What are two examples of decomposers?

Answer 1

Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so carry out the natural process of decomposition.

Decomposers break down (or consume) leaf litter, dead organisms and other detritus. In doing this they release nutrients trapped in the dead material back into the soil, making it available to plants and other primary producers, continuing the nutrient cycle of an ecosystem.

General categories of decomposers are:

• worms
• molds
• fungi (the primary and common decomposers of litter in many ecosystems)
• bacteria
• actinomycetes

Specific decomposers are:

• mushrooms
• termites
• flies (& maggots)
• cockroaches
• lactobacteria (for mozzarella cheese and Frozen Yogurt)
• beetles
• slugs
• insects

Lichen are not decomposers. Liverworts are not decomposers. Moss are not, either. Those may not have roots, but that doesn't mean they don't get nutrients from soil and other things like ordinary plants do. These are Nonvascular plants.