Worldbuilding Jotunheim: Food Chain Fundamentals
When it comes to food chains as we know them, every single one starts with an an autotroph, organisms capable of directly taking energy from an environmental source and storing it, then using it to produce more complex organic chemicals and power metabolic processes. Most famously on Earth, we have plants, which utilize photosynthesis, a metabolic process whereby solar energy is stored in chains of carbohydrates, releasing oxygen. Some photosynthetic organisms use organic sources of carbon rather than atmospheric carbon dioxide, or use a variation that does not release oxygen, or use other elements in place of water to serve as the source of electrons used in the process. Ultimately, photosynthesis is basically carbon dioxide + (electron source) + light energy = (energy-storing compound) + (a few waste materials). Organisms capable of this process are called phototrophs.
In addition to plants, there are other phototrophic organisms that are capable of surviving in much harsher environments. Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, and lichens all come to mind. Plants are simply the most complex and most evolutionarily recent- in fact, animals evolved before true plants did.
Additionally, we have chemotrophs, the chemosynthetic organisms. These organisms use chemicals to get everything they need to synthesize organic chemicals and store/obtain energy. Such organisms can be entirely capable of living completely disconnected from any sort of solar energy at all- most famously, deep-sea hydrothermal vents (ie, black smokers and white smokers) support enormous colonies of bacteria that use the chemicals and heat released by the vent to fuel metabolic processes. These bacteria form the basis of incredible food chain clustered around these vents that support worms, crabs, and other, higher life-forms.
(Fun fact: This black smoker is part of a collection of smokers in the mid-Atlantic ocean nicknamed âLokiâs Castleâ)
For life to have evolved and to continue surviving on the harsh surface of Jotunheim, similar cornerstone organisms must exist. Thereâs no two ways about it- the biological niche of the autotroph must be filled to support any sort of life.
Which brings us to what organisms are most likely to fill those niches on Jotunheim.
On the surface, lichens and single-celled algae that grow on bare stone or in the ice itself. Given that Yggdrasil seems to impose a certain convergence of evolution of the creatures living in it (humanoids as the dominant sentient species, a guard creature on Jotunheim that follows the general body plan of a large vertebrate, horses on Asgard(!)) we can guess that the Jotun equivalent of lichens and algae are fairly similar to those found on Midgard, though adapted for a consistently colder climate.
Lichens in particular could provide a valuable food source, not just for animals but perhaps the Jotuns themselves. It would be simple enough to cultivate lichen for consumption, or for herd animals (akin to reindeer) to browse on. Lichens do not necessarily require soil to grow on- many Midgardian species grow quite well on bare stone, which would be very useful on Jotunheim.
We do see that at least some Jotuns possess pointed teeth. If these are natural, and not filed for cultural or war purposes, then we have a hint that the Jotun diet contains a fair amount of meat. In general, it is easier to support a population on animals that are raised rather than hunted in the wild because you can guarantee a constant supply. Perhaps the conjectured âreindeerâ, grazing on the lichens and herded by watchful Jotuns?
Algae could easily grow in blooms on the surface of, under, or even in ice that gets decent access to light. Algae on the surface could be scraped off by other organisms to eat, while others may be adapted to break off and chew up mouthfuls of ice in order to eat the algae within. Algae beneath ocean ice can be scraped off and collected by small creatures akin to krill, which then get eaten by larger creatures.
Hydrothermal vents- black smokers and white smokers on ocean floors, and hot springs on the surface, can also support autotrophs. While most of Jotunheimâs terrestrial lifeforms, adapted for the extreme cold as they must be, would likely be unable to venture near hot springs for food, the sea floor is unlikely to drop below 0C, due to salts and other minerals dissolved in it as well as the pressure. In these regions, you could conceivably find entire ecosystems based around the hot, mineral-rich vents. The bottom of the food chain here would be bacteria that form dense mats around the vents.
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