Many of the surviving plants went their whole lives without being eaten

These green food chains start with living plants at their base.But in real-life terrestrial ecosystems,less than 10% of plant matter is eaten while it's still alive. What about the other 90?Well, just look at the ground on an autumn day.Living plants shed dead body parts:fallen leaves, broken branches,and even underground roots.
Many plants are lucky enough to go their whole lives without being eaten,eventually dying and leaving remains.All of these uneaten, undigested, and dead plant parts, that 90% of terrestrial plant matter?