Diagrams sourced from
The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo.
By considering the biomass[1] and lifespan superiority of some microscopic beings in comparison to us human beings, we can look outside of our mammals’ bubble for a moment. Thus, we reach the bubble of decomposers, beings who make life on this planet possible, out of our sight. Without them, our world is rotten forever, since they recycle everything that was, once, alive. As well as pollinators allow plants to reproduce, decomposers transform organic matter in mineral food for plants, the basic trophic level of most ecosystems.
They are everywhere, and we domesticated some of them to produce our own food, from cheese to bread and wine. However, as apex predators, we exist only because they sustain themselves since millions of years.
Characteristics of the microscope used for this exploration
Microscope used for our researches.
- Type: Biological-/ Stereo-type microscope
- Model: BRESSER BioDiscover
- Year of production: 2007
- Magnification table:
Eypiece |
Objective |
Magnification |
with Barlow lens
|
5x |
4x |
20x |
40x
|
5x |
10x |
50x |
100x
|
5x |
40x |
200x |
400x
|
16x |
4x |
64x |
128x
|
16x |
10x |
160x |
320x
|
16x |
40x |
640x |
1280x
|
November 2020 | Blue Ardenne collect
Context of collect |
Date of collect |
Date of observation |
Items observed
|
Hike in the Blue Ardenne |
16th of November 2020 |
January 2021 |
Fungi[2] and small animals crawling in samples.
|
Observations made while hiking
Amanita muscaria |
Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina |
Fomes fomentarius old |
Fomes fomentarius young |
Polyporaceae corda |
Meruliaceae |
Hypoxylaceae
|
Fungi (mycelium organ) grown on mushroom
Macroscopic view of the observed sample.
Hypoxylacae conidium |
Hypoxylacae and Penicillium conidiums |
Tyrophagus putrescentiae |
Tenebrionidae family |
Beetle wing |
Fungi on beetle
|
Lichen [3]
Macroscopic view of the observed sample.
Evernia genus lichen |
Evernia genus lichen |
Mushroom alveolar gills
|
Notes
- ↑ See the article The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (25) 6506-6511; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711842115. source: https://www.pnas.org/content/115/25/6506
- ↑ Identified when possible with the help of internet ressources (Wikipedia and The Mushroom Observer).
- ↑ composite organism made of algae/cyanobacteria living among filaments of fungi.