Much of life on earth is connected by a vast, hidden network that we are only just beginning to understand. Out of sight, between the world of plants and animals, another realm exists - the kingdom of fungi. Passionate biologist and writer Merlin Sheldrake travels the globe, exploring the secret world of fungi. Through dazzling images of fungi under the microscope and all around us in the forest, Merlin unravels the many secrets of these essential organisms. So much more than mushrooms, not only do fungi shape the weather and support life on land, they are also at the cutting edge of medical research and even have the power to break down plastic waste. This film takes us from the ancient Tasmanian Tarkine rainforest to the mystical wilds of China's Yunnan Province, in search of solutions to some of our planet's biggest challenges. Can the answers be found in the wonderful world of fungi?
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Our planet was once populated by megafauna, big top-of-the-food-chain predators that played their part in balancing our ecosystems. When those megafauna disappear, the result is a "trophic cascade," where every part of the ecosystem reacts to the loss. How can we stay in balance? George Monbiot suggests rewilding: putting wolves, lions and other predators back on top -- with surprising results.
The elements that constitute every living being were formed within the very first stars. Today, a green sea turtle searches the ocean for them.
S1E4 • Our Universe • 2022 • Nature
The next instalment describes the move from water to land. The fish that did so may have been forced to because of drought, or chose to in search of food. Either way, they eventually evolved into amphibians. Such creatures needed two things: limbs for mobility and lungs to breathe. The coelacanth is shown as a fish with bony fins that could have developed into legs, and the lungfish is able to absorb gaseous oxygen. However, evidence of an animal that possessed both is presented in the 450 million-year-old fossilised remains of a fish called a eusthenopteron. Three groups of amphibians are explored.
6/13 • Life on Earth • 1979 • Nature
The journey begins on the Galapagos' west side at the youngest and most volcanically active islands in the archipelago, Isabela and Fernandina, which are home to a richly diverse wildlife scene. Here, Liz and the team journey into the clouds above Wolf, the tallest volcano in the Galapagos, where they join a group of biologists hunting for the elusive pink iguana, which teeters on the edge of extinction. But how and why did it come to live on the top of a volcano? Back on the research vessel, Liz boards Alucia's Triton submersible to descend a kilometre into the ocean abyss in search of a new species hiding in the darkness. Liz also travels to one of the most remote locations in the Galapagos, Alcedo Volcano, in search of the largest population of giant tortoises. Plagued by drought in recent months, scientists are keen to find out how this prehistoric species has fared. Finally, Liz helps out with a groundbreaking science experiment to x-ray marine iguanas that have so far stunned the scientific community with a new mutation. As with all life on these remote islands, the key to survival is adaptation.
S1E1 • Galapagos with Liz Bonnin • 2017 • Nature
The inside of a termite mound proved especially challenging for Attenborough: it was so cramped that he could only face in one direction. He therefore had to slowly crawl backwards out of shot when performing re-takes.
special • Trials of Life • 1990 • Nature
In Indonesia, Simon visits a village of sea gypsies and meets tribespeople who want to adopt him.
S1E2 • Equator with Simon Reeve • Nature