Detritivore
Animals that feed on dead organic matter (detritus), fragmenting it and accelerating decomposition. Includes earthworms, millipedes, woodlice, and many aquatic invertebrates.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 3 chapters:
"...s, possibly because dominant species depend on complex food webs that collapse during catastrophes, while subordinate species exploit simpler niches (detritivores, scavengers). Narrow thermal/chemical tolerance: Species adapted to narrow temperature or oxygen ranges go extinct when environmental conditions..."
"Species don't neatly partition into modules but form densely interconnected networks with omnivores feeding at multiple levels, detritivores consuming dead organic matter directly, and complex indirect interactions where predators affect plant communities by controlling herbivore populatio..."
"... tropical forests within weeks; fungi decompose temperate forest logs over years to decades. Different specialists, different timescales. Stage 3: Detritivores (organisms that eat dead matter) (months to years) Invertebrates - earthworms, millipedes, springtails, mites - consume partially decomposed organ..."
Biological Context
Detritivores physically break down dead material, increasing surface area for microbial decomposition. They are distinct from decomposers (microbes) but work alongside them. Detritivores process enormous amounts of organic matter and are essential for soil formation and nutrient cycling.