Josh Hartwig is the host of Discover Nature and a media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Well no. As always, someone is left to tidy up. In a food chain these are the decomposers. They consume dead animals, decaying plant material and waste products from other members of the ecosystem ...

This is where they play a vital role in ecosystems as decomposers. They break down dead plants, animals, and other organic materials, releasing essential nutrients back into the environment.