Fire. Unpredictable and destructive.
火灾。不可预测且破坏力十足。
This is South Africa's fynbos. Botanically one of the most diverse habitats on Earth with over 8,000 different plant species.
这里是南非的弗因博斯。是地球上最植物多样化的栖息地之一,生长着8000多种不同的植物。
Yet, every two decades, fire reduces the vegetation to ashes.
然而,每二十年,火灾将植被焚烧殆尽。
This may seem catastrophic. But just days later, plants burst into life and transform the landscape.
这一切看似是毁灭性的。但就在几天后,植物再次焕发生机,重塑这片土地。
Seeds and bulbs have been waiting for this event.
种子与鳞茎一直在蛰伏等待这个机会。
90 million years of evolution alongside fire has made some plants so closely adapted that they can't germinate without the presence of smoke.
9000万年的进化,使部分植物得以适应这片常有火灾的大地,以至于种子只有在浓烟下才会发芽。
Remarkably, around 50% of planet Earth's terrestrial habitats depend on fire to remain healthy.
值得注意的是,地球上约50%的陆地栖息地依靠火来维持群落健康。
In Northern Australia, these savannahs need seasonal fires to keep them open and prevent the spread of the nearby forest.
在澳大利亚北部,这些稀树草原需要季节性火灾才能防止森林的扩大,保持草原的开阔。
And they are a vital habitat for this colourful resident.
而对于这一多彩的居民来说,稀树草原是重要的栖息地。
The rare golden-shouldered parrot.
稀有的金肩鹦鹉。
He and his lifelong partner rely on grassland for both food and a nest site.
这只雄性鹦鹉,以及它终身的伴侣依赖于草原提供食物以及筑巢地。
As usual, they've laid their eggs in a hole in a termite mound. And now there are four chicks.
金肩鹦鹉照例将卵产在白蚁丘的洞中。如今育有四只雏鸟。
The thick mud walls don't only protect chicks from predators, but insulate them from the heat of the scorching sun.
厚厚的泥墙 不仅能保护雏鸟免受捕食者伤害,还能遮挡烈日。
With fledging just days away, the parents are working overtime. They collect thousands of seeds every day.
雏鸟羽翼渐丰,金肩鹦鹉父母加班加点。每天搜集成千上万枚种子。
But they have a problem. The fire season is becoming more irregular.
然而有一个问题。火灾季节变得越来越不规律。
If they are not ready to fly, chicks have no escape.
如果雏鸟还不会飞,它们将无路可逃。
But choosing to nest in a termite mound has a surprise benefit. Their home is fireproof.
但选择在白蚁丘中筑巢,有着意想不到的好处。房子可以防火。
Concrete-like walls keep chicks safe from the flames outside.
混泥土般的墙壁,能保护雏鸟不受火焰的伤害。
The seeds of fire grass are now easier for the parrots to find on the blackened earth, and they are the parrots' favourite food.
在烧焦的土地上,金肩鹦鹉更容易找到裂稃草的种子,这是它们最爱的食物。
So, for both adults and their fledgling chicks, fires are essential for survival.
因此,对于金肩鹦鹉一家来说,熊熊烈火对于生存至关重要。
But their grassland home is shrinking, and only about 1,000 of these lovely parrots still survive.
但如今,它们的草原家园正在缩小,只有约1000只可爱的金肩鹦鹉幸存。
It's through the active management of fire by humans that their world now exists at all.
通过人类对于火情的积极管理,金肩鹦鹉的世界才得以存续。