When you picture the lowest levels of the food chain, you might imagine herbivores happily munching on lush, living green plants. But this idyllic image leaves out a huge (and slightly less appetizing) source of nourishment: dead stuff. John C. Moore details the “brown food chain,” explaining how such unlikely delicacies as pond scum and animal poop contribute enormous amounts of energy to our ecosystems.
Dead stuff: The secret ingredient in our food chain from TED Ed. Bonus: Animated leafy creatures by Celeste Lai and Lisa LaBracio — excellent autumn leaf art project inspiration.
Read more in our favorite science graphic novel series: The World of Food Chains with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
File under: food chains, poop, and death! Related watching: Whale Fall (After Life of a Whale) and Feedback loops: How nature gets its rhythms.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.