Communities beneath our feet
Mycelium Sun by Raya Wolfsun. http://www.rayawolfsun.com/2014/04/24/mycelium-sun/ One of the most fascinating topics to me is soil. Earth Dirt. But more-so what makes good soil. Or, more accurately, who. The soil micro- and macro-biomes are rich webs of life Unravelling energy from the dead. Decomposers Little-celebrated yet immensely-important, Decomposers are to thank for the fact That we aren't all chin deep in refuse and dead cells. They break down dead and dying organisms, To process and recycle the nutrients from our bodies. Returning the calcium in our bones, The iron in our blood, The nitrogen, carbon, potassium, magnesium, oxygen, Into bio-available treats for new life to sample. Without the cycling of nutrients, the Earth would be a big dead thing, All existing nutrients trapped in the dead bodies preserved, shrivelled up in the sun. Decomposers like bacteria, fungi, bugs and worms work hard, chewing through the detritus of sloughed off cells. Fungi produce hyphae, myc