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  • What are decomposers? What will be the consequence of their absence in an ecosystem

What are decomposers? What will be the consequence of their absence in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers feed on the remains of other organisms. The organisms that feed on dead plants and animals are called decomposers, e.g., bacteria, fungi etc. They breakdown the complex organic compounds present in the dead remains into simpler substances and obtain nutrition from them. These substances are released into the soil and the atmosphere.
 

Role of decomposers on the environment:
 

(i)Help in the recycling of materials
(ii) Help in the replenishment of the soil's nutrients
(iii)They clean up our surroundings by decomposing organisms and organic wastes.
 

The outcome of their absence in an ecosystem can be disastrous as:

(i) Accumulation of dead bodies and the accumulation of non-living organisms like plant leaves, fruits, vegetables etc. would take place. This would pollute the environment.

(ii) The components by which bodies are made would never be returned to the soil if these are not decayed by the organism into smaller digestible molecules by decomposers.

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