ON LOCATION SEASONAL WORLDS

Climate change is already affecting the planet’s plants and seasons. Rosie Thomas was able to witness some of those changes first-hand during the filming of her episode.

- Rosie Thomas

What’s the theme of this episode?

We look at the planet’s temperate zones and how we’re in a world of constant change. For plants, this means getting your timing right and using small windows of opportunity. We also look at the incredible lengths plants go to in order to succeed.

Any filming firsts?

Yes! One is Ceratocaryum seeds being dispersed by dung beetles. Ceratocaryum is a tall, grass-like plant found in the coastal fynbos (shrubland) of South Africa. Its seeds sit in cups and the plant flips them out when dung beetles are most active.

The seeds mimic the dung of the eland and bontebok antelopes, on which the beetles lay their eggs. Duped, the beetles roll the seeds away and bury them at just the right depth for germination. They’re completely conned by the plant, and it’s very comical seeing them so taken in.

We also filmed a ‘frost flower’ for the first time. Sudden cold snaps at the onset of winter can cause the air temperature to drop below freezing at night, but the soil is still warm enough for a plant to function. Its sap freezes above ground, forcing its stems to rupture. Water drawn out of these cracks then freezes into beautiful formations. We managed to film a frost flower on a Verbesina plant in Missouri. Conditions were only right on one morning, and the formation melted just after sunrise, so we were lucky.

What’s the standout sequence for you?