The Clean-Up Crew Decomposers play a major role in the circle of life This clean-up crew works hard to chop shred plow and dissolve waste in the world Decomposers break down tree leaves dead flowers plants and grass Other decomposers clean up dead animals 4
Decomposition is the process of breaking things down by the actions of living things This is the job description of decomposers As nature’s recyclers decomposers live on land and in water Their actions break down organic matter and release nutrients and energy They keep nutrients moving in food webs Decomposers turn decaying animals and plants into vitamin rich soil and compost They enrich the soil making it porous This enables roots to grow and allows air and water to flow to and from soil 5
Many decomposers are not visible Broadly they are fungi bacteria and invertebrates They are living things that get their energy from eating dead animals and plants and breaking down wastes of other animals When a plant or animal dies nutrients would remain in the dead tissues if it weren’t for decomposers They complete the life cycle by returning important molecules to plants They release nutrients creating fertile soil 6
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone They skitter slide and wiggle their way through soil Each invertebrate has a job Sow bugs eat decaying leaves and carry bacteria and fungi on their backs Snails and slugs chew rotting material into small pieces for millipedes and beetles to eat Poop Scoop Termites are decomposers that aren’t born with bacteria in their digestive tracts To correct this they practice trophallaxis They eat each other’s poop 7
