Decomposers
                     What is decomposition
• Decomposition, or rotting, is what happens to 
living things when they die. It also happens to 
organic material of any kind, such as 
foodstuffs. 
Plants and animals would not decompose 
if not for bacteria and fungi. Collectively 
called saprophytes, 
these microbes are the primary 
decomposers of all dead organic matter. 
Decomposers
• Decomposers (saprophytes) eat poo and dead 
animals & plants and break them down into 
simpler forms of matter.
What do decomposers release?
• Decomposers release carbon dioxide,  water 
and nutrients back into the soil