Dead stuff: The secret ingredient in our food chain - John C. Moore

死東西：我們食物鏈裡的秘密食材 - 約翰‧摩爾（John C. Moore）

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Eva Tsai

If someone called you scum,

如果有人叫你廢物

you'd probably be offended,

你可能會很生氣

but scientifically,

但從科學上說

they might not be far off.

他們大概也差不到哪去

Have you ever thought about

你可曾想過

where your food comes from?

你的食物從哪來？

You might say it comes from

你可能會說是從

plants, animals, or even fungi,

植物、動物、甚至是真菌類而來

but you'd probably rather not

但你大概寧可不去想

think about the rotting organisms and poop

是腐爛的生物及糞便

that feed those plants, animals, and fungi.

養活了植物、動物及真菌

So really, you and most of the matter in your body

所以真的，你及你身上大部分的物質

are just two or three degrees of separation

跟那些池塘泥渣類的東西相比

from things like pond scum.

也不過就是二三級的差別罷了 （雙關語：pond scum 人渣）

All species in an ecosystem,

在一個生態系統內的所有物種

from the creatures in a coral reef

從珊瑚礁內的生物

to the fish in a lake

到湖裡的魚

to the lions on the savannah,

或疏林草原上的獅子

are directly or indirectly

都直接或間接

nourished by dead stuff.

從死了的東西上獲取營養

Most of the organic matter in our bodies,

我們體內大部分的有機質

if we trace it back far enough,

如果我們回溯地夠遠

comes from CO2 and water

都從二氧化碳及水

through photosynthesis.

經過光合作用得來

Plants use the energy from sunlight

植物利用從陽光得來的能量

to transform carbon dioxide and water from the environment

把環境中的二氧化碳及水轉變成

into glucose and oxygen.

葡萄糖及氧氣

That glucose is then transformed

葡萄糖再轉變成

into more complex organic molecules

更複雜的有機分子

to form leaves, stems, roots, fruit, and so on.

以形成葉、莖、根、果等等

The energy stored in these organic molecules

儲存在這些有機分子內的能量

supports the food chains with which we're familiar.

維持著我們熟悉的食物鏈

You've probably seen illustrations like this

你大概看過像這樣的圖畫

or this.

或這個

These green food chains

這些草食性食物鏈

start with living plants at their base.

從活著的植物為基礎開始

But in real-life terrestrial ecosystems,

但在現實生活的陸地生態系統

less than 10% of plant matter

少於 10% 的植物物質

is eaten while it's still alive.

在活著的時候被吃掉

What about the other 90?

其他 90% 怎麼了？

Well, just look at the ground

如果在秋天看看地上

on an autumn day.

Living plants shed dead body parts:

活的植物會脫落死掉的部分：

fallen leaves, broken branches,

落葉、斷枝

and even underground roots.

甚至還有地下的根

Many plants are lucky enough

許多植物很幸運

to go their whole lives without being eaten,

一生都保持完整不被吃掉

eventually dying and leaving remains.

最後死亡留下殘體

All of these uneaten, undigested, and dead plant parts,

這些沒被吃掉、消化掉及死亡的部分

that 90% of terrestrial plant matter?

這些 90% 的陸生植物物質呢？

That becomes detritus,

它們變成碎屑

the base of what we call the brown food chain,

成為我們所謂腐生性食物鏈的底層

which looks more like this.

看起來就像這樣

What happens to plants

發生在植物身上的事

also happens to all other organisms up the food chain:

同樣也發生在食物鏈所有其他生物上

some are eaten alive,

有些被活活吃掉

but most are eaten only

但大部分都只在

when they're dead and rotting.

他們死亡及腐爛後才被吃掉

And all along this food chain,

在這條食物鏈上

living things shed organic matter

所有活著的東西

and expel digestive waste

在死亡及留下遺體腐化前

before dying and leaving their remains to decay.

都會脫落有機物質並排出消化廢物

All that death sounds grim, right?

死亡聽起來很冷酷對吧？

But it's not.

並非如此

All detritus is ultimately consumed

所有的碎屑最終會被

by microbes and other scavengers,

微生物及其他食腐動物吃掉

so it actually forms the base of the brown food chain

所以它其實形成腐生性食物鏈的底層

that supports many other organisms,

供養著許多其他生物

including us.

包括我們

Scientists are learning

科學家瞭解到

that this detritus

這種碎屑

is an unexpectedly huge energy source,

是一種出乎意料的巨大能源

fueling most natural ecosystems.

為大部分自然生態系統提供燃料

But the interactions within an ecosystem

但一個生態系統內的交互作用

are even more complex than that.

比這個還要複雜許多

What a food chain really represents

一條食物鏈真正代表的

is a single pathway of energy flow.

是能量流向的單向路徑

And within any ecosystem,

在任何一種生態系統內

many of these flows

許多這樣的路徑

are linked together

環環相扣在一起

to form a rich network of interactions,

形成有很多交互作用的網路

or food web,

或稱食物網

with dead matter supporting that network at every step.

而死的物質供養了該網路內的每一步

The resulting food web

由此產生的食物網

is so connected

是如此緊密連結

that almost every species

幾乎每一種物種

is no more than two degrees from detritus,

都在碎屑的二級消費者範圍內

even us humans.

甚至我們人類也是如此

You probably don't eat rotting things,

你大概不會直接吃腐爛的食物

poop, or pond scum directly,

大便、或池塘泥渣

but your food sources probably do.

但你的食物來源卻可能會吃

Many animals we eat

我們吃的許多動物

either feed directly on detritus themselves,

要不直接靠碎屑為食

like pork, poultry, mushrooms, shellfish,

如豬、家禽、蘑菇、甲殼類

or catfish and other bottom feeders,

鯰魚及其他最底層消費者

要不就是靠肉類副產品為食

or they are fed animal by-products.

So, if you're thinking nature is full of waste,

所以，如果你認為大自然充滿了廢物

you're right.

你是對的

But one organism's garbage is another's gold,

但是一種生物的垃圾 卻是另一種生物的黃金

and all that rotting dead stuff

而那些所有腐爛的死東西

ultimately provides the energy that nourishes us

當它在食物網流動時

and most of life on Earth,

最終提供了滋養我們

as it passes through the food web.

及絕大部分地球生物的能量

Now that's some food for thought.

而這可真是耐人尋味啊！