Step out onto the Savanna, steppe, tundra and prairie as episode seven of the Planet Earth DVD series looks at the resilience of grasses in treeless ecosystems. The vast grasslands on earth contain the largest concentrations of animal life. In outer Mongolia, a herd of gazelle is shown fleeing a bush fire and are forced to graze in other areas. Fortunately, grass can repair itself rapidly and the burned area soon recovers from the fire damage.
Out on the Artic tundra, millions of migratory snow geese arrive to breed. Their young are heavily preyed on by the local Artic foxes. Meanwhile, time-lapse photography is used to depict the movement of a caribou herd as a young calf is killed by a wolf. South of the Artic, on the North American prairies, bison engage in the ritual of determining who is the dominant male.
Far away on a Tibetan plateau, the highest plains in the world are home to the yak and wild ass, even though there is little grass that grows. The most numerous resident on the Tibetan plateau is the pika who is hunted by the Tibetan fox. Far away in tropical regions of India, tall grasses act as a hiding place for small and large creatures alike. The tiny pygmy hog is seen in this environment.
The final sequence of Episode 7 of the Planet Earth DVD series depicts the African savannah with elephants that are forced to share a watering hole with a pride of thirty lions. Insufficient water necessitates the uneasy alliance between the lions and the elephants with the lions eventually gaining the upper hand as their hunger drives them to take down one of the giant elephants.
Out on the Artic tundra, millions of migratory snow geese arrive to breed. Their young are heavily preyed on by the local Artic foxes. Meanwhile, time-lapse photography is used to depict the movement of a caribou herd as a young calf is killed by a wolf. South of the Artic, on the North American prairies, bison engage in the ritual of determining who is the dominant male.
Far away on a Tibetan plateau, the highest plains in the world are home to the yak and wild ass, even though there is little grass that grows. The most numerous resident on the Tibetan plateau is the pika who is hunted by the Tibetan fox. Far away in tropical regions of India, tall grasses act as a hiding place for small and large creatures alike. The tiny pygmy hog is seen in this environment.
The final sequence of Episode 7 of the Planet Earth DVD series depicts the African savannah with elephants that are forced to share a watering hole with a pride of thirty lions. Insufficient water necessitates the uneasy alliance between the lions and the elephants with the lions eventually gaining the upper hand as their hunger drives them to take down one of the giant elephants.
Post adapted from Wikipedia. Content is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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