ocean heartbeat
to a fertile rainstorm.
370
00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:16,840
One way or another,
all of nature connects to all our lives.
371
00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:23,280
Even if it's not walking down our street.
372
00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:33,880
Life's connections stretch
to every corner of the Earth.
373
00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:41,200
But nature's network
must be constantly on the move,
374
00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:45,040
dancing to the rhythms
of our living planet
375
00:45:45,880 --> 00:45:50,760
and reacting
to the passage of time itself.
376
00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:59,000
In a world that is ever-changing,
377
00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:03,560
opportunity is always there
for the taking.
378
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:09,400
But timing is everything.