自然的运作（2012）

不同的植物给 不同的食叶动物制♥造♥了机会
A different plant offers an opportunity for a different plant eater.
另一种类的毒蝶 占了便宜
And another species of Heliconius butterfly has evolved to take advantage.
这两种蝴蝶翅膀纹路不同
The two butterflies have different wing patterns,
但最大的差别在于身体内部
but the most important differences go on internally.
这种蝴蝶可以忍♥受这种毒素
This butterfly can cope with this set of toxins.
植物防御 和毛虫进攻之间的战争永无止境
The battle between plant defences and caterpillar attack never stops.
一场军备竞赛打响了
An evolutionary arms race has begun.
这场战争的结果是 不同种类的植物和蝴蝶大量增生
This arms race results in a proliferation of
different species of both plant and butterfly.
共进化出了500种不同的藤 以及73种毒蝶
500 different types of vines, and 73 types of heliconius butterfly have evolved.
每种毛虫都专门 吃一种或两种特定的植物
Each caterpillar specialises in feeding on one or two very specific food plants.
狩猎者与猎物之间亦是如此
The same thing happens between predator and prey.
猎物必须不断进化 以躲避捕猎者
Prey animals must continuously evolve to evade their predators.
有些伪装起来
Some use camouflage to hide.
蓝色大闪蝶试图扇动色彩亮丽 的翅膀来吓跑攻击者
Blue morpho butterflies try to scare attackers by flashing brightly coloured wings.
其他动物进化出了毒素 用明亮的色彩来标识自己有毒
Other animals become poisonous, and advertise their toxicity with bright colours.
捕食者也必须紧随其后地进化 以成功捕捉到猎物
The predators must evolve to keep up, and successfully catch their prey.
毒液的进化意味着 它们能更轻易地追到猎物
Evolving venom means they can spend less energy chasing their dinner.
有些捕猎者 例如美洲虎 进化得又大又强壮
Some predators, like this jaguar, have evolved to be big and strong
以抓住猎物
so they can grab and hold their prey.
其他动物 像这只螳螂 也用伪装法
Others, like this praying mantis, also use camouflage.
这样它们的猎物就无法察觉它们 直到自己成为盘中飧
So their prey doesn't see them until it's too late.
这些加在一起让热带雨林 陷入了生物多样性的漩涡
This all builds to turn a tropical rainforest into a whirlpool of biodiversity.
热带雨林的树木种类 比地球上任何地方都多
Tropical Rainforests have more kinds of tree than any other area in the world.
和其他森林不同 同种类的树木不会簇拥在一处
And unlike other forests, the same species of tree don't clump together -
雨林的树木种类混在一起 纵横交错
the rainforest has a jumbled up mixture of tree types.
因为对新生植物来说 生物多样性使雨林成为危险境地
Because for young plants, biodiversity makes the rainforest a dangerous place.
每棵树都要和某种特定的害虫 进行持久战
Each tree fights a constant war with its own specific pests.
因此 小树苗长在大树身旁 会受到大树身上害虫的侵害
So a seedling growing up next to its parent will be under attack from its parents' Pests.
树种发芽前最好远离 母株
A seed is better off away from the parent tree before it sprouts.
置身于不同种类树木及害虫间 小树苗才有生还的机会
Surrounded by different trees with different pests, the young plant has a chance of survival.
这一特点促使树木混杂生长 构成了不同种类树木混搭出的顶篷
This encourages tree types to mix together, forming a canopy with a mosaic of different species.
母株需要帮手将种子 移♥动♥到森林其他地方
The parent tree needs help to move its seeds and seedlings around the forest.
幸运的是 某些最显眼的 雨林动物可以帮忙
Fortunately, some of the most iconic rainforest animals can assist.
亚洲的加里曼丹丛林
Asia, and the jungles of Borneo.
是某些最大型森林动物的家园
Home to some of the largest animals in the forest.
在京那巴当岸河 有一群侏儒象
In the Kinabatangan river - a herd of pygmy elephants.
象群中有一头 刚出生几周的小象
With a baby, born only a few weeks ago.
在附近的红毛猩猩保护区 一只小猩猩攀附在妈妈身上
Nearby, in the Sepilok sanctuary, a baby orang-utan clings to its mother.
这些幼崽葱十分重要
These youngsters will be incredibly important.
们壮大了 两个稀有物种的队伍
They swell the ranks of two rare species.
这两个物种都将对生态系统 产生至关重要的作用
And both will play a crucial role in the ecosystem.
小猩猩将成长为 世界上最重的树栖动物
The young Orang-utan will grow up to be the heaviest arboreal animal in the world.
而小象身高将达2米
And the elephant will reach almost 2 metres in height.
作为成年象 她将每天吃150公斤的食物
As an adult, she will eat up to 150 kilograms a day.
为了找到足够的食物 它们会不断移♥动♥
To find enough food they stay constantly on the move.
小象必须努力 跟上母象和象群的步伐
The baby will have to work hard to keep up with mum and the herd.
它们不断寻找水果吃
They keep on the look out for fruit.
而猩猩要不断往上爬
As do the orang-utans, up above.
虽然体型硕大 但它们能够到任何水果
Despite their size they can reach almost any fruit.
象鼻可以在1公里外就 闻到水果
Elephant trunks can smell some fruits from over a kilometre away.
它们会用蛮力 得到任何难以触及的东西
And they use brute force to get to anything out of reach.
菠萝蜜 世界上最大的树生水果 能长到几乎一米长
Jackfruit, the largest tree-born fruit in the world can grow to almost a metre long.
很多动物都吃它
Plenty of things can eat the fruit,
但只有大型动物 例如象 才会把果实整个吞掉
but only something big, like this elephant, will eat the seeds whole.
它硕大的胃将用两天 来消化菠萝蜜
His huge gut will take 2 days to digest that jackfruit.
那时它已经走出6公里了
By then he may have travelled 6 kilometres.
这只猩猩爬上了另一棵果树
This orang-utan is moving onto another fruiting tree.
这种猩猩 一天能跋涉3公里觅食
A male orang-utan like this may travel 3 kilometres a day in search of food.
在行进的过程中散播种子
Transporting seeds as he goes.
散播完种子后 粪便的其他成分成了树苗的肥料
When they finally pass the seeds, the rest of the dung becomes fertiliser for the seedling.
树苗安全地生根发芽远离 母株上面害虫的侵袭
It germinates safely, away from the threat of attack from the mother tree's pests.
在雨林 和其他方式相比 树木更依赖动物传播种子
In rainforests more trees rely on animals to spread their seeds than any other method.
但各种树木分散零落 传粉成为了一个不小的挑战
But with the tree species dispersed far and wide, pollination becomes a real challenge.
为了繁殖 植物必须授粉
To reproduce, plants must exchange pollen.
在温带雨林 风会在树木间传递花粉
In temperate forests the wind carries pollen between the trees.
这种方式行得通是因为 同一种类树木紧密地长在一起
This works because trees of the same species grow close together.
但在雨林 树木通常间隔很远
But in rainforests, trees often grow vast distances apart,
而且在树篷之下 很少有风吹动
and below the canopy very little wind blows.
树木间距这么远 不得不透过某些东西携带花粉
Trees this far apart have to persuade something to physically carry pollen between them.
花分泌出花蜜来吸引动物
Flowers produce nectar to attract animals,
但这种树开出的长长的花 大多数动物都构不到它的花蜜
but the long flowers of this tree keep the nectar out of reach for most.
这些花瓣是和 某种特定的动物相辅相成的
These petals evolved in harmony with a specific animal.
太阳鸟
Sunbirds.
用长长的喙 它能深入花朵 吸取蜂蜜而花粉则粘在羽毛上
With his long bill he can reach the nectar deep within the flower and pollen rubs off on his feathers.
它需要吃这种花的蜜 因为它进化得几乎不吃其他东西
He needs to get this nectar because he evolved to feed on little else.
而这种花 每次只产出一点点花蜜
The flowers only produce a tiny bit of nectar at a time.
所以它在这采完蜜还要去找 开着同类花的树木
So when he's had his fill here, he'll have to find another tree with the same type of flowers.
这样的特殊传粉者 是树木理想的通讯员
Specific pollinators like this make ideal couriers for the tree.
上千种植物 都需要专业的传粉者
Thousands of plant species need specialist pollinators,
所以许多动物 都进化了 来为它们传粉
so lots of types of animals have evolved to service them.
这些生物多样性织就了一张 动植物间的复杂关系网
All this biodiversity creates complex webs of relationships between plants and animals.
秘鲁的生态系统说明了 这些生物的生存有多依赖彼此
One ecosystem in Peru shows just how much these creatures depend on each other for survival.
巴西粟树
The brazil nut tree.
是整个森林中 最高大的树木之一
One of the tallest trees in the entire forest.
这种高大树木的存活要仰仗 一系列看似不可能的联♥系♥
This mighty tree owes its existence to a series of unlikely connections.
要从这些果实开始说起
The story starts with these seed pods.
每个果实的生长都需要一年
Each one takes a year to grow.
成熟后 它们掉在地上
Once ripe, they fall to the ground.
果实厚重 异常坚硬 在地上完好无损
Very heavy and unbelievably tough, the seed pod lies intact.
科学家进行实验 研究里面的坚果是如何散播开来的
Scientists have set up experiments to find out how the nuts inside get dispersed.
研究人员用钧鱼线将粉色小旗 绑在每个坚果上
The researcher attaches pink flags to each nut with fishing line.
他把果实放回去 这样看上去就和原来一样了
He puts the pods back together so they look the same,
然后小心翼翼地把它们 放回森林中
and then carefully places them back on the forest floor.
一只刺鼠出现了 它在森林中的作用举足轻重
An agouti appears, and she plays an important role in this forest.
她专门吃坚硬的种子和坚果
She specialises in eating tough seeds and nuts.
她的牙齿上裹有一层层的瓷釉 让牙齿更坚固
Layers of twisted enamel coat her teeth to make them stronger,
尖利的门牙像凿子一样
and her sharp front teeth act like chisels.
作为唯一一种牙齿硬到 可以咬开厚果壳的动物
As virtually the only animal with teeth strong enough to open the thick husk,
她的行动确保了 巴西栗树的存活
her actions ensure the survival of the brazil nut tree.
每个果实里有多达25个坚果 所以它不会一次性全吃掉
Up to 25 nuts pack into each pod, so she won't eat all of them in one go.
粉色小旗现在发挥作用了
The pink flags now come into play.
她把其他的存起来以后吃
She saves the other nuts for later,
但更好的方法是 她把它们带去其他地方储存
but better than that, she carries them away to store them.
费力打开果实后
After all the effort opening the pod,
她不希望其他刺鼠 窃取自己的劳动成果
she doesn't want another agouti to steal her prize.
她把坚果从果壳里拿出来 藏在视线范围外
She carries the nuts away from the seedpod and hides them out of sight.
她甚至掩盖了自己的足迹
She even covers her tracks.
她返回果壳处去拿更多 但要防止激烈的竞争
She goes back to the pod for more, but must see off fierce competition.
尽管尽了最大努力 其他刺鼠 还是会经常发现她埋起来的果实
Despite her best efforts, other agoutis often find her buried nuts.
它会把坚果拿走 埋在其他地方
He will take this nut away and bury it somewhere else.
结果 果实能够被带到 离母株更远的地方
As a result, the seeds get carried even further from the parent plant.
科学家发现粉色小旗 在森林中广泛散播
The scientists find pink flags spread widely across the forest.
当食物缺少的时候 刺鼠会回来吃埋起来的坚果
The agoutis will come back to eat the buried nuts when food becomes scarce.
但是 和松鼠一样 它们总是忘吃一些
But, like squirrels, they always forget a few.
碰巧这一结果对巴西栗的栽培 恰到好处
By coincidence - this results in a perfect bit of gardening for the brazil nut tree.
并确保了 未来的刺鼠也能吃到巴西栗
And ensures brazil nuts stay on the menu for future generations of agoutis.
但关系网并没有到此结束
But the web of connections doesn't end there.
巴西栗树还依赖这种兰花
The brazil nut tree also depends on this orchid -
因为它为一种非常重要的蜂 提供了食物
because it supports a very important bee.
和许多植物一样兰花开出 这些精致的花朵来吸引传粉者
Like many plants, the orchid produces these delicate flowers to attract a pollinator.
兰蜂 而且尤其是 雄性兰蜂
Orchid bees, and very specifically just male orchid bees.
大多数蜂以花蜜为食并收集花粉
Most bees feed on nectar and collect pollen.
但雄性兰蜂追寻香气而来
But this one hunts for perfume.
它用专门进化出来的前腿 收集一种油腻的分泌物
He collects an oily secretion with his specially adapted front legs,
它用前腿在花上摩擦一圈
by rubbing them over the flower.
随后 它将有香味的油脂 转移到后腿的特殊口袋里
He then transfers the scented oils to special pockets on his back legs.
这只小兰蜂将飞上许多英哩 寻找特定的兰花香味
And this tiny bee will fly for many miles in search of particular orchid perfumes.
它收集香气是因为雄蜂 用气味争相吸引雌蜂
He collects scent because male bees compete for females with smell.
只有雄性兰蜂需要收集香气 所以只有雄蜂才为兰花传粉
Only the male orchid bees need to collect the scent, so only the males pollinate orchid flowers.
雌蜂为 完全不同的植物传粉