The Equator is not only the line that divides the Earth in two; it is also the climatic and evolutionary powerhouse of the world. Here the pace of evolution quickens, where the sun burns at its most intense.The Equator covers only five percent of the Earth’s surface but is home to 50 percent of its animal and plant species. This remarkable series, filmed in high definition, will take us to the most extreme and diverse locations on the planet. The series will examine animal and plant life in six of the world’s equatorial ‘hotzones’: The Rift Valley in Africa;the Amazon Basin; the peaks of the Andes; South-east Asia; Indo-Pacificand the Galapagos Islands.
In the high Andes of Ecuador the intense power of the equatorial sun beats down through thin air onto a grassland world fringed by glaciers and cloud forest. Every day is like summer, and every night is like winter. Within just 24-hours plants and animals must cope with both freezing and over-heating.