Frank himself, you can get a clear picture of the ecosystem as outlined here by the end of Children of Dune.
One (possible) omission here - the sand trout traps water underground by linking and forming dams around water pockets - that’s the cause of Arrakis’ ultra arid environment, but maybe it’s also the source of nutrition?
Anyway, it is a bit silly indeed but in the novel’s context it feels grounded.
I put together the pieces mentioned in various places in the first Dune book. Every step sounds good and plausibly science(-fiction)-esque when presented separately, like the book does. Only when you put all the steps together, the picture starts to look like an M.C. Escher drawing.
Frank himself, you can get a clear picture of the ecosystem as outlined here by the end of Children of Dune.
One (possible) omission here - the sand trout traps water underground by linking and forming dams around water pockets - that’s the cause of Arrakis’ ultra arid environment, but maybe it’s also the source of nutrition?
Anyway, it is a bit silly indeed but in the novel’s context it feels grounded.
> Where did you find this?
I put together the pieces mentioned in various places in the first Dune book. Every step sounds good and plausibly science(-fiction)-esque when presented separately, like the book does. Only when you put all the steps together, the picture starts to look like an M.C. Escher drawing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_%28M._C._Escher%29
Pretty sure this is from either Children of Dune or God Emperor of Dune, both by Frank Herbert.