permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

http://www.pbs.org/earth-a-new-wild/home/

Episode Three: Forests and the animals that inhabit them

About This Episode

*FORESTS premiered February 11, 2015.*

Sanjayan on boat with Waorani.Gaby Bastyra Sanjayan travels into the
Amazon’s “Intangible Zone” with a team of scientists who believe it could
be the most bio-diverse place on earth. Despite being virtually “off the
map” there are still people here: the Waorani, who are fierce defenders of
the forest against outsiders. They help the scientists reveal the forest’s
deepest scientific secrets. But seeing how people live here without
destroying the forest leads Sanjayan to a startling discovery by
archaeologists. The Amazon was once home to vast civilizations of people
that once made the forest more productive, not less so. And that can still
be the case today.

Cork forests make the Mediterranean among the most bio-diverse regions in
Europe. Imperial Eagles, cranes and lynx make this a natural paradise. And
it’s largely because of human impact. We strip the trees of their bark in
order to sustain a huge international demand for wine bottle corks, and
this makes the trees and the forest stronger.

Elephant Flying Squad on patrol.Passion Planet Living alongside the forests
is not always so easy. Sumatran elephants are crashing out of the forests,
threatening human settlements. The conflict has reached fever pitch, people
are on the defensive, and the elephants are now critically endangered. The
solution: use trained elephants as elite “flying squads” to drive their
wild cousins back into the forest. Not only will this save lives but also
means the elephants will continue to support the forest. Sanjayan reveals
how even an elephant’s footprint can foster life.

Wolf stands by the river in the Great Bear Rainforest.Ian McAllister In
Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, Sanjayan discovers the connection between
animals and the forest goes further than we ever thought. The annual
herring spawn gives rise to a wildlife banquet – for whales, wolves, bears
and humans. And scientists have discovered that impact of the herring makes
its way miles inland to the depths of the forest. Understanding the scale
of these connections has led to a historic agreement to protect this forest.

This link between scientific understanding and cold hard cash has given
rise to a new breed of natural capital accountants. And they don’t have to
come from the city. Deep in the Amazon the Surui tribesmen are switching
blowpipes for palmtop computers linked to satellites. Part of their
valuation involves measuring the carbon in their trees – and by placing
value on living trees, they protect the forest.

Everything Sanjayan has learned about the value of the forests is being put
to the test back in the “Intangible Zone." The scientific survey suggests
it is the most biodiverse place on earth. But developers have carried out
their own survey and found billions of dollars’ worth of oil. Which is
worth more? For Sanjayan the hope lies in what he’s seen as he’s traveled
the world — the fact that there’s new value to forest whilst they’re still
standing.