Decomposers

• Decomposers


  Organisms that feed on dead things and break down decaying organic matter
• Decomposers


  • They play a critical role as the Earth's clean-up crew and provide balance in an ecosystem
  • Without decomposers, dead animals and plants would pile up everywhere
• Decomposers

  • Millipedes
  • Termites
  • Earthworms
• Decomposition


  The process of breaking down complex organic matter into simpler forms of matter
• Decomposers


  • They recycle nutrients in the environment
  • They are an essential component of a good, fertile soil
• Decomposers


  • Most are microscopic organisms, such as bacteria
  • Other decomposers are big enough to see without a microscope, like fungi and invertebrate organisms
• Fungi


  • Members of the Kingdom of Fungi, such as yeasts, mildews, moulds, and mushrooms
  • They are the principal decomposers in most ecosystems, especially in forests
  • They cannot photosynthesise because they have no chloroplasts, so they get all their nutrients from dead materials that they break down
• Fungi

  • Yeasts
  • Penicillium (used to make penicillin and cheeses)
• Algae are not decomposers, they are producers in a food chain because they have chloroplasts and can photosynthesise
• Bacteria


  • They play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter, especially at the early stages when moisture levels are high
  • They break down organic matter by secreting different types of enzymes, releasing important nutrients like nitrogen and carbon back to the environment
• Bacteria


  • Pseudomonas fluorescens
  • Bacillus subtilis
• Earthworms


  • They enrich the soil by decomposing litter, playing a critical role in the ecology of the soil
  • They break down organic matter inside their intestinal tracts and expel it into the soil, enriching it with essential elements
• Insect decomposers


  • Dung beetles
  • Maggots
  • Ants
• Insect decomposers


  • They digest the litter they eat in their intestines
  • There are various classes depending on the type of dead matter they feed upon (dead or decaying plant, dead animal tissue, excrement)