| Finally, decomposers are organisms such as bacteria and fungi that feed on the remains of dead plants and animals. |
| Once an organism has died, be it plant or animal, the phosphorus is returned directly to the soil by the action of decomposers such as bacteria and fungi. |
| The material they egest in their faeces has a large surface area, providing easy access for decomposers such as bacteria and fungi. |
| Other types, also harmless, live in soil and leaf litter and are important decomposers. |
| The fungi are important decomposers and also exhibit a variety of interactions with living organisms. |
| On the other hand, although they are also primarily decomposers associated with soils, certain oribatid mites are herbivorous on living plants. |
