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Desma was a planet colonized only by a very small handful of species. Therefore colonization of both land and sea, in the first thousands of years, was poorly substantial. Much of the land was completely dry, with little more than just microorganisms, nematodes, as well as fungi and some algae. Meanwhile the ocean was also a barren blue canvas, often colored in strong greens and pinks of the algae and bacteria that grew fast and rampant with very few predators, with only protists and some marine nematodes composing the zooplankton of the seas, while algae also grew in conspicuous forests in the shallows. However, portions of land, lush with moisture and freshwater, were a haven for the major macrofauna. Shrublands and meadows of spinach stretch as far as the eye can see, with snails spotting the many leaves of these plants, crabs crawling in the undergrowth, and desmans as the apex predators, always on the sniff for a tasty invertebrate to feed. It was an alien world only getting started.
OCEANS
The oceans of Desma, in the first moments, were largely barren of a lot of macroscopic life. It was however, still flourishing with life, especially in well lit regions. The greatest diversity of organisms was encountered in bacteria, archaeans and protists.Â
The shallows were the most productive. With the coming of the tides, and the influx of nutrients from the land, a wide array of organisms could be fed in the rich sediments. Meadows of green algae and bacteria could be found across the shallows creating a pleasant green rich environment. The largest motile organisms would be nematodes, which decomposed the organic matter that was shed in this environment, as well as feeding on the unicellular organisms they could find.
The open ocean was an even more empty world, but due to the lack of many predators, phytoplankton often gathered in very large numbers, creating blankets of green, orange or pink. These would be composed of overgrowing algae and bacteria that appropriated the sunlight for their own gain. Protists and nematodes were also abundant in the oceanic plankton.
The depths were the most dire environments in the oceans, but live nevertheless thrived. Near hydrothermal vents, sediments composed of bacteria and archaea thrived, with several species of oceanic fungi and nematodes also thriving in this strange cold mucky world. Although the oceans appear barren, it would nevertheless fill an important role in climatic stability in Desma.
BADLANDS
Some areas on land are still hard to colonize unless they're the hardiest of creatures. Dry alpine regions, scorching deserts and frigid poles are still largely uninhabitable for spinachs, snails, crabs or desmans. Instead, a variety of lichens, slime molds, molds, nematodes, algae and other microorganisms call these exotic places their home. Nematodes in the frigid north of Primaria and the cold islands of Frigia or Traippa can stay dormant in the ice if needed. In alpine regions, stretches of lichens grow amongst the rocks, a true haven of fungi that form the basis for their own ecosystem.
WETLANDS
It is near more temperate regions that life starts to take more familiar appearances. Meadows and "forests" of spinach, stretching as far as the eye can see, show us how well the only major land plant species of Desma is flourishing. Spinach have the advantage of wind-based pollination, so they do not need the help of any animal to reproduce, removing the need for pollinating insects to be present. However, the plants themselves are a necessity for so many species living here. In almost every single individual spinach (especially more so in the ones that reach human-level heights) we can see snails that feed ferociously on these plants. There are millions of them, easily being the most abundant of the three major animal species of Desma.
Under the tallest stems and leaves, the rich soil, full of decomposing leaves, is rich in life. Bacteria and nematodes decompose the soil, as new spinachs try to grow in between the gaps in the shadows. Snails abound in these surfaces, those that prefer to feed on the fallen leaves, instead of climbing the tall stems. But its in the soil that predators are found, most commonly crabs. Crabs eat snails, but they also enjoy the decomposing spinach leaves, and will also eat green leaves too, making them perfect generalists. The apex predators of the region are the desmans, mostly aquatic mammals that, here, venture into the vegetated inlands to hunt invertebrates. Desmans prefer the freshwater regions, but their prey are more predominant on the mainland, so they have to abandon the water to hunt.
Desmans, crabs and snails compose the trinity of faunal communities on the largest continent of Desma, Primaria, as well as the southern continent of Austra and its neighbouring island, Pinna. However, other landmasses only have one or two of those three animal species. Nealva, an island northwest to Austra, is unique for only containing desmans, a dwindling population that only survives by feeding on slime molds and cannibalizing themselves. The continent of Hespera thrives on an invertebrate only ecosystem, where crabs and snails compose the local fauna, without the influence of desmans. The east thalan islands of Maya and Taura only have crabs, where they feed on spinach, lichen, slime molds and each other. The insular continent of Io, as well as the isolated island of Raibba, is only consisted of snails, a never ending populace that feeds on spinach undeterred by predators.
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