LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Decomposers Recycle Nutrients
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THE CURIOSI · EXPLORE & TRY
Nutrients can be used again
Explore the model, then test your understanding. Select each numbered stop to discover its role.
1Dead material
Dead leaves and waste contain materials from organisms.
2Fungi & bacteria
Many fungi and bacteria break down organic material.
3Soil nutrients
Decomposition helps some nutrients become available in soil or water.
4Plant uptake
Roots take up nutrients; those materials can later return in dead plant material.
Simplified model: real ecosystems have more connections. Food-chain arrows show energy moving from food to eater; nutrient-cycle arrows describe material transfer.
Quick check · 3 questions
Choose one answer for each question, then check. Practice results stay on this page and do not change course completion.
Read the answer explanations
- Many fungi and bacteria chemically break down dead material.
- Nutrients can be reused, while energy flows through ecosystems and is eventually released as heat.
- Observe safely. Unknown fungi and spoiled materials should not be handled for this activity.
Explore further: NOAA: aquatic food webs.