Rocket kicks through a pile of old leaves. Underneath, the leaves are dark, soft and crumbly.
"Where did the crunchy leaves go?" he asks.
Raven kneels down. "What do you notice at the bottom of the pile?"
Nova hovers low. "Someone has been eating here," she says. "Many someones, too small to see."
Rocket gasps. "A secret leaf crew!"
Decomposers break down dead plants and dead animals.
Fungi and bacteria are decomposers. They are microbes, very tiny living things.
As they break things down, they return materials to the soil.
Plants can use those materials again. That is recycling!
Earthworms help decompose things too.
They pull old leaves down under the soil, where other decomposers can reach them.
Their tunnels make spaces in the soil.
Those spaces help air and water move through the soil to roots.
A mushroom is one part of a fungus.
Fungi also grow tiny threads that wind between bits of soil.
Fungi spread by spores, which work a bit like seeds.
Never touch or eat a mushroom you find outside.
| Decomposer | What it does |
|---|---|
| bacteria | Break down dead things. Tiny microbes. |
| fungi | Break down dead things. Some grow mushrooms. |
| earthworms | Pull leaves underground and dig tunnels for air and water. |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Fungi and bacteria are decomposers. | ? |
| Decomposers return materials to the soil. | ? |
| Earthworms pull leaves under the soil. | ? |
| It is fine to eat a wild mushroom. | ? |
Awesome detective work! Tomorrow we learn the recipe for compost, a decomposer feast.