自然的运作（2012）

狼不仅帮忙将种子送到了 完美的发芽地点
Not only has the wolf helped deliver the seeds to the perfect place for germination,
它的粪便还将为 小水果树的成长提供肥料
its faeces will provide fertiliser to help the young fruit tree grow.
那些经过狼消化的种子 比朱经消化的更容易发芽
Those seeds that have passed through the wolf are more likely to germinate than those that haven't.
这一效果如此立竿见影 在某些区域
It works so well that in some areas
每稞狼果树 都长在切叶蚁巢上面
every single lobeira fruit tree grows from a leaf cutter ant nest.
为狼提供了稳定的水果来源
Providing the wolf with a regular supply of fruit.
像这样的复杂关系网让动物们 能够在缺少氮的草原上生存下来
Complex webs of relationships like these allow animals to survive the nitrogen shortage of grasslands.
但干涉这些联♥系♥可能会产生 波及整个生态系统的变化
But interfering with these links can cause changes that ripple through the whole ecosystem.
澳大利亚最能说明这个问题
Nowhere shows this better than Australia.
这些草原是地球上 氮含量最低的地方
These grasslands have some of the lowest levels of nitrogen on the planet.
袋鼠在这种艰难的生存环境下 能很好地生存下来
Kangaroos are well adapted to survive in such a challenging place.
但一群袋鼠证明了 当它们周围环境变化时会发生什么
But one group of kangaroos shows what happens when their environment changes.
这只小东部灰袋鼠出生时 体重比一枚硬币还轻
This baby eastern grey kangaroo weighed less than a small coin when he was born.
从出生起它的体重会激增到60倍 长到它父亲的大小
From birth, he will increase in weight a staggering 60 thousand times, to reach the size of his dad.
这需要大量的蛋白质
This requires a lot of protein.
对它来说 幸运的是 它生活在一个非常特殊的地方
Luckily for him, he lives in a rather special place.
墨尔本附近的 安吉尔西高尔夫俱乐部
Anglesea Golf Club near Melbourne.
自从球场60年前建好后 袋鼠的数量就爆♥炸♥式地增长
Since the course was built 60 years ago, the kangaroo population has exploded.
据上次统计共有359只袋鼠
At the last count there were 359 kangaroos,
平均每个洞20只
nearly 20 for each hole.
它们数量如此众多 部分原因 是由于它们在此处受到了保护
There are so many, partly because they're protected here,
另一部分是因为 这里有一种额外的养分
and partly because of an added ingredient.
场地的员工会定期给草坪 施加氮肥
Ground staff regularly add nitrogen fertiliser to the green.
草根会迅速吸收氮 将其转化为蛋白质
Grass roots quickly take up the nitrogen and convert it to protein.
这让草坪品质更好 对打高尔夫来说再完美不过
This makes healthier grass, perfect for golf.
对袋鼠来说也是如此
And kangaroos.
这意味着能吃到营养过剩的草
It means eating supercharged grass.
所以它们繁育地更快 生命力更强
So they breed faster and more survive.
这就是氮在草原上的力量
That's the power of nitrogen in a grassland.
这些袋鼠立了好运
These kangaroos have hit the jackpot.
然而不是所有澳大利亚草原动物 都有如此好运
However, it hasn't worked out that way for all of Australia's grassland animals.
仅80公里外 座落着罗斯维尔山研究中心
Only 8O kilometres away lies Mount Rothwell Research Centre.
4平方公里高度安全的草原
Four square kilometres of high security grassland.
这条栅栏将所有不受中心欢迎的 掠食动物档在了外面
And this fence keeps out a whole load of predators that aren't wanted inside.
比如这只家猫
Like this domestic cat.
澳大利亚没有任何本地猫
Australia has no native cats of any kind
所以它捕捉的一切动物 都没有自我防御的能力
so none of the animals she hunts have a clue how to defend themselves.
外来的狐狸和狗 会造成同样的破坏
Introduced foxes and dogs all wreak the same havoc.
它们造成了许多损失 比如这只蓬尾岩袋鼠
There have been a lot of casualties, like this brush tailed rock wallaby.
曾是澳大利亚最常见的岩袋鼠
Once the most common wallaby in Australia,
它们的幼崽被大量吃掉 导致这一物种面临生存考验
severe predation of their young has left the species fighting for survival.
澳大利亚失去的哺乳动物比 世界任何地方都多
Australia has lost more mammals than anywhere else in the world.
但灭绝一种动物 会带来巨大的连锁效果
But wiping out an animal can have enormous knock-on effects.
重要的生态关联遭到破坏 在澳大利亚东南部
Important ecological relationships are in tatters, and in south eastern Australia,
当地的草原 比热带雨林更岌岌可危
native grasslands have become far more endangered than tropical rainforests...
因为这里的许多动物 对草原的状况起着重要作用
because many of these animals play an important role in keeping this grassland healthy.
这是澳大利亚草原 奇异的夜间世界
This is the weird nocturnal world of the Australian grassland,
它本来就该如此
as it should be.
一只澳棕短鼻袋狸
A southern brown Bandicoot.
它是20种不同袋狸中的一种
One of about 20 different species of bandicoot.
它用长而尖的敏锐鼻子 嗅昆虫猎物
It sniffs out insect prey with its long, pointed and sensitive snout.
这只鼻子对整个草原来说 十分重要
And this nose does something important for the whole grassland.
草面临着严峻桃战 种子被风吹散到各处
Grass faces some real challenges, seeds are dispersed by the wind
但在这之后 它们需要落地生根 然后汲取足够的营养生长
but after that they need to somehow get into the soil and then find enough nutrients to grow.
袋狸能够 帮助解决这两个问题
The bandicoot manages to help with both of these problems.
当它寻找食物时会挖出许多小洞 然后把鼻子塞进去
When he searches for food he digs lots of small holes, and shoves his snout inside.
它会整晚这样做然后会在草原上 留下各种尖嘴形的圆锥坑
He'll do this all night, and leave a whole series of snout-shaped conical pits in the grassland.
起风时 草种会落进坑里
When the wind blows, grass seeds get caught in the pits.
一些枯草和碎石 也会落入坑里
Bits of dead grass and other detritus also land there, adding nitrogen.
坑洞成了发芽的完美地点
The pits become the perfect place for germination.
这里的其他生物 也有同样重要的培育作用
Other creatures out here have equally important gardening roles.
一只短鼻鼷
A Bettong.
也叫鼠袋鼠
Otherwise known as a rat kangaroo.
它们吃草根、块茎和真菌 它们经由在地面搜寻来找到食物
They eat roots, tubers and fungi and they get these by scratching at the soil surface.
可能看上去不太像
That may not seem like much,
但这种重要的行为让空气和水 注入进坚硬的干土中
but this vital action allows air and water to get into the hard dry soil.
现在袋狸和短鼻鼷 回到了罗斯维尔山
Now that the bandicoots and bettongs are back at Mount Rothwell,
当地的草和植物长得更好了
the native grasses and plants grow better.
全要归功于这些 有袋动物的园艺服务
All thanks to the gardening services of these marsupials.
但太多园丁 会挖开大♥片♥草原
But too many of these gardeners could dig up large amounts of the grassland.
所以生态系统要掠食动物来维持 适当数量的短鼻鼷和袋狸
So the ecosystem needs a predator to keep the bettongs and bandicoots in just the right numbers.
这只东袋鼬或许不是很大 但它功能强大的牙齿和颌部
This eastern quoll may not be very big but its formidable teeth and jaws
能咬碎猎物的头盖骨 杀死猎物
kill prey with a crushing bite to the back of the skull.
虽然体型较小 但它能杀死袋狸
Despite its size, it can take bandicoots,
控制住袋狸的数量
and helps keep numbers under control.
最重要的是 袋鼬和它的猎物 一起进化 不像猫和狐狸
Most importantly, this quoll has evolved with its prey, unlike cats and foxes,
因此袋鼬实际对这里的生态系统 是有益的
so quolls actually help this ecosystem.
电子栅栏的设置让 草原能够恢复生气
The electric fence has allowed the grassland to bounce back.
稀有的植物、昆虫、鸟类 和爬行动物也在逐渐繁盛
Rare species of plants, insects, birds and reptiles are making a comeback,
当恰当的动物间 有着恰当的关系时
with the right relationships between the right animals.
像短鼻鼷、袋狸、犀牛和鬃狼 这样的生态系统工程师
Ecosystem engineers like bettongs, bandicoots, rhinos, and maned wolves
在生态系统中 会产生至关重要的作用
play especially important roles in the ecosystem.
但全世界草原上最关键的 动物之一 体型要小得多
But one of the most important animals in grasslands worldwide is much smaller.
在南美这里 其成功的证据 遍布整个塞拉多平原
Here in South America, evidence of its success can be seen across the Cerrado.
白蚁
Termites.
共有2500种白蚁存在 而一个群落 包含多达200万只白蚁
2,500 termite species exist and a single colony can contain 2 million individuals.
但它们的成功繁衍要归功于 一种我们根本看不见的关联
But they owe their success to a relationship we can't even see.
白蚁吃枯草
Termites eat dead grass.
枯草无法消化而且氮含量十分低 鲜有动物会去吃
Indigestible and containing very little nitrogen, few other animals can eat it.
但白蚁有个秘密武器
But the termites have a secret weapon.
它们的内脏含有细菌
Bacteria in their guts.
其中一些细菌会将 枯草分解为可以消化的东西
Some of these bacteria break down this woody grass into something digestible.
它们体内其他细菌能从空气中 吸收氮并将其转化为氮化合物
Other bacteria in their guts can absorb nitrogen from the air and turn it into nitrogen compounds
白蚁可以用氮化合物 来制♥造♥蛋白质
the termite can use to make protein.
细菌的作用意味着白蚁丘 会成为氮热点地区
The bacteria's work means that a termite mound becomes a nitrogen hotspot.
其他动物 也知道这里有营养大餐
And other animals know this makes a nutritious meal.
例如这只大食蚁兽
Like this giant anteater.
它的视力很差
He has poor eyesight.
所以它用自己夸张的大鼻子 来嗅食物
So he uses that fantastic nose to sniff out his dinner.
尽管名字叫食蚁兽 但在某些地区 食蚁兽只吃白蚁
Despite the name, in some areas, giant anteaters consume nothing but termites.
这座白蚁丘不是一般的硬 但食蚁兽装备精良
This termite mound is incredibly tough but the giant anteater is well armed.
爪子也有防御功能
The claws are used for defence too,
遭受袭击时 食蚁兽会用后腿 直立起来 亮出这对锋利的武器
when attacked the anteaters' rear up on their hind legs and lash out with these sharp weapons.
现在在蚁丘内
Now inside the mound,
它使用自己长达50多厘米的舌头 上面还充满黏着的唾液
he uses his tongue which is over 50 centimetres long and covered in sticky saliva.
它1分钟内能把舌头 弹进弹出150次左右
He flicks it in and out at around 150 times a minute.
一天能吃掉35000只昆虫
And will eat 35 thousand insects a day.
从体重来看 白蚁是草原上 蛋白质含量最丰富的动物之一
By weight, termites make one of the most protein-rich foods available in grasslands.
这些小昆虫的蛋白质含量 比豆子、坚果或鸡肉都多
These little insects contain more protein than beans, nuts, or chicken.
所以它们能维系 像食蚁兽这么庞大动物的生命
So they can sustain an animal as large as the giant anteater.
全世界的草原都有白蚁 它们在草原上产生重要的作用
Termites are found in grasslands across the world, where they play a vital role.
非洲
Africa.
在这里 肯亚大草原上 白蚁是一系列生物的基础
Here, on the savannahs of Kenya, termites are the basis of a whole community of life.
它们的影响直达食物链顶端
And their impact reaches right to the very top,
直至最高大的陆地动物
to the tallest land animals.
金合欢树利用了 富含氮的白蚁丘
Acacia trees take advantage of nitrogen-rich termite mounds.
这种树通常长在白蚁丘边上 它们的根部径直深入蚁丘
The trees often grow next to a termite mound and their roots tap directly into this resource.
这种差异带来的影响 是十分巨大的
The difference this makes is huge.
在白蚁丘附近的金合欢树 能多长出60％的新梢
Acacia trees near a termite mound grow 60 percent more new shoots
而且比远离白蚁丘的 更容易结果
and are twice as likely to bear fruit than those far away.
但这些额外的氮 使树极易吸引来食草动物
But all this extra nitrogen makes the tree very attractive to herbivores.
因此金合欢树长出这些尖刺 来作自我防御
So acacias produce these sharp thorns to defend themselves.
但这些羚羊的头很小 能钻进刺中间
But these antelope have a tiny head that fits between the thorns.
而大象好像也不太在意 这些荆棘
And the elephants don't seem too bothered by the spikes either.
一种金合欢树采用了 另一种防御措施
One kind of acacia employs another line of defence,
而这引发了一系列的关联
and this starts off a cascade of relationships.
口哨金合欢将 一些荆棘改为这种圆圆的瘿
The whistling acacia modifies some of its thorns to make these round galls,
里面居住着蚂蚁大军
which house an ant army.
蚁后在瘿上钻了个洞 把蛋下在了里面
The ant queen drills a hole in the gall and lays her eggs inside.
微风吹过这些洞的声音 是口哨金合欢得名的原因
The sound of the breeze blowing across these holes is what gives the whistling acacia its name.