We explain what decomposer organisms are and the types that exist. Also, its ecological importance and some examples.
What are decomposer organisms?
All heterotrophic living beings are called decomposer organisms. whose main source of sustenance is organic matter in a state of decomposition which help reduce usable components to their minimum (decomposition). Decomposers occupy the bottom rung of the food chain, because they guarantee nutrients and fertilizers to primary producers.
Decomposition is a common and important process in the cycle of life, and is what follows death, whether total (a complete individual) or partial (parts, remains or members of an individual). This process is carried out by a diverse community of decomposer microorganisms, made up of numerous species of fungi and bacteria.
Some consumers, called detritus consumers or detritivores, are often considered decomposers. They feed on detritus, which is dead organic matter including dead bodies, leaf litter, and feces. Debris consumers and microbial decomposers destroy dead organisms and waste products.
See also: Biotic factors
Types of decomposer organisms
Depending on the type of decomposing organic matter they feed on, we can talk about three fundamental types of decomposer organisms:
- Detritivores or detritophages. They are consumer organisms that feed on detritus, that is, the body remains of other organisms, such as plant residues (dry leaves, decomposing fruits, withered flowers, etc.). All this organic material falls to the soil of the different ecosystems and generates, when decomposed, a layer of decomposing organic matter called “humus”.
- Coprophages. They are consumer organisms that feed on the feces of other more complex organisms, that is, their excrement. There they find usable organic matter that other animals cannot fully or partially digest, taking advantage of what has already been used in the first instance.
- Ghouls. They are consumers that feed on corpses, that is, the body of dead organisms. Once life has ceased, different microorganisms begin a digestion of the organic matter, helped first by insects, scavengers and other organisms that devour the body or that end up with the remains of the hunt of other larger animals.
- Saprotrophs. They are the decomposers themselves. They are microbial heterotrophs that obtain energy by breaking down organic molecules in the remains (corpses and body waste) of all members of the food chain. They release simple organic molecules, such as carbon dioxide and mineral salts, which can be reused by producers. Most bacteria and fungi are important decomposers.
Ecological importance of decomposer organisms
The decomposers are organisms vital to the energy transmission circuit and matter in all ecosystems. They are the guarantors of the full use of biological resources: they decompose organic matter into more basic and elemental substances, increasingly closer to those necessary for the flourishing of productive or primary organisms (such as plants).
Without them, the decomposition of matter would be a much longer and more laborious process, especially in the case of those final predators that are not usually prey to anyone.
Examples of decomposer organisms
Some examples of decomposer organisms are:
- The bacteria. A true fauna of heterotrophic microorganisms lives in the intestines of animals and freely in nature. When life has ceased, they are the first activated front of matter decomposition, as they ferment, oxidize and consume tissues.
- Most mushrooms. Saprophytic (non-parasitic) fungi usually grow in places rich in moisture and decomposing organic matter, such as the floor of a deciduous forest or the paint in a bathroom with poor ventilation. There they chemically break down matter to obtain energy and nutrients with which to grow and reproduce.
- earthworms. The various species of earthworms lead a blind existence underground, opening tunnels as they go, feeding on organic matter in its final stages of decomposition.
- insect larvae. Various insects, especially flies, lay their eggs in corpses or other decomposing organic waste, to take advantage of the organic matter as a food source for their larvae. These are the worms that appear on dead animals and devour them from the inside, preparing for the metamorphosis that will lead them to adulthood.
- Coprophagous insects. Other insects, such as the different dung beetles (Scarabaeus viettei and Scarabaeus laticollis, generally) take advantage of the defecation of various mammals, making small balls that they bury to form a warm and conducive nest for their eggs.
Continue with: Abiotic factors
References
- “Decomposition” on Wikipedia.
- “Detrithophages, coprophages and necrophages” by Eduardo Galante and María Ángeles Marcos-García, in Los Arthropodos y El Hombre.
- “Decomposer organisms, what are decomposer organisms” (video) in Culturagneral.
- “Types of decomposers” (video) in Moo Moo Math.
- “Decomposer” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Biology: Solomon E., Berg L., Martin D. (2013) 9th Edition. Cengage Learning Publishing.
- Ecology. Smith T and Smith R. (2007) 6to Edition. Pearson Education Publishing.
