Earth's Natural Wonders: Living on the Edge: Surviving the Extreme

SYNOPSIS

For wildlife and humans, often largely dependent on it, surviving in extreme conditions requires extreme measures, evolutionary adaptation and crafty tricks. Thus in Arctic Canada, native women harvest clams a few days a year, when the shifting icebergs-to-break-off can be drilled into at low tide to harvest from temporary caves on the then dry sea floor. In Japan, the northernmost non-human forest primates eat the soft tissue just beneath tree bark and make best use of thermal springs. All of them are threatened by the environmental challenges to each biotope, such as the Amazonian forest fires, partially arson to clear land which rapidly deteriorates, partially by greenhouse heating, so Brazilian firefighters with modern means must also train tribal people to help defend their unique homeland.