The Moor - Amazing Discoveries in an eerie and dangerous Habitat

a colorful community of creatures  a habitat with many faces it's wet here and impenetrable land like  this is considered eerie even dangerous   yet there are amazing discoveries to be made here after the last ice age upland moors  formed in northern and central europe   in places where water surplus slows  the decomposition of plant material the melting snow reveals signs of life   large animal droppings from last year and  the cranberry's frost resistant fruits and a tiny caterpillar that has survived  the cold of winter on the upland moor   it is the lava of the endangered  moorland clouded yellow butterfly whether in the north or south an upland moor  perches on the landscape like a slightly arched   watch glass with trees around the edge and a  black pool the bog pond somewhere in the middle upland moors are easily recognizable low-growing  birches and pines berry bushes and sedges   and a thick cushion of swagnum ground cover   forming massive layers of vegetation  that soak up water like a sponge carnivorous plants interspersed among these mats  of moss unfurled from winter buds in the spring   me the leaves of the common sundew contain over  a hundred sticky tentacles an ingenious trap thousands of people once a sundew has caught an insect it  envelops it and begins digesting it slowly   it normally preys on small insects  and seldom captures such large prey the european golden plover is one of the most  beautiful and rare wetland birds in central europe   only a dozen pairs still breed  in northern germany today golden plovers are a common sight on  scandinavian moorland even for the black grouse golden plovers are highly specialized breeding  only in areas with no bushes and short grass   mating itself is a straightforward affair black grouse live here in the  north country all year round   these cranes on the other hand have just  returned from wintering in southern europe the cranes are sure-footed  enough on the wet wobbly pete   to perform their courtship displays and to mate although most cranes mate for life pairs  still reaffirm their partnership and get each   other in the mood with courtship behavior  after arriving in their breeding grounds   the hen signals she's ready to mate through  cooing and by assuming an unequivocal posture something has disturbed the couple  the two of them are not alone another crane is encroaching on their  turf and is immediately driven off the snow and ice have vanished the days grow  longer and the vegetation springs to life   the foliage of the bog bilberry will  soon be ripe and the moorland clouded   yellow caterpillar waits patiently as like all  caterpillars it has an astonishing appetite what is that in the bog bilberry snake jackets  the remnants of the year's first moatings the common adder sheds its skin  at the start of the mating season   the male snakes which can be either two-tone  or black then convene on set sparring grounds a ritual battle male adders engage  in a bloodless test of strength they engage in battle for up to  half an hour in the downey sedge   the blackout finally gains victory and the  lighter a colored male is forced to head off many of the plants are busy reproducing as well small silver heads emerge from brown blades  these are female hairstale cotton grass butts days later these same flowers  will go through a metamorph forces   they become male and send their pollen on a voyage when the cotton grass is in bloom an incessant  clogging sound reverberates throughout some mowers   it's the call of the moore frog in spawning  season male flocks turn blue in color   this helps them differentiate between males and  females when looking for a mate in the malay more frogs live in low moors just like water rails   this secretive bird loves bodies of  water with expansive marshy banks when a shallow lake slowly becomes overgrown   and silts up it becomes a fen or  lomur as is the case with all moorland   more dead plant material accumulates in such  areas than microorganisms can break down   fenwoods begin to grow on the banks of such dying  lakes perfect breeding sites for cranes they can   use their long legs to stroll to their nests  which are inaccessible to egg thieves like foxes um the crane is not the only  animal that breeds in the lomur   the harvest mouse will raise  its young here later in the year the marsh of the upland moor offers safety too   the home war rises higher as the vegetation grows  it is no longer in contact with the groundwater common teal bear and raise their young here  because the bog promises refuge from nest robbers floating grasslands water holes marshland  this is the realm of the carnivorous sundew   after unfurling its sticky  leaves it begins to blossom yet as if the insects have decided not to  pollinate them to exact revenge the blossoms   do not open at all this plant can pollinate  itself from within its own flower buds somewhere in the moor frequently in areas where  the terrain is uneven and groups of shrubs grow   is the adder's mating spot the fighting is  far from over here in this neck of the moor a black male keeps a female under  careful watch he wants to mate with her not far away a light-colored  male has picked up the scent the black male has nearly  made it to the finishing line   the brownish female is now  besieged by two admirers   but she will not mate until one of  the males has driven the other away this skirmish could go on for hours the two-tone male suddenly goes on the  attack and forces the blackhadder to flee if they're able to mate successfully the  female adder will give birth to about a   dozen baby adders in the summer in the bilberry  bush the moorland clouded yellow caterpillar   prepares to pupate it has already fastened  itself to a branch with a silken thread now at dusk a peculiar sound can  be heard in some areas of the large   untouched moorlands of northern and eastern europe it's the courtship song of the great snipe this  bird doesn't hit top form until after nightfall   in the run-up this well-camouflaged bird makes  its way through the moor to the courting arena somewhere in the moor there are predefined  meeting points sometimes as many as 30 males   vie to outdo the others and impress the females  with their singing prowess and show of feathers the courtship display goes on until dawn   these peculiar birds then fly off as  if they've received some secret sign at one time the song of the great snipe  could be heard in the moors of central europe   even in germany however about a century ago those  populations died out sweden norway and lithuania   have lost half of the moorland they once had  denmark and the countries to itself and west   have managed to destroy 99 of their moorland excavators and cutters are used to scrape  away the top layer of peat from the surface   every hectare of moorland that dries  up releases up to 30 tons of carbon   dioxide into the atmosphere annually because  once the plant remains are exposed to air   they begin to decay the european union is  second to only indonesia when it comes to   releasing harmful greenhouse gases into the  environment through the destruction of moorland approximately two-thirds of europe's  moors have been destroyed by desiccation   and there is no end in sight delicate treasures from the plant world grow  in the moors that remain such as this dwarf   birch in amore in southern germany this tree which  grows no higher than cotton grass is a rarity here in the rough climate of scandinavia however  dwarf birches thrive in nearly every more as   long as their habitat remains intact grazing  ungulates like the elk cannot harm this tiny   tree's population all plants whether  birch or cotton grass arm themselves   against animals that are out to feast on  them by producing large quantities of seeds the wet gullies between the islands of  cotton grass are home to more ants they   like the dwarf perch are relics of the ice age  more aunts are more experts in many regards   they use bridges and live inside  the damp cushion of pete moss   the most amazing thing about these  ants is how they get their food   more ants hardly ever hunt for themselves  they let the sun do hunt for them snatching   away nearly three-quarters of  all the insects a plant catches the stolen goods are then taken into  the nest and used to feed ant larvae flourishing golden plumber and more ant  populations assure signs of healthy moorlands on the edge of an intact layer of pizza fish  covering one often finds a forested ridge   this is often surrounded with an ecologically  valuable belt of wet meadowlands and fen woods   the borders between these boggy habitats are fluid   as the diversity of the landscape grows so does  the number of animals who call it home the road   grazes on the fresh foliage of the berry bushes  eating as many tender shoots and buds as possible signs of life from the bilberry bush the  chrysalis of the moorland clouded yellow butterfly   still hangs by a silky thread  from one of its branches   we can already see the colour of its wings and  the shape of its anthony through the puparium   the hatching process which always happens  in the early morning takes only two minutes nothing less than a small miracle   it takes a while for the wings and tightness  outer shell of the butterfly to harden   and take on their permanent form time for its virgin flight but  the clouded yellow butterfly   isn't flying off for the sake of amusement the band of lo moore surrounding the upland  moor is of special importance to the clouded   yellow butterfly the wet meadows are where  the clouded yellow butterfly will find   life-sustaining nectar this high sugar food is  essential in ensuring it will be able to reproduce the meadows in the lomo are home to strange  plants like this white flower a butterfly orchid they come into their own at nightfall when all is dark a pleasant center vanilla  rises over the wet meadow it's being emanated   by the butterfly orchid which only tempts  pollinators with nectar at night time butterfly orchids are pollinated by moths   which are now being enticed with  a lovely smell and a sweet reward   the harvest mouse is busy at night too   the grass cover provides more protection from  predators at night than it does in the daytime   well-structured low moors with waterways  running through them and lined with healthy   woodlands on one side and upland wars  on the other are true natural treasures   one particularly beautiful  example of this in central europe   can be found in the bohemian forest in the heart  of the schumacher national park in the czech   republic it's home to an array of fascinating  more flora and fauna such as round-leaved sundew   thieving more ants are not the only thing that  make life difficult for this carnivorous plant   sun dew plume moth caterpillars feed  on its sticky leaves and that's not all sandu plume moth caterpillars eat the leaves  and the insects the plant has captured   it's a nutrient-rich feast salad  with a meat garnish if you will the caterpillars can use the energy stores   for they too are about to pupate and  they usually do so on a sun-dual pedestal the water laden peat is releasing lots  of moisture into the air right now   the moor is hot and humid  and that attracts the roebuck   moors are usually bereft of humans and as  such offer a peaceful spot for the deer heavy water-logged clouds signal the  coming of the lifeblood of an upland moor upland moors are said to be ombrotrophic  that is rain fed this is because their   water is supplied exclusively by the heavens  and not from groundwater or any other source this rainwater will never  reach the bottom of the moor   thanks to the highly absorbent peat moss it will  remain stored in the sponge-like body of the moor black ponds form in depressions  on the surface of the peat   only certain plants and animals can  flourish in this highly acidic water cyprianists like the prussian and crucian carp   are able to live in this peaty water  as do mosquito larvae their staple food they also enjoyed dining on the larvae  of the white-faced data dragonfly the mosquito larvae for their part filter   minuscule more algae and other  microscopic creatures out of the water   other predators lurk above  the water surface as well the night heron's preferred meal is fish so the constant cycle of eat and be eaten the more  vegetation however doesn't appear subject to this   the omnipresence of water keeps dead vegetation  from becoming humus meaning that layer upon layer   of plant matter builds up and the more becomes  ever more formidable growing roughly a meter   every thousand years bilbray bushes grow on the  edge of the bog pond their leaves are dotted with   little red specks these are the eggs of the  moorland clouded yellow a rare sight nowadays   as the destruction of moorland has  greatly endangered this butterfly survival a few days later tiny caterpillars hatch the female moreland clouded  yellow has nearly white wings   the male on the other hand does the name justice in no time at all the bilbrey leaves look odd   the culprit the very hungry  moorland clouded yellow caterpillar the caterpillars that hatch in spring  feed on tender buds while leaves are   all that are left for those born  a generation later in the summer   however as the leaves are too thick and  leathery the little caterpillar eats only   the tissue between the veins of the  leaf and leaves only the framework from a distance one notices the bushes and trees  but the lion's share of the plant biomass in   an upland moor is moss a plant like swagnom moss  that is so successful in such a habitat must have   a secret when it comes to reproduction if the  rainfall and air temperature are right swagnum   or peat moss forms spores in dark coloured  capsules at the tips of its branches amazingly   the pressure inside the tiny capsule is the same  as in the tyre of a lorry that's all of five bar the wind carries this precious cargo  across the moor to where it can germinate the countless little bodies of water in amore  are home to unusual creatures many of which   can only be found in the nutrient-poor  acidic water of these pint-sized ponds they have spent two years  living under water as larvae   now these white-faced data are emerging from the  swagnom to live life as flying insects for a few   short weeks their purpose is to find  food and a mate so they can reproduce yet another carnivorous plant lives in  the moors periodically dry waterways   or gullies the english sundew it's one of the few plants that can take root  in the groundless peat maya which contains   almost no nutrients this means it must get the  nitrogen vital for survival from another source   english sanju also feeds on captured insects   it is however capable of attracting and coping  with larger prey than its round-leaved cousin please   one is hard pressed to find another  habitat in the more as extreme as this   the lack of nutrients is just one of many problems the water comes and goes for the most part the  dark water channel is exposed to direct sunlight   and heats up very quickly sun jew and ada can find  new old homes in renatured moorland nonetheless   what has been lost can only be  restored over the course of decades the heather growing on the peat along  the banks of this artificial channel   and more pond is nice to look at but it is a  sign that something is not quite right here heather loves dry ground wherever lots of it grows   the absorbent function of the upland  moor has been destroyed by desiccation when a drained moor land is re-flooded animals  that have become rare are likely to settle   the large marsh grasshopper is benefiting  from such nature conservancy measures   it's one of our most colorful and  biggest indigenous grasshoppers large marsh grasshoppers are  easily recognizable by their song   which is produced by a rhythmic  snapping of their hind legs the carnivorous sun dew poses no threat to  this powerful grasshopper on the contrary it   is more likely to devour the sundew although  the marsh grasshopper mainly feeds on grasses these insects are impressive jumpers and flyers and tenacious rivals when it comes  to finding a female to mate with the large marsh grasshopper pier marches  across the wet ground this will be their   breeding ground the eggs can only develop if the  ground moisture is high enough in recent years   many marsh grasshopper populations in europe have  gone extinct more and more of their habitat which   was for centuries considered too low quality  for cultivation has been turned into farmland   today crops are being grown for biomass to  generate power where wet meadows once flourished   breeding grounds for adders have also  become rare especially in central europe   this female adder has incubated about a dozen eggs  inside its body now in mid-summer her young break   out of their transparent paper-thin  shells immediately after being laid   the little adders moat shortly after hatching   their mother stops caring for them immediately moors often look dreary from a distance   one doesn't easily recognize  the biodiversity within them on the blossoms of the round-leaved sundew the  sunju plume moths are hatching from their pupae it took two weeks for the tiny hairy monster-like  creatures that attacked and devoured the sun used   sticky traps and prey to transform into  delicate lepidoptera with feathery wings they set out to look for mates and a sundew  to lay eggs on and if chance should have it   they might just end up in a new moor  that no sanju plume moths call home another new generation is being born on the  edge of the upland bore in the bog forest too   after a month-long incubation period a chick  has emerged from one of the two crane eggs barely a day old the newborn crane can  already stand and walk yet its mother still   tries to roll the little one into the middle  of the nest like an egg possibly out of habit although the sustenance from the yoke will  keep the fledgling crane going for two days   its parents waste no time bringing  it fresh food from the lomur   the chick is quick to learn that dragonfry  larvae can be eaten it just can't fathom how there we go upland moor marsh fenwood   the ground sways everywhere and is full  of peat in various stages of development the water rail finds its favorite insects to eat   and a sheltered spot between the rush reeds  and horsetail for its offspring as well so those who prefer it dry yet still wish to enjoy   the protection of the marsh  against four-legged predators   simply needs to brood above water level among the  blades of reeds like this eurasian reed warbler the harvest mouse our smallest native rodent   finds its food on the top floor  among the meadow sweet seeds this little mouse is also building  its own little floodproof nest here its offspring lay in the center of it not even  48 hours old and barely larger than a coffee bean the mother has left the nest for a  moment to eat fruit from the great burnet although we're all more or less familiar with  morse's habitat there are perhaps many more   animals and plants to discover here than we  are generally unfamiliar with than elsewhere   the upland more wax cap for example one  of the most brilliantly colorful mushrooms   found at our latitude no one knows why  this mushroom is so brightly colored   the first cold nights turn the birch  foliage color autumn is starting the cranes get ready to migrate south large open  moorlands will serve as places to rest and convene then comes winter a time when no life well  nearly no life stirs for months in the morning   until the black grass once again chime in the  new year with their graceful licking display a show that can be observed  in many places in scandinavia   black grouse have long vanished  from most moors in central europe you

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Keywords: Free High-Quality Documentaries, HD, Full HD, Quality, habitat, creatures, water, ice age, decomposition, plants, insects, caterpillar, upland, birches, pines, berry bush, sedges, vegetation, Carnivorous, leaves, trap, meadowlands, ants, birds, Europe, swamp

Id: 6isd5xy4Z2M

Length: 50min 2sec (3002 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 01 2022