This is a photo of a worm. A worm is an example of a detritivore. A detritivore is an organism that gets its nutrients from detritus. Detritus is organic dead plant and animal matter. Some detritivores also receive nutrients from consuming feces, this is called coprophagy. Detritivores are important because they cycle nutrients. They play an important role in the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle, and some biogeochemical cycles. Trophic levels are a food chain of an ecosystem. Detritivores are present in all trophic levels because they feed on material from primary producers and also herbivores and carnivores. The worm in the photo is one of many detritivores. Worms are one of the most important types of detritivores because they take in a large amount of organic matter and soil. Once the worm digests the material, it releases a 'cast' from its rear end. This cast is a much more processed version of the original material. The cast is then consumed by other organisms. Other examples of detritivores are mites, beetles, butterflies, flies, slugs, snails, millipedes, and woodlice.
Editors. “Detritivore - Definition, Function and Examples.” Biology Dictionary, Biology Dictionary, 28 Apr. 2017,
biologydictionary.net/detritivore/.
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