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Updated: Jun 14
Last month was International Compost Awareness Week, and I wrote all about the joys and rewards of my composting systems. But it got me thinking about how nature deals with waste? The answer lies in one of nature’s most powerful processes: decomposition.
It’s Fungi Time!
This time of year on our farm, something magical starts to happen - beautiful fungi start popping up through the soil! And everywhere I walk, I see signs of nature’s recycling system in action: animal droppings (especially roo poo!), fallen leaves and even the occasional animal carcass. Poo, leaf litter and dead animals it might not sound like nature's beauty, but decomposition is one of the most efficient, fascinating and important systems in the natural world. And, I just love seeing it in action on our farm!
The soil is alive with creatures - many of them so tiny we can't see them. As an avid citizen scientist, I often think about how the food chain works, and what eats what - and when I see a dead animal slowly disappear back into the earth, I’m reminded that decomposition is just as important as growth.
So What Exactly Is Decomposition in Nature?
Decomposition is the natural breakdown of dead organic matter - plants, animals, waste - into simpler substances. This process is carried out by a whole team of living organisms called decomposers: bacteria, fungi, insects, worms, and other invertebrates. They’re nature’s cleanup crew!
These creatures feed on dead plants, animals, and animal waste, breaking them down and releasing vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium back into the soil. This keeps the nutrient cycle going and ensures that plants can grow, herbivores have food, and the entire ecosystem stays in balance.
Why Decomposition Matters
The best way to answer this questions is to ask - What if there were no decomposers?
Dead animals, leaves, and poo would pile up.
Nutrients would stay trapped in waste and not return to the soil.
Plants wouldn’t grow as well.
Herbivores would struggle to find food.
Carnivores would follow…
In short, the food chain would begin to collapse.
But thanks to decomposers, none of that happens. They keep ecosystems healthy and self-sustaining. The work they do might not be something we think about often, but it’s absolutely essential and incredibly impressive.
From Fur to Bone in Days
One of the most fascinating things to observe is how quickly nature can break things down. An animal carcass on our farm can go from fur to bare bones in a matter of a week or two, especially with the help of scavengers like our local wedge-tailed eagles and other birds of prey.
And the decomposers? They get to work straight away - from flies laying eggs that become maggots, to beetles and worms all doing their part.
Meet the Devil’s Coach Horse
One decomposer I found recently had the BEST and most fitting name I’ve ever heard: the Devil’s Coach Horse! (Creophilus erythrocephalus in latin). When I saw this red headed eerie looking critter, I took a photo and uploaded it to iNaturalist, to learn some more. This beetle is a fearless little predator that lives in rotting carcasses and eats maggots (fly larvae). You can see in this photo it was enjoying a feast of feasts - it was so fascinating to watch the food chain in action. Even decomposers, it turns out, are part of the food web!
Teaching Kids to Love All Insects (Even Flies!)
When I’m running Bee Incursion Programs for kids, I always remind them: all insects play an important role, even the ones we might find annoying - like flies. Without them, we wouldn’t have maggots to help break down waste, and that means nutrients wouldn’t get recycled.
It’s one of my biggest passions is helping kids become the next generation of nature stewards who understand, respect, and love how nature works. When we understand processes like decomposition, we begin to see how everything is connected and how even a fly on a piece of poo is doing its part to keep the planet healthy!
Want to learn more about nature’s incredible systems?
Follow along with Friends with Honey for more stories from our farm, interesting insects, and educational programs for all ages.
