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. [Directed by TED-Ed, narrated by George Zaidan]. 

John C. Moore and Eric Berlow: Dead stuff: The secret ingredient in our food chain

Dead stuff: The secret ingredient in our food chain

Exploring the unseen, vast energy reservoirs in decay, our sustenance is but two steps removed from detritus and pond scum.

Our connection to nature is unbreakable, with even the most unpalatable elements like rot and waste energizing life itself.

From pond scum to our plates, dead organic matter nourishes ecosystems, linking every species within two degrees of detritus.