Which insects are decomposers

Given enough time, all biodegradable material will oxidize to humus. Decomposer: An organism, often a bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem. Decomposition: The action or process of breaking down; the rotting or decaying of plant or animal matter. Or: food. Organic waste: Waste created by or from a once-living organism. It is capable of decay and is composed of carbon compounds.

Science World Decomposer Photo Cards. Metro Vancouver Worm Composting Brochure. Objectives List and identify examples of decomposers and describe their role within a simple food web. Differentiate between compostable waste and non-biodegradable waste. Explore the active process of decomposition.

Create a worm compost farm. Materials See activities for materials. Background Energy enters the food chain from the sun. Vocabulary Biodegradability: Biological and biochemical breakdown of organic materials by the environment. Invertebrate: An animal that lacks a backbone or spinal column. What about the fastest? Who were the first animals to evolve flight? Insects take all of these titles and more!

As the most abundant animals on the planet, insects and other arthropods affect our lives in so many ways. From beneficial interactions like pollination and biological pest control, to the transmission of life threatening diseases; this course will teach you about the big ways that these little arthropods impact our lives. In Bugs Insect-Human Interactions, you will be plunged into the diverse and sometimes alien world of arthropods to learn how they work, what they do, and how insects and humans interact every day.

After completing this course, you will be able to: Describe the evolutionary relationships between insects and their arthropod relatives Inventory major groups of insects and their diversity Demonstrate evolutionary adaptations that make insects successful Discuss insect biology and human-insect interactions Evaluate positive and negative interactions between insects and humans Propose practical and symbolic roles insects play in human societies.

Biology, Entomology, Science, Ecology. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. A food chain outlines who eats whom. A food web is all of the food chains in an ecosystem. Each organism in an ecosystem occupies a specific trophic level or position in the food chain or web. Producers, who make their own food using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, make up the bottom of the trophic pyramid.

Primary consumers, mostly herbivores, exist at the next level, and secondary and tertiary consumers, omnivores and carnivores, follow. At the top of the system are the apex predators: animals who have no predators other than humans.

Help your class explore food chains and webs with these resources. Plastic is ubiquitous in our everyday lives. Some plastics we can reuse or recycle—and many play important roles in areas like medicine and public safety—but other items, such as straws, are designed for only one use.

In fact, more than 40 percent of plastic is used only once before it is thrown away, where it lingers in the environment for a long, long time. It often breaks down into smaller and smaller particles, called microplastics, which can be ingested by both animals and people. Fortunately, there are things we can do to help—like stop using plastic bags, straws, and bottles, recycling when we can, and disposing of waste properly.

Use these classroom resources to teach about ocean plastics and check back for more coming later this year! Encyclopedic entry. Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays. When plants drop leaves, twigs, and other material to the ground, it piles up.