Summary of LAS SELVAS MEXICANAS. SERIE "VIVO MEXICO" ROBERTO RUIZ VIDAL

00:00:00 - 00:25:00

This video discusses the importance of tropical forests in relation to the water cycle, the air we breathe, and the health of the planet as a whole. Roberto Ruiz Vidal points out that these factors are all closely linked to the survival of all forms of life on Earth, and that we must do everything we can to protect these forests.

• 00:00:00 The video showcases the incredible biodiversity of Mexican forests, which are home to many types of insects that are unknown in other parts of the world. The temperature and weather conditions in these forests are constantly warm and stable, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a average yearly precipitation of 2,500 millimeters. The video also highlights the three levels of vegetation found in Mexican forests: the canopy level, the understory level, and the ground level. The video finishes with a brief explanation of the three levels of vegetation, followed by three images of Mexican forests.
• 00:05:00 In this video, we take a look at the vegetation in the Mexican Selvas. We see how the massive trees have arrived, along with other species that climb like bumblebees. We also appreciate the many epiphytes living directly on the trees' branches. The light is the most important factor in the structure of tropical forests, and it is the light that shapes the recarged architecture of the forests. During the three years we studied the monkeys, we learned their incredible intelligence. We were able to see the monkeys' paths very clearly, just as we can see our streets. Some monkeys take more adventurous routes, using treewires to swing from branch to branch. The monkeys live in communities of around 40 individuals, of which only six or seven are adult males. The rest of the community is made up of females with their young. Males are the leaders of the species, and they always stay together. Their social behavior is different from that of other primates, which typically establishes few ties between individuals and restricts themselves to associating temporarily in small groups. These groups adjust their size to the availability of fruit in the forest. In the months of May, August, and January, there is more
• 00:10:00 The second level of the jungle, known as the sotobosque, is home to a variety of fast-growing, short-lived plants that are not reaching heights of 10-12 meters, and one characteristic of these forests is the presence of species of palms. Most plants living in the sotobosque have developed large leaves to capture as much light as possible, while at the same time these plants would not tolerate direct exposure to the sun. In a healthy forest, we should also find young trees growing to replace old trees when they die, as 1% of all trees in the jungle die each year, causing the vegetation fall and creating clearings in the continuous jungle. These clearings are then used by young trees or seeds waiting for this opportunity to grow, turning into the replacement that prevents the jungles from becoming old and finally disappearing. Between the canopy and the sotobosque, a large amount of wildlife lives: like this family of coaches, the white-faced lorises feed on the canopy and take advantage of the sun while resting in the shade of the sotobosque's palm trees. One of the greatest opportunists of the jungle is the toucan, which inhabits family groups and inspects the forest for food including insects
• 00:15:00 According to the video, in the forests of Mexico, there are peculiar creatures that lack chlorophyll, and other pigments that allow them to make photosynthesis. So, the nutrients needed to live are already present in the organic matter in process of decomposition. The decomposers incorporate the nutrients needed by the plants from the soil, in the form of plant roots and converted them into plant biomass. This extraordinary cycle is broken if the trees are gone. This vegetation, called primary production, induces another important interaction in nature - the food chain. The energy that the plants took from the sun was converted into food for herbivores and most of the herbivores in the forest are invertebrates. Insects are the true kings of the forest. We also find herbivores of greater size, like rabbits or rats. Important in the dynamics of the forests are the guateques, one of the largest rodents in tropical forests. The importance of the guateques in the food chain is related to the balance between the seeds that are eaten and the seeds that are buried, with the goal of devouring later but never found. These seeds are literally seeded in the forest with high chances of germinating. With only 20 kilograms of weight, the small
• 00:20:00 The jaguar is one of the most impressively charismatic American cats, and it is also one of the most sensitive to human disturbance. This makes jaguars indicator species for the health of an ecosystem, and if they are not present, the ecosystem will have fractures and it will be a matter of time before it falls. The start of the jaguar's concert is marked by the arrival of machos, which develop into the powerhouse vocalists of the series. When one animal sleeps, another awakens, and the spaces and resources left by daytime animals are taken over by the nocturnal ones who continue giving the ecosystem its pulse. During the night, the forest delivers magical moments. This is an underwater machine. When you open it up in the night, it will flower with flowers that are pollinated by hundreds of insects of nighttime life. Some like this spider more than others, but they all feast on good environmental conditions and the nighttimeness promotes romantic encounters. The importance of forests goes far beyond their borders, transforming them into one of the ecosystems that produce the most benefits for the planet, and they are classified as environmental services. The torrential rains that fall in tropical zones are a powerful agent of erosion, but fortunately
• 00:25:00 In this video, Roberto Ruiz Vidal discusses the importance of water, air, and biodiversity in relation to the survival of all forms of life on Earth. He points out that these elements are closely linked to tropical forests, which are still very much a part of Mexican culture. In the next video in this series, Ruiz Vidal will continue to discuss the importance of forests in relation to the climate change crisis.