Decomposers can recycle dead plants and animals into chemical nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen that are released back into the soil, air and water as food for living plants and animals. So, decomposers can recycle dead plants and animals and help keep the flow of nutrients available in the environment. Decomposers and scavengers break down dead plants and animals. They also break down the waste of other organisms. Decomposers are very important for any ecosystem. If they weren't in the ecosystem, the plants would not get essential nutrients, and dead matter and waste would pile up.
