Wild China - S01E02

janny2008

The entrance is thinner than the width of a pencil. When the mothers return, they can push through the narrow entrance only because of their unusually flat skulls. But it's still a squeeze. Bamboos are exploited in a very different way by another forest dweller. Fresh bamboo shoots are an important forest crop. Ailaoxiang is of the Hani tribe from the mountain village of Mongsong. Roasted, the tender shoots he gathered will make a tasty dish. The Hani have many uses for the different bamboos they grow and find in the forest around. Though flexible enough to be woven, bamboo has a higher tensile of strength than steel. *** when young, in maturity it's tough and durable, ideal for making a table and strong enough for a pipe to last a lifetime. The people in Southwest China have found an extraordinary number of ways to exploit those most versatile plants. Part of the bamboo's phenomenal success is that it's so tough that few animals can tackle it. Yet bamboo does come under attack. A bamboo rat. Feeding almost exclusively on bamboo, they live their entire lives in tunnels beneath the forest. The thinner species of bamboo are easy to tackle and pull along. She has a fantastic sense of smell and can sniff out the fresh growth through the soil. Bamboo spreads along underground stems. By following this, new shoots are found. Once a shoot is detected, she snips it free and drags it to her burrow. This female has a family. At just a few weeks old, the youngsters can already tackle the hardest bamboo stems and are eager to try.
4 L( T7 Q5 p' t" vBamboo's tough reputation is such that another bamboo specialist was known by the Chinese as the "iron-eating" animal. The giant panda is famous for its exclusive diet. Giant pandas are thought to have originated in Southwest China millions of years ago, but they are no longer found in Yunnan. Recently, their specialized diet has had dire consequences. Bamboo has y bizaar life cycle, flowering infrequently, sometimes only once every hundred years or so. But when flowering does occur, it's on a massive scale and it's followed by the death of all of the plants. Sometimes an entire bamboo forest may die. In undisturbed habitat, pandas simply move to another area where a different bamboo species grows. But as human activity has fregmented their forest home, pandas find it increasingly hard to find large enough areas in which to survive. Wild pandas are now found only in the forests of Central China, for to the east. But in the hidden pockets of lowland jungle in Yunnan's tropical south live one of China's best kept wildlife secrets, the wild ancient elephant. Elephants once roamed across China as far north as Beijing. It's only in the hidden valleys of Yunnan that they have survived. Elephants are the architects of the forest. Bamboos and grasses are their favorite food, but saplings, tree leaves and twisted ** are all taken with little care. As they move through the forest, the elephants open up clearance, bringing light to the forest floor. This has a major effect on their home. The richest forests are now known to be those from time to time experiencing change.
The Jinou people are incredibly knowledgable about their forests and claim to have uses for most of the plants that they find there. They have names for them all, those good for eating and some which even have strong medicinal qualities. By working here, the Jinou play a similar role to the elephants, opening up the forest, bringing space, light and diversity. Green, fast-growing species are encouraged, insects are in high abundance here together with the animals that feed on them. Knowledge of the forest enables the Jinou to find not just plants but other tasty forest food too. Forest crabs are common here.

南宋无间道

40‘ - 50’
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$ m- S: y4 G$ Q0 eFlowing through Yunnan’s southern valleys, the once angry rivers are now swollen, their water slow and warm. These fertile lowland valleys are the home to the Dai. The people of water live along the streams which originate in the surrounding hills. Each family keeps a kitchen garden, model the multilayer structure of the surrounding forests which the Dai holds sacred. The gardens are made more productive by inter-planting different crops. Tall, sun-loving species give shelter to the plants which thrive in the shade. As companions the plants grow better.

) ]. |- c# t$ @% UYunnan’s forests are home to more than a dozen wild banana species and banana crops grow well in most Dai gardens. The huge banana flowers are rich in nectar for only two hours a day. But it’s enough to attract *** forest insects, including hornets. With their razor sharp mandibles they find it easy to rob the flowers of their nectar. But hornets are predators too. They hunt other insects and carry them back to their nest.
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An ideal target, but this grasshopper is no easy meal, there may be price to pay. The Dai men Po and Xueming take advantage of a hunter’s instinct. A hornet’s sting is agony. But now it’s distracted, intent on cutting away a piece of grasshopper small enough to carry back home. Success.
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The white feather hardly slows the hornet and most important it can be seen. Now the hunter is the hunted. So long Po and Xueming can keep up. Back in the nest the other hornets immediately begin to cut the feather free. But it’s too late, the nest’s location has been betrayed.

4 ?* X+ a( x" h! |The relationship between the forest animals and the people who live here is never one of harmony. The fact that the Dai and other ethnic groups consider these forests to be sacred as they ensure their survival and now many have been given extra protection as nature reserves. Ingenuity and hard work pays off at last. The fatten larvae are considered *** delicacy by the Dai.

, O: [+ a' [( \* P6 P% _Although these forests have experienced a great deal of change, they are still hosts to some ancient and incredible relationships. Almost 60 centimeters high this is the immense flower of the elephant yam. Locals call it the witch of the forest.

As the stars rise the witch begins to cast her spell. The forest’s temperature drops but the flower starts to heat up. A heat sensitive camera reveals the flower’s temperature rising by incredible 10 degree Celsius. At the time a noxious stench of rotting flesh fills the forest air. As the flower’s heating increases a cloud of odor rises up, the foul perfume carries far and wide. It doesn’t go unnoticed. Carrion beetles arrive on the scene. The beetles come in search of a fiesta of warm, decaying flesh, but they are being tricked.
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; l8 h- |9 U* z, ]# @Slippery sides ensure they tumble straight into the center of the monster flower. There’s no extra space for them to stretch their wings and the waxy walls ensure that there’s no escape. But there’s nothing sinister in the flower’s agenda. The beetles will be its unwitting helpers. Dawn arrives but the flower remains unchanged, holding its captives through the day.

' T( R, T8 W: D1 yAs the second night falls the witch stirs again. In a matter of few minutes the flower’s precious golden pollens squeezes from the stamens and begins to fall, showering onto the captive beetles below. Now at last the prisoners are free to go. The flower’s wall changes texture, becoming rough to provide the ideal escape ladder. Loaded with their pollen parcels they can now climb to freedom. Just as other forest witches are beginning to open, seduced by the irresistible perfume the beetles are sure to pay a visit, so ensuring pollination and another generation of incredibly big smelly flowers.

As dawn arrives forest birds claim their territories in the canopy. But there’s one call which stands out among the rest, *** of the forest symphony

janny2008

Forest crabs are common here, feeding on the abundant leaf litter. This will be a tasty dish to the evening meal.
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Flowing through Yunnan's southern valleys, the once angry rivers are now swollen, their water slow,warm. These fertile lowland valleys are the home of the Dai. The people of the water live along streams which originate in the sorrounding hills. Each family keeps a kitchen in garden, modelled on the multilayered structure of the surrounding forests which the Dai hold sacred. The gardens are made more productive by interplanting different crops. Tall, sun-loving species give shelter to plants that thrive in the shade. As companies, the plants grow better.Yunnan's forests are home to more than a dozen of wild banana species and banana crops grow well in most Dai gardens. The huge banana flowers are rich in nectar for only two hours a day, but it's enough to attract a range of forest insects, including hornets. With their razer-sharp ** , they find it easy to rob the flowers of their nectar. But hornets are predators too. They hunt other insects and carry them back to their nest. An ideal target,but this grasshopper is no easy meal. There may be a price to pay. The Dai people, Po and Shuiming, take advantage of a hunter's instincts. A hornet sting is agony, but for now it's distracted, intent on cutting away a piece of grasshopper small enough to carry back home. Success! A white feather, hardly slows the hornet and more importantly, it can be seen. Now the hunter is the hunted, so long as Po and Shuiming can keep on. Back in the nest, the other hornets immediately begin to cut the feather free, but it's too late. The nest's location has been betrayed. The relationship between the forest animals and people who live here was never one of harmony. Yet the fact that the Dai and other ethnic groups consider this forest to be sacred has ensured their survival. And now many have been given extra protection as nature reserves. Ingenuity and hard work pays off at last. The fattened larvae are considered a delicacy by the Dai.
7 h& t+ P; V+ K% I+ m
Although these forests have experienced a great deal of change, they are still host to some ancient and incredible relationships. Almost 60 centimeters high, this is the immense flower of the elephant yarn, locals call it the witch of the forest. As the stars rise, the witch begins to cast its spell. The forest temperature drops, but the flower starts to heat up. A heat-sensitive camera reveals the flower's temperature, rising by incredible 10 degree celsius.  At the same time, a nauseous stench of rotting flesh fills the forest's air. As a flower's heat increases, a cloud of odor rises up. The flower perfume carries far and wide. It doesn't go unnoticed. Carion beetles arrive on the scene. The beetles come in search for a feast of warm, decaying flesh, but they've been tricked. Slippery sides ensure that they tumble straight into the center of the monster flower. There isn't enough room to spread their wings and the waxy walls ensure there is no escape. But there is nothing sinister on the flower's agenda. The beetles will be its unwitting helpers. Dawn arrives, the flower remains unchanged, holding its captives through the day. As a second night folds, the witch stirs again. In a matter of minutes, the flower's precious golden pollen squeezes from the stamens and begins to fall, showering onto the captive beetles below. Now at last the prisoners are free to go. The flower's wall changes its texture, becoming rough, to provide the ideal escape ladder. Loaded with their pollen parcels, they can now climb to freedom, just as other forest witches are beginning to open. seduced by the irresistable perfume, the beetles are sure to pay a visit ,so ensuring pollination and another generation of incredibly big, smelly flowers.
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As dawn arrives, forest birds claim their territories in the canopy. But there is one call which stands out among the rest, virtuoso of a forest symphony.

南宋无间道

50‘ - end
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4 Q7 `: ~9 @! c( L" EOften even the juvenal stay in the community. Rarely glimpsed this baby may be just a day old. If it survives infancy then it has a promising future in these few valleys with its close net family. Gibbon song once inspired the ancient poet of China, their glorious call echoing far across the hills.

2 g% u7 E1 V& _6 vBut now new strangely quiet forests have come to Yunnan. These trees are here to produce an important and valuable crop. When the tree bark is *** it *** copious sticky sap so bitter and tacky that nothing can feed on it. It’s the tree’s natural defense against attack. It’s collected daily, bowl by bowl. It will be boiled and processed into one of the most important materials to a fast developing nation, rubber. The expansion of the rubber forests began in the 50’s when China under a worldwide rubber embargo, had to become self sufficient in this *** product. Beijing turn to the only place where the rubber could grow, the tropical south of Yunnan.
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1 i3 t+ U5 b* E. u9 ^) bWith efficiency and speed some of the world’s richest forest species was torn up and burned, replaced with mile upon mile rubber plantation. But there was a problem for the rubber growers. While Yunnan’s unique natural forests can survive on the valley slopes which stretch to the north, just one severe frost will kill off these delicate rubber trees. So Yunnan’s terrain puts a limit on how far the plantations can spread, halting at least the north with advance.
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- e0 D8 z4 f, s) bThe jungles in Yunnan are increasingly under pressure. New roads *** cross the tiny remnant forests. The infra structure is needed for trade, industry and increasingly tourism. It’s a meeting of two very different worlds. That elephants still exist in China is remarkable, considering the immense pressures in the world’s most highly populated country. The 250 or so wild elephants which still live here are now strictly protected. And each year younger bores in the small herds. If elephants survive anywhere in China it could be only here, in Yunnan. The same mountains which guide the monsoon rains north and which make Joseph Rock’s journey so treacherous also guard the Yunnan’s forests and this wild life.

For the moment the mountains are still *** and rich in green, decepted its simplicity. Below the canopy lies perhaps China’s richest natural treasure, delicate and unique, a complex world of intricate relationships between animals, plants and people beneath the clouds.  
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janny2008

It's a gibbon. Living in a remote mountain range in south central Yunnan, this is one of the few remaining wild gibbon populations in China, the black-crested gibbons of Wuliangshan. They're confined to these forest mountains, so remote and steep that few hunters ever come here. The Wuliangshan gibbons are unusual for their social structure. Most gibbons live in small family groups, consisting of a mating pair and their offspring. But these gibbons exist in troops. One male can have two or sometimes three female and all of them can have young. Often even the juvenile stay in the community. Rarely glimpsed, this baby may be only a day old. If it survives infancy, then it has a promising future in these few valleys with its close-knit family. Gibbons' song once inspired the ancient poets of China, their glorious calls echoing far across the hills. But now new, strangely quiet forests have come to Yunnan.
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  s) f  V$ N* M6 t* l- fThese treees are here to produce an important and valuable crop. When the tree bark is scored, it yields ** sticky sirup so bitter and tacky that nothing can feed on it. It's the tree's natural defence against attack. It's collected daily, bowl by bowl. It will be boiled and processed into one of the most important materials to a fast developing nation- rubber. The expansion of the rubber forests began in the 50s when China, under a world rubber embargo, had to become self-sufficient in this vital product. Beijing turned to the only place where rubber could grow, the tropical south of Yunnan. With efficiency and speed, some of the world's richest forests were torn up and burnt, replaced with mile upon mile of rubber plantation. But there's also problem for the rubber growers. While Yunnan's unique natural forests can survive on the valley slopes which stretch to the north, just one severe frost will kill off these delicate rubber trees. So Yunnan's terrain puts a limit on how far the plantations can spread, holding at least the northwards advance.
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The jungles of Yunnan are increasingly under pressure. New roads crisscross the tiny remnant forests, the infrastructure needed for trade, industry and increasingly tourism. It's a meeting of two very different worlds. That elephants still exist in China is remarkable, considering the immense pressures in the world's most highly populated country. The 250 or so wild elephants which still live here are now strictly protec ted. At each year, young are born to the small herds. If elephants are to survive anywhere in China, it could only have been here in Yunnan. The same mountains which guide the monsoon rains north, and which made Joseph Rock's journey so treacherous, also got Yunnan's forests and its wildlife. For the moment, the mountains are still *** in a rich green, decepted in its simplicity. Beneath the canopy lies perhaps China's richest natural treasure, delicate and unique, a complex world of intricate relationships between animals, plants and people beneath the clouds.
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6 b/ C' {6 A% a6 @2 R[ 本帖最后由 janny2008 于 2008-7-30 13:36 编辑 ]