● The `color{brown}("detritus food chain (DFC)")` begins with dead organic matter.
● It is made up of `color{brown}("decomposers")` which are `color{violet}("heterotrophic organisms,")` mainly fungi and bacteria.
● They meet their `color{violet}("energy")` and `color{violet}("nutrient requirements")` by `color{violet}("degrading dead")` organic matter or `color{violet}("detritus.")`
● These are also known as `color{brown}("saprotrophs")` (sapro: to decompose).
● `color{violet}("Decomposers secrete digestive enzymes")` that breakdown `color{violet}("dead")` and `color{violet}("waste materials")` into simple, inorganic materials, which are subsequently absorbed by them.
● In an `color{brown}("aquatic ecosystem,")` GFC is the major conduit for energy flow.
● As against this, in a `color{brown}("terrestrial ecosystem,")` a much `color{violet}("larger fraction ")` of energy flows through the `color{violet}("detritus food chain")` than through the GFC.
● `color{violet}("Detritus food chain")` may be connected with the `color{violet}("grazing food chain")` at some levels: some of the organisms of DFC are prey to the GFC animals, and in a `color{violet}("natural ecosystem")`, some animals like cockroaches, crows, etc., are omnivores.
● These natural interconnection of `color{violet}("food chains")` make it a `color{brown}("food web.")`
● The `color{brown}("detritus food chain (DFC)")` begins with dead organic matter.
● It is made up of `color{brown}("decomposers")` which are `color{violet}("heterotrophic organisms,")` mainly fungi and bacteria.
● They meet their `color{violet}("energy")` and `color{violet}("nutrient requirements")` by `color{violet}("degrading dead")` organic matter or `color{violet}("detritus.")`
● These are also known as `color{brown}("saprotrophs")` (sapro: to decompose).
● `color{violet}("Decomposers secrete digestive enzymes")` that breakdown `color{violet}("dead")` and `color{violet}("waste materials")` into simple, inorganic materials, which are subsequently absorbed by them.
● In an `color{brown}("aquatic ecosystem,")` GFC is the major conduit for energy flow.
● As against this, in a `color{brown}("terrestrial ecosystem,")` a much `color{violet}("larger fraction ")` of energy flows through the `color{violet}("detritus food chain")` than through the GFC.
● `color{violet}("Detritus food chain")` may be connected with the `color{violet}("grazing food chain")` at some levels: some of the organisms of DFC are prey to the GFC animals, and in a `color{violet}("natural ecosystem")`, some animals like cockroaches, crows, etc., are omnivores.
● These natural interconnection of `color{violet}("food chains")` make it a `color{brown}("food web.")`