Life after death: From burned trees to bleached corals, how dead organisms live on as the building blocks of new life

The dead remains of foundation species can boost or deter how well future generations are able to grow and thrive.

By: Kai Kopecky, University of Colorado Boulder and John Kominoski, Florida International University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 1,212

Last Updated: 1 day, 7 hours ago

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By Kai Kopecky, University of Colorado Boulder and John Kominoski, Florida International University

People’s knee-jerk reaction to seeing death in nature is often not positive. The burn scar left by wildfire on a once-forested hillside, or a ghostly white coral reef, may evoke tragedy and despair. But in nature, most plants and animals are recycled back into new life.

The fallen branches and leaves that crunch under your boots as you step on the …

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