Question

State with reason any two possible consequences of elimination of decomposers from the Earth.

Answer 1

Decomposers:

• Decomposers are microorganisms that decompose and degrade the organic matter that is either dead or decaying.
• They are also called saprotrophs as they feed on dead organic matter such as plants and animal dead bodies.

Role in the ecosystem:

• They help recycle the nutrients. They replenish the pools of each nutrient.
• For example, a dead plant will be degraded to release its nutrients into the soil to be used again.
• The decomposers help control the pollution and diseases due to garbage accumulation like household waste heaps in residential areas.

Effect of their elimination:

• There will be pollution in the ecosystem as the undegraded dead organic matter will be a site of the breeding of germs. These germs will be transmitted from one to another.
• Since the decomposition will not occur, there will be no recycling of the nutrients. The continuous loss of nutrients will exhaust the supply of nutrients.