The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth

314 Pages·1986·14.19 MB·English

by  David Attenborough

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

THE LIVING
PLANET

A PORTRAIT OF THE EARTH

LITTLE, BROREN AND COMEANY
BOSTON TORONTO
CONTENTS

Preface
Prologue

‘The Furaaces of the Far
‘The Frozen World

‘The Northern Forests
Jung:

Seas af Grass

The Raking Deserts

‘The Sky Above

Sweet Fresh Water

‘The Miaugins of the Land
Worlds Aparr

‘The Open Veen

Now Worlds
Auknnelodgements
Index
PREFACE

‘This bak v bona sais of prograrames maser HK Televslon,Ieand hey are
seus to an carer series and ok eile ff on Rape. ‘That proc atempted co
steer ta ny im chic anunals ant plants develnpel en ths plane: over he past
thre dhutsnd milion years and traced the rise of diceoegxoups of animal hich
‘almunaed in the expan of che manne and ularly the stpezrunee of mas.

Tis wew book surveys the siti a. i dy. W sane he mane imei
the stavivors nf ancien gtnuns as well as the represemacies of newly ead mes
have mgs: solexised and adapted tn the gies satiety a environments tha: ox
cath, Hore and thee, the to naracves way vel lightly but the eatin of anal
and plants is > immense tha U have hoes able in rat stances, ro aserate such
isd wach species athe than Fs: derided in “he earier book

have sine he une ste us blo asiig r ilercknicel scenic
~ens and nor encumbecing che exe with Tain nares. Haver. the index has been
camped serve asa essary in which cach organism ese not only a page reference
‘wi loots scat name, soa reader no wishes to bow preely what fy. genus
or species is being teferaed to can dicaver by Icoiog ip in che inde:

‘The book was written at these time 4s the plogestames sete being lined. The

fe i wn, thsefan, the ive deacendant uf Une ater, Ruther he tu are: coin
uth descended from the sme Lowy of research and yeas nf travel. They cherefure
rave the corre dtTeeivessdHibencest hat sou mcghtespect from sa relatione
Ship. Tape bene may enn the other

PROLOGUE

‘The Nal Gandabi River tle Mbmigh the deepest valley he wowld, Asyou sea in
Nepal desde is curing milky ter laoking upsecaen tod the wi ange of rhe
imateas, the rer sees tn sping Troma csr of hamensesnoa-capped, ie-get
pas The ales a han, haul sme slang mete all, he ih highest mento
the wnad."Uhe suman fie nmeciate neighbour, ineapusn, coal 35 kslometees
aay and only alow strc lave. You might wal suppate thar the sourae ofthe river
lay thomcaeside, sounhera Mgeksofthisipinensebatree uf wckand ice. Nerep. The
Kali Ganiak ths betwen dae eu meta it bel a god 6 veticl Kilhmtetres
balan rhe pes,

The nape of Nl hasty fr ena onan knoe that rhe saley Ba highway
that leads ight throu she Fala and up into T3bel. Ker day. shrmughout che
ston, rigs ules plod up he winding sony tral, ea borsehaie lunes bing
‘an thie withers, red pempors om Tong strings swinging from thie pack sadcles
ory g huge tds of barley und buckwheat, eu and loth up to bet be traded
fn eles of woo) ad cakes of sal

The lowest reas ofthe wiley ane so tam and huni tha the pepe can gro
tana. The forest has al: the Invariance of ruta jumee, Rhinooerm wrunch th
lush vegetation and ders prowl through the bamboo ehacets. But a3 you asuen
‘he valley proper, che plans change. Dy che dime you reachsz. altitude of tcoo murs,
slodaendeos lave bern to appesr, rather sera tees, cme so mets high, with
‘roi! gis leaves. in Apri, they are hung with cascades f scart blossom, To these
tospriicen Boers sume ing air, ther indeacene trees ethers ging wacal-
Uicaly in the su as they dip hei coved beaks nt the dhrat ofthe Batsoms, sipping
‘eciir aul oblgingy spreading pollen from tre to teve Langur monkey come to,
Tut her ae pillage, grabbing handfuls of avers aod cramming them into thir
snouts. On Une ground gra crchids and ii, trurpe-saped aren ad pris
{Whe the sua penetetes rhe canopy and warmsa boulder, usmay sea uc iar,
Ishing, And: the debs ofthe forest, foraging onthe ground oe roostingin the trees
youtmay each a plinpse of one of the mest glorious bieds an the wor}, tragopa a

Th Kat Goal, Nea
psa he sz of eatkey, wi a
decorated with chains af white specs.

‘The hscariace ofthis esis sea. and sustained by cbundant sun. “The monsoon
srinds, long op eam tna, brig chants ising up she valley. Aste ger hie,
they gereldarand can nn lange Bou ie fou oT ziette dodge 38 eres
atrainshatmake teloner seerchee ul the Kal Ganda one ul hesosatere pices
ona,

rine wares ad evnsna fathers marvelously

‘But tis foros, rhs in. Hy thei you have alge up fo ag00 meres,
the thedsdendrans, incheir ura have disnyperel xh lor few patches on shoe
slopes In ckeir place stand conifes ~ Mansa vad Hour pie. hele leaves are
‘ec broad tke rhe of rhs rhododendron whe catch spa nd sorvrymes break undce
the weigh it, ntaeetnny ough ales which he the errand can withstand vere
love remperataes. Among thse fou ave wey husky, you mighr se a tee red pnd,
foxy brown satha foe-od bleh ving lanl a zicled head, cvambling through the
beansos om he Las! for Winds ee ett acts gr mie I enove5 sued
corecthesnuns-eunerl geen te lippry et branes the sles of eer are
covered with Welly his which give ia en ip

Anrhorhal ay walkin al you emery frm Fe pine Foscr. As Fu leave iy
you lease hchind all the birds aud the wiamsnals hal depended wh the pine tect
dives or indieetls, fr shelter and foud There i ile nove he gooky beds
xorg few nunsuchs plas nd an aeesional boa of buchhorn er juniper ‘The vee
inel( as cu Now tis sallow steam vende over a waste of yravel By, the
‘alley ive <u immense, its ene i ave a ilometre wide, Nar's tho eixer uel
Jnnger al anyother imo che year, for chereis Bite cin up het io fee i, os hang
‘been abel a ove attudss, And chs che iret of che purzle ofthe Kali Ganda
low could such a huge valley have been cut by suck. relatively small ver?

‘Will auinals are very saree indeed up bere. Tt tbo eal for any aes. Nor is,
‘here engl fwd to sustain lanzor teankeys. indeed, sau may walk all dy without
sing ame Bing cele, except for 4 iaht of choushs or evens an high abe,
pateling the billides, griffon voltovs. Their presence, however, isa sure sign at
‘ther animals are ere sarnewher, nr without them che vultures would saree, So
tomevhere armang the che there nese be rodents marmots or pias ewutiously
nibbling he ass and he eushion plans thar grow, here and there, om the cubbly
slopes. But ene raving is 9 poor chat if cam omy stamina very small number of
inchvadual aml, and chose species rat do manage #9 survive hete ave all save
Aron chem ere chr, nether tue sheep wor tue goats bue cyualy rlaed wv both
groups. Rarer sil is the animal thae prors on Tem, the snow leopard. Ore of the
loveliest af the ets, ichusa thick creamy ena, reed with gre snd cushions ef ie
cone sles a is paws which provect thea for Ue rough seones an tram dead
During the winter it rereats eo che forests low, but during the summer i muy
veander as hygh as 5000 recz.

"Yoough ere is seldom ers ain up hee, there 0 alas

seca wind, bites

Prologue

cid and sapping to the seonigh, Yom have nox: slime ta near 3ooe metres and
you ve vame up tam the lawer teaches ofthe valley, wales every day, yon il
‘asteinly be tlig che ehinasas ofthe air, Ir i ei in your kang and chengh your
chest heaves, ou ail el he of heath. Your head may ache, you may ere. el
sick fe da est and vay will hoenneactinatise and rhe wot hese Fens
‘il Usappecr. ue sou will never e able to march che physical endurance nf rhe
rideteen wha have came ap ith yom ant whose oaes ae at hick alctudes.

‘Bean the males at chese height, labuur under ceir loads. "Lhe highland vilagers
“oep a teugher seapper beast of burden the yak. Once ic tamed wd in vast herds
aceos che Tibetan plates, Nowir i domzsticceed and cari load and pulls plough.
les wooly coat isso th.ck and warm the is bast shed much aft deving the summoer
ones eo prevene everearing and ir ean ie: peitanerly at higher aletades chan
any her large mammal except tran. Now, umespectely, che valley aa» oper cul
‘Lhe great peaks of Annapurna ant haulagin thar a few days back sou qlimpsed
hrmagh naps inthe canopy uf rhododsndnone ae hic: shining pe-amside seca mies
above ar uot helt si. Ahead the empurisor'show at filing towards a brown
sercaken the huinon tha athe ie, dh, halinoen pliner Tibet. You have waleed
leg throgh the focal range of unnut ans the cl

And su anshev extern charlerisewt he Kali Gyn cones apparent.
I sesmei heflowing the wrong. way. River, ier al, marly it in the arUAEng,
ont caws shu sopes, uteri water Frum hei hula seam a9 Tey go 384
shen sxmtinuc alg wo the plans. The Kall Ganda does the revere. I rvs om the
aloo dhe great ples Tet ad lcd szsgl for the austin. I worn
swig sits ay eee dhru de ut interlocking butueas ste mounts
von etfursilent it grus bigaer ord bgher. Crs wterit as“ ily way igh thecngh
Ta ds i sex elaively phe ana ait wi ne Gage Fae ce the
sou When joustand vow its wn, high onthe wl ats valley, tacng it ese
wih your Gye as wriches away ke a silver snake into the distrit mountains, you
‘syout stiew dha he iver evul ave eu is sexy Unough es sans yl
How, ube iit eve sume tu fll suc a vous

‘Cs the seater Leal your fet caletes! ameng the rule “The ruck hore is
runing, easiby-aplitsanehtone andin it Be dowsand jun chugwand of cued shll.
Mont ne urly afew inches across. Some area big as eat whecl, They areummunites
No aramonite is alive today, but a hundsed milion years ago, chey ortbe in va
‘umber Trom theiranatomy era the chemeal snstiuents ul rocks n which thei=
Fined namaine a found, ve can be quite tain that they Hcl Fae we. Yer her,
inthecmze of Asia, they arent ony Soe kilenctes from the seu ut scam verde
ldlometes above ic evel

lowe dis came bt was, antl only» few deeds ago, the sub opal earsoese
smoonz geologists and geographers. Now, a last the bru atin f te expantion
have heen ¢oduzed Resnnd dispute. Once, berweur thereat voinental mass of Tria
rm desman Asia che meth there lay awide tea, nits matrshvec the arose.

ie app0 Ka obi

3
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