Forest Dynamics: Survival Strategies of Plants and Bats

The dodder plant cleverly locates food through scent, despite lacking eyes.

### The Struggle for Survival: Nature's Adaptations in the Forest Ecosystem
* 🌳 People often mistakenly perceive this area as a forest, but it is home to a **single tree with 368 trunks**, recognized as the **largest by Guinness World Records**, covering an area **1.5 times larger than a soccer field**.
* 🌞 This tree's **immense size** reflects its desire for light, as it can **capture the most sunlight on Earth at once**, while other plants, like seedlings, wait for the right conditions to sprout, facing a **life-or-death situation within three days**.
* 🌱 Parasitic plants, such as dodder, lack eyes and rely on **rotational movement** to locate their food sources, similar to leeches that **detect heat** to find prey.
* 🍅 The dodder is drawn to the scent of tomatoes, which guides it toward its food, while plants like bamboo exhibit **remarkable growth**, reaching **up to 1 meter per day** by developing growth points at each node.
* 🌿 In dense forests, competition for light is fierce, leading some plants to develop **holes in their leaves**, allowing lower leaves to receive **more light** despite the disadvantage of having **perforated foliage**.
* 🔥 Wildfires occur every four years in this seemingly tranquil landscape, yet around **200,000 bats flock to this area for shade** provided by unique palm trees and the **consistent water source of the Waterhouse River**.
* 💧 Bats, unable to drink directly from the river, wet their bodies to hydrate, prioritizing their **thirst over danger**, leading to **increased interactions with crocodiles** and a **dramatic struggle for survival** as they leap into the river.
* 💔 The desperation of the bats is evident as they **risk their lives in search of water**, highlighting the harsh realities of survival in this ecosystem where **competition and adaptation are crucial**.

When people first come here, they think of this place as a forest. However, that is a mistaken notion. There is only one type of tree here. It has 368 trunks and is 1.5 times larger than a soccer field, making it the largest tree in terms of area, as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The size of the tree reflects the magnitude of its desire for light; it is capable of receiving the most light at once on Earth. In early spring, plants do not need light, water, or nutrients. Therefore, they do not develop leaves or roots. Instead, they wait for other plants to sprout before growing their own shoots. The seedling, once it emerges, begins searching for something. The seedling has a limited time frame; if it does not find what it needs within at least three days, it will die. Just as its energy is waning, the movement of the plant that the seedling has grasped comes to a halt. The seedling then feeds on the fluids of other plants.

Parasitic plants, like the dodder, drain all their energy from other plants. However, they do not have eyes. For them, the world is dark. How do they find their food? The dodder moves in a rotational motion, similar to a leech, which also lacks eyes. The leech searches for open spaces to find its prey. Its food source is the blood of warm-blooded animals, which appear to the leech like a warm furnace. It can detect heat. The leech calculates the position and speed of its prey. Even without eyes, the leech senses heat to locate its food. So, how does the dodder find its food? On the right is a real tomato that the dodder likes, and on the left is a tomato scent. The real tomato emits a scent.

비커를 씌워서 나지 않게 합니다. 실세 3은 어느 쪽으로 다가갈까요? 실세 3은 동물처럼 냄새를 맡아 체액을 빨아먹습니다. 그리고 그 체액은 햇빛과 물을 통해 만들어졌습니다. 밤사이 식었던 돼지가 데워지기 시작합니다. 일광욕 도마뱀이 아침에 가장 먼저 하는 일입니다. 변온 동물은 햇빛을 받아야 움직일 수 있습니다. 체온이 올라야 세포가 활성화되기 때문이죠. 식물 역시 빛 없이 살 수 없습니다. 수많은 경쟁자들이 있는 숲에서 남들과 똑같은 속도로 자란다면 빛을 빼앗기게 됩니다. 대나무는 하루에 1m 자라기도 합니다. 이렇게 빠른 성장의 비결은 특별한 줄기에 있습니다. 대나무는 보통의 나무가 가진 단단한 기둥을 버렸습니다. 대신 마디마디마다 생장점을 두어 동시 다발적으로 자라게 합니다.

Additionally, thanks to its strong stem, which can withstand heights of 20 meters, this plant is the fastest to reach the light. The leaves hunt for light, constantly chasing it as if they are stationary. Therefore, having holes in the leaves can be fatal. However, some plants intentionally create holes. Light is abundant everywhere, but it is not fair to all. Although sunlight is most plentiful in certain areas, tall trees in dark forests monopolize the light. This is why the phenomenon of holey leaves comes into existence. 

What is the reason for the leaves making holes? The Rapidoflora is a climbing vine that ascends trees to receive light. However, as it thrives, the upper leaves can block sunlight from reaching the lower ones, leading to a problem. Rarely, they break through the dense forest canopy.

The incoming sunlight has solved this problem for the plants through holes in the upper leaves that allow light to reach the lower leaves. Of course, having holes in the leaves is a disadvantage, but the total amount of light that all the leaves can receive increases beyond that loss. In a dense forest where light does not penetrate well, the sacrifice of individuals allows the whole to survive. It appears to be a peaceful landscape; however, there are still remaining embers. Currently, in October, when the dry season is at its peak, wildfires occur in this area at least once every four years. Ravi was searching for unburned leaves among the Jedi. Even this peaceful scenery is created by the thick smoke. Yet, there are animals that only visit this place during this harsh period. Approximately 200,000 bats are resting in this forest. What brings them here? It’s the palm trees that provide shade for the bats. These palm trees are found only in this area.

Bats are congregating here because of the Waterhouse River. This river springs from underground and does not dry up even in the dry season. Bats have also come here in search of water. The temperature at noon reaches 42 degrees, making it difficult for bats to endure in the Luwa Plateau. Some bats have found a prime spot among the palm trees, but those who haven't must seek out shade, leading to conflicts. 

Tired from thirst and fighting for space, bats are near a source of water that never runs dry, and they can move around. However, bats cannot drink water directly, so they wet their bodies in the river and then go to a safe place to lick the water off their fur. The need to quench their thirst increases. At this time, their movements in the water are being observed.

As time passes, the increasing number of bats prioritizes quenching their thirst over the threat to their lives. At the peak, both bats and crocodiles experience an increase in both failures and successes. The sky of the C region is stained with blood every day. What drives the bats to risk their lives and leap into the river is a sign of desperation.

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EBSDocumentary (EBS 다큐)

The Unique Tree and Its Parasitic Neighbors

The area is dominated by a single tree with 368 trunks, making it the largest in the world and a master at capturing light.

In early spring, plants delay their growth, waiting for others to sprout, while seedlings have a limited time to find what they need.

Parasitic plants like the dodder and leeches, both lacking eyes, use movement and heat detection to locate their food sources.

Organisms, both animals and plants, rely on sunlight and water for survival and growth.

The bamboo's unique growth pattern and strong stem allow it to rapidly reach for light, while some plants create holes in their leaves to cope with competition for sunlight.

Climbing vines like the Rapidoflora also seek light by ascending trees, but their growth can inadvertently block sunlight from reaching lower leaves.

The Unique Survival Strategies of Forest Plants and Bats

Plants in dense forests use leaf holes to maximize light exposure, sacrificing individual growth for the survival of the whole.

Wildfires occur every four years in the area, but palm trees and the Waterhouse River provide crucial shade and water for the 200,000 bats that congregate there.

The bats struggle for space and shade, using the river to wet their bodies and then licking the water off their fur to quench their thirst.

Bats are prioritizing their thirst over their safety as their numbers increase.

Both bats and crocodiles experience a rise in failures and successes during this time.

The bats' risky leap into the river, driven by desperation, is a daily occurrence in the blood-stained sky of the C region.