Decomposition Mission

Today’s nature focus will be all about the unsung heroes of the world’s ecosystems. These fungi, bacteria and invertebrates (FBI), can be found in the rainforest, in the ocean, in the desert, and even in your own backyard. I am of course talking about the much overlooked decomposers!

Decomposers are nature’s clean-up crew. Without them, all the natural waste of the world would never break down! They are what keep energy flowing through our ecosystems, recycling nutrients back into the ground so that producers and consumers can thrive.

The three main players of the decomposition community are fungi, bacteria and invertebrates. Because decomposers are so essential to a functioning ecosystem, they can be found almost anywhere. Each group of organisms (fungi, bacteria, invertebrates) have special signs that you can look for to see that they are doing their jobs. I explored my backyard to find examples of decomposition to give you an idea of what to look for in your own yard and find the FBI in action!

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bacteria

​Bacteria are microscopic living organisms that can be found everywhere. Sometimes bacteria can be harmful, but in most cases they are essential to the breakdown of larger organisms to help recycle nutrients within an ecosystem. I’m sure you’re wondering how I was able to find bacteria in my yard without a microscope, and I'll tell you it was actually pretty simple! Even though we can’t see bacteria, there are many signs we can look for that indicate something is being broken down by bacteria.

A great place to start looking is leaves! Bacterial decomposition often looks like brown or black spots on the the surface of a leaf. Sometimes you will see holes in the leaf surrounded by a dark outline and sometimes the leaves will even begin to curl. If your yard has any leftover leaf litter from the fall, this is a great place to find bacterial decomposition! ​ 

Other signs of bacterial decomposition are:

- The lamina (surface of a leaf) break down leaving the veins of the leaf untouched – this looks a lot like a leaf skeleton.

- One section of the leaf looks discolored, but the rest of it looks healthy.​ When a leaf is still attached to its parent plant, it will sometimes have a hyper sensitive reaction to bacteria. This is when the plant material around the bacteria will die on purpose (the leaf cuts off nutrients to this part of itself) so that the bacteria cannot spread further.

​I was able to find lots of examples of bacterial decomposition in my yard! Especially when I turned my focus to decaying leaf litter. A lot of the leaves had dark spots on them, showing me bacteria was hard at work!

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Fungus

Fungi are living organisms that can be found in an amazing amount of forms throughout the planet. One of the most common fungi we see all the time are mushrooms. I was a little disappointed when searching my backyard because I wasn’t able to find any mushrooms, but after lifting up a few damp logs I did find something just as exciting. I found these white, string-like structures hanging onto the damp wood, and I knew immediately I had found some mycelium! This is the part of the fungus that is responsible for breaking down decaying matter. You will always find a network of mycelium on anything being decomposed by a fungus. Mushrooms are very exciting to find, but they aren’t the part of the fungus that is responsible for recycling nutrients back into the soil - I was delighted to find a network of mycelium letting me know that there was fungal decomposition happening!

​The mycelium of fungi produce enzymes that breakdown and digest decaying and dead matter. This can only be done in the presence of water​, so a moist environment is essential when investigating fungal decomposition.

As you are looking for signs of fungal decomposition, keep an eye out for bright colors! Fungi can be many different colors, but often stand out because of their vibrant shades of green, yellow and orange. I found a fungus on the log pile that was almost the exact same color as my nail polish!

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Invertebrates

​Invertebrates are the most fun of the FBI to find (in my opinion). I feel like I am always surprised by the amount of invertebrate decomposition going on when I flip over a log, or shuffle around some leaf litter. There are many signs of invertebrate decomposition to look for in an ecosystem, and usually you can find the invertebrate responsible!

​Slugs and snails produce a mucus membrane to help them glide along the forest floor. If you are lucky, you can follow this slimy trail to an area of leaf litter or other organic matter that is being broken down. Other invertebrates also leave little trails going through the wood that show us the paths that wood decaying insects traveled as they ate their way through the surface. ​

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​One of the most exciting decomposers to find in our gardens is the worm! These invertebrates are wonderful for creating nutrient rich soil that benefit the flowers and vegetables of our gardens. Worms are a great indicator that your garden is thriving. The best way to find to these powerhouse decomposers? Start digging!

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Decomposers rarely ever work alone. Chances are if you find one member of the FBI, there will be other sources of decomposition nearby! I had a great time exploring my yard for signs of fungi, bacteria and invertebrate decomposition and I hope that you'll take some time to explore your own yard or neighborhood for signs of nature's clean-up crew!