lesson 4

Many of the decomposers in an ecosystem are types of _______________ or __________________. ______________________________ are one group of living things that are neither __________ nor _____________________.

Fungi, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals.

__________________________ is a mixture of soil and ___________________________ that provides the materials that plants need.

A compost pile and decaying matter

fungi

A group of organisms that are not plants or animals and that act as decomposers. Molds are fungi.

compost

A mixture of soil and decaying matter that provides the materials that plants need

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organisms and wastes to live and grow.

_______________________ have no way to store excess food. To stay active, they have to live in an _________________ where they are surrounded by food sources.

Bacteria and environment

_____________________ are one group of organisms that are too small to be seen without a _____________________.

Bacteria and microscope

___________________________ break down dead material and ________________________ into simple materials.

Decomposers and wastes

_____________________________ prevent this _____________________ from piling up because they break it down. As they break down __________________, they also __________________ the materials in waste matter.

Decomposers, matter, wastes, and recycle.

bacteria

One group of organisms that are too small to be seen without a microscope. Many kinds of bacteria are decomposers.

When decomposers ___________________ dead organisms, they return many of these substances as waste to the ______________. Plants in the soil can use them again.

break down and soil

A _______________________ is a system with multiple layers of soil and plant matter that will ______________. It also has decomposers and each of its parts interact to break down materials.

compost pile and decay

A _____________________ cannot take in all the matter it ____________________. Some of the leftover matter enters the air and soil. This matter becomes a ________________ part of the ecosystem.

fungus, digests, and nonliving.

When _____________ make compost, they take advantage of natural processes to help return _____________to their ecosystem.

humans and matter

Fungi, such as _______________ , store excess food as ________________ , just as animals do.

molds and sugar

Wastes from decomposing matter include ___________________ that plants need to grow.

nutrients

If decomposers did not _______________ the materials used in an ecosystem, new organisms could not use them.

recycle