Original subtitles

[narrator] The desert, a barren extension of sand and stone.

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.

[bluesy guitar music]

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.

[ominous music]

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?

[upbeat guitar music]

[birds chirping]

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.

[birds tweeting]

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.

[energetic music]

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.

[bluesy guitar music]

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.

[upbeat guitar music]

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.

[tense music]

The one that has colonized Las Bardenas is the wormlion.

[bird calling]

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.

[quirky music]

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.

[tense music]

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.

[quirky music]

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.

[emotional guitar music]

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.

[discordant music]

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.

[dark music]

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.

[dramatic music]

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.

[thunder rumbles]

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?

[soft pattering]

The nighttime storm predicted the arrival of water.

[uplifting music]

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.

[lively orchestral music]

[toads calling]

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.

[jaunty music]

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.

[slow orchestral music]

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.

[dynamic music]

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

[dynamic music]

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.