What Are Decomposers in the Sahara Desert?
Examples of decomposers in the Sahara Desert include mushrooms, bacteria, beetles, earthworms and millipedes. Decomposers are at the bottom of the food chain and serve to decompose dead animals, dead plants and excrement by feeding off of these substances and returning them to the soil.
Because of the harsh environmental conditions of the Sahara, not many decomposers can survive. Mushrooms and bacteria are two of the most common decomposers in the Sahara. Bacteria are particularly suited for this environment because the particles are so small and they can survive in the air.
In a typical food chain, a plant, also known as a producer, is eaten by an animal, also known as a consumer. That animal, a herbivore consumer or primary consumer, is then eaten by another animal, a carnivore consumer or secondary consumer. The waste from the carnivore consumer is processed by the decomposers, which return the nutrients back into the soil so the plant can grow again. This cycle makes decomposers vital to the ecosystem. All of the plants, animals and decomposers in the Sahara have adapted to survive in the extreme environment.
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world and is located in North Africa, spanning nine countries.
