Everything is Delectable to

Decomposers!
MATERIALS
• Compost bin (home made 3-4 weeks in advance from 2 rubbermaid
containers- 1.5 x 1.25’ with 1 cm holes drilled in top and bottom, red
worms-Eisenia foetida, 5-6” of shredded up newspaper, adequate
amount of brown and green organic material- stuff from yard and food
scraps)- $40.00
• Tablespoon scoop- $1.95
• 5 petri dishes
• 5 dissecting microscopes
• Prepared earthworm display- $8.95
• Button mushrooms (grown from culture kit)- $27.95
• Bacillus prepared slide (x5)- $18.75
• 5 compound microscopes
• Sunchips® bag (100% compostable)- $2.98
• Display signs (x 4)
• Screen mesh 6 x 6” squares- $35.99
• Elmer’s glue- $3.00
• Blender- $14.95
• Wax paper- $5.97
• Paper (students will get out of recycling bin)
• Wildflower seed blend- $7.95
• Gloves
• Sharpie markers
($168.44 total for new items)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Identify types of saprotrophs
• Describe why decomposers are important to the environment
• Describe the process and importance of composting
• Identify items that can and cannot be composted
• Make a 100% compostable product

INTRODUCTION
Saprotrophs are organisms that eat dead plant and animal material and
the waste of other organisms. They are very important to ecosystems because
they provide essential nutrients to plants through the breakdown of organic
matter. Without decomposers, plants would not have access to vital nutrients
and dead matter and waste would pile up. In fact, if decomposers did not
exist, within a month the earth would be covered in a layer of dead flies
almost twenty feet deep! Saprotrophs live everywhere and come in many
shapes and sizes. Saprotrophs are categorized into two groups: scavengers and
decomposers.
Scavengers are animals that actively look for dead plants and animals
and break this material into small pieces. Flies, cockroaches, wasps, and
earthworms are all scavengers; however, earthworms only break down plant
material (they cannot decompose animal protein). Earthworms aerate soil and
allow air, water and nutrients to reach deep into the soil. They digest and
release castings from the soil they eat containing dead organic material.
Castings contain many nutrients that plants can assimilate.
Decomposers are organisms that “finish” the job of scavengers by
completely breaking down dead matter into chemical nutrients that can be
assimilated by other living plants and animals. A vast majority of decomposers
are microscopic organisms, or microbes. Bacteria are very efficient
decomposers and can be found in every environment on earth, providing their
“recycling” services to ecosystems and reducing build up of decaying material.
Bacteria are extremely numerous; it is impossible to estimate the number of
different species on earth. We do know that there are many different roles
they can fill in an ecosystem as decomposers. Fungi (singular: fungus) are
simple organisms that cannot be classified as plants because they do not have
chlorophyll and cannot make their own food. They are also not considered
animals because they are incapable of ingesting food. Fungi come in the forms
of molds, mildews, yeasts, and mushrooms. Mushrooms are commonly seen
growing on or around dead organic material; as they grow, they break down
dead plant and animal material and return molecular nutrients to the soil.
During this process, mushrooms also release CO2 into the atmosphere, which is
then used in the photosynthesis process of other plants.
Recently, the practice of do-it-yourself composting has become popular.
Composting is the process of gathering dead plant and animal materials and
letting them decompose aerobically into a rich black soil (called compost soil).
The compost soil acts as a fertilizer for low quality soils, adding nutrients and
holding moisture where it is added. There are many things that can go into a
home made composting bin including fruits and vegetables, paper products and
packaging, cardboard, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds, leaves and grass
clippings and any other plant products. Not all food products can be
composted; items to avoid are meat and dairy products, oily foods, and grains
(these cause odors to form). Items that go into a compost bin should be added
as small scraps or cut or torn into small (less than 1”) pieces before being
added. This shortens the process of decomposition and makes food more
available for small decomposers!

RELATION TO OTHER LABS

This lab relates to Lichen and the Environment (Lab 7) by discussing
fungi in a way that reiterates that fungi uptake nutrients and water from their
environments. It also builds on the Building Green lab (Lab 4) by elaborating
on the concept of composting. We will be using the recycle bins for paper to
make the compostable product, which will be located by students (they should
know where to find one based on the Building Green lab). We will also be using
both the dissecting and compound microscopes, which reinforces the
Environmental Microscopy lab (Lab 5). Important terms for this lab are bolded.

PART A
Students will listen to instructor go over the process used to make the
homemade compost bin on display at the instructor bench and follow along
with the diagram (figure) of the compost bin in their lab manuals. The
instructor will describe the organisms inside the bin, how they got there
(colonized naturally), and the process of decomposition inside the bin
(visualized in the diagram). There will also be a sign that students can look at
and read regarding making a compost bin at home. Students will then take a
petri dish with a cover and scoop a tablespoon or two of composted material
from the bin. They will take the dish back to their benches and quantify the
total number of organisms found and the total number of different taxa (they
will do their best to guess at this). This will allow students to see the diversity
of decomposers. Students will describe each type of organism they find and
tally the individuals in a table (similar to the tables for part B of Lab 9: Aquatic
Ecology).

Table 1. Sample Table for Part A.

Description of Organism Total Individuals in Sample
EXAMPLE OF SIGN BY COMPOST BIN AT INSTRUCTOR BENCH
PART B
Four stations will be set up around the classroom on the side and back
counters. The first station will be a prepared lengthwise dissection of an
earthworm. Students can view the real earthworm dissection and see the parts
in real life. A laptop computer will also be set up beside this station with the
following video set up on it. VIRTUAL WORM TOUR (VIDEO):
http://www.plantwatch.ca/english/wormwatch/virtual_worm/index.html.
This video has a section that goes through a worm’s digestive system and has
great and easy to follow information (skip intro and click “digestive system”).
Students will watch the virtual tour of the worm’s digestive system and
complete the activity on the screen at the end. The same picture can be
printed in the lab manual under this section for students to fill in the blanks of
the worm’s digestive organs. Questions in the review can include “When do
earthworms eat?” & “Do earthworms use bacteria to help them decompose
organic material?” Students can view the different organs of the earthworm
used to process soil and organic matter into castings. Students will also be
encouraged to look at live worms in the compost bin on display on the
instructor bench.
The second station will be a live culture of button mushrooms. Students
can view the mushrooms growing in their moist decaying matter. There will be
an information card reiterating the information from the introduction to the
lab about fungi, their biology, and their importance to ecosystem health.
There will be questions under this section that can be answered by reading the
info card (“What are fungi cells called?” & “How do fungi reproduce?”).
The third station will be prepared Bacillus spp. slides. Students will draw they
bacteria they see in slides. Beside the slides will be an information card about
various bacteria and their environments. There will be questions in the review
for this station that can be answered from reading the info card.
The fourth and final station will be a Sunchips® 100% compostable bag.
The information card will discuss how compostable or natural products are
becoming more popular and the process that this bag will go through to
completely decompose when thrown away. This will be the final station with
questions for the students to answer (“What makes this bag compostable?” and
“How long will it take this bag to completely decompose?”).
 EARTHWORMS

There are over 1,800 species of earthworms! Earthworms need

moist environments to survive. If they dry out, they have trouble
burrowing into the soil and they will die.

When worms eat organic material, they also take in soil and tiny
pebbles. The waste is then excreted in the form of casts. Casts
are rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. In
addition to breaking down organic materials and adding nutrients
to the soil, earthworms help loosen the soil so air can circulate;
this also helps plants grow.

Earthworms are a crucial component to the composting process.

They live about 4.5 years and can consume up to one third of
their own body weight every day. Under ideal conditions, the
worms will recycle their own weight in wastes every 24 hours!
 BUTTON MUSHROOMS (Agaricus bisporus)
Mushrooms are fungi. All fungi have the following characteristics:
eukaryotic, grow by extending filamentous cells (hyphae) or by
budding, obtain nutrients by absorption, have no chlorophyll, and
reproduce via spores

The basic cell type of the majority of fungi is the hypha (plural
hyphae), which look like thin tubes. Hyphae are designed for
success in many different environments. When many hyphae
grow together in a mass, this forms the basic “body” of a fungus
called a mycelium. Mushrooms are the reproductive structures
produced by members of fungi known as the Basidiomycota (or
Basidiomycetes). The part of the mushroom we see functions to
produce and release spores for reproduction.

Fungi spend most of the time underground or in decaying wood;

these surroundings are not ideal for the dispersal of spores. A
fungus needs to make large numbers of spores to increase the
probability that the spores will find new sources of nutrients to
decompose. The mushroom serves this purpose well by rising
above the substrate to get its spores into the air. A few fungi
are parasites and have cause extensive damage on important
crop species.
 Bacillus spp.

Bacteria are among the smallest forms of life on Earth. In fact,

you may have up to 100 million bacteria in your body right now!
They range from single spherical cells to straight or curved rod-
shaped cells, to filamentous cells. Bacterial decomposers can be
found anywhere there is dead organic matter (dead plants and
animals or their waste). Most decomposer bacteria grow by
simple binary fission resulting in more individuals; filamentous
bacteria grow by apical extension.

In just one spoonful of rich, dark soil there are more bacterial
organisms than there are human beings on the planet earth!
 SUNCHIPS® 100% COMPOSTABLE BAG

Frito Lay recently released a chip bag for a brand of chip they
produce made from 100% plant-based materials. The idea is that
instead of being thrown away in a landfill, consumers can compost
the bag and it will fully biodegrade. However, if the bags are
thrown away, they will decompose, leaving less trash in the landfill.
They conducted a series of tests to see if the product would work.
They showed that under aerobic compost conditions when the
temperature was maintained above 130°F, bags broke down in
about 12-16 weeks (common in commercial composting facilities).
They also tested the bag in a homemade composter which is not
maintained at those temperatures, much like the one we have in
class. They found that the bag was fully biodegraded in 13 weeks!

Before the SunChips® compostable bag could be released to the

public it had to pass ASTM D6400 industrial composting standards.
The test checks for heavy metals, ecotoxicity, and makes sure that
the product reaches a certain level of biodegradation. SunChips®
compostable bag passed and was certified “industrial compostable”
by the Biodegradable Products Institute.
PART C
Students will be asked to go collect paper from the recycling bins
outside the classroom (white or colored). They will take this paper and shred
it up into small pieces, put it into a blender on the side counter, and add a
small amount of water and glue to the paper (enough to make a pulp when
blended). Each student will take a scoop or two from the blender and put the
pulp onto a pre-cut sheet of wire mesh. They will cover the pulp with a second
sheet of wire mesh and press the pulp into a thin layer (to make a piece of
paper). They will take the top mesh off the pulp and take a pinch of
wildflower seeds from the provided dish. Seeds will be sprinkled onto pulp, the
mesh replaced and pressed into the pulp until the paper is desired thickness
(each student’s paper will be unique). The papers can then be placed in
between layers of wax paper, the wax paper labeled with a sharpie marker,
and placed at the back of the room to dry (they will be picked up the following
week). The instructor will explain how the paper, if thrown away, will
decompose and release the wildflower seeds that will germinate and grow.
Students will be encouraged to bury their paper and see how long it takes
seeds to grow out of the decomposing paper.

ASSESSMENT
Discussion and questions will be encouraged to get students thinking
about what products that are currently trashed or recycled could in fact be
returned to the soil to help plants grow. Workbook points will be assigned so
that student’s work can be checked during the lab to ensure that students
comprehend the important points of the lab. Interest should be able to be
visually assessed by how involved the students are at making the paper and
coming up with products that could be composted.

Possible review or quiz questions could be:

1. How many types of bacteria live in our digestive tracts and

help our bodies decompose food matter?
2. What is the waste (poop) of earthworms called?
3. Why are decomposers important to the environment?
4. What are the two types of saprotrophs we discussed in lab?
5. Why are earthworms important to the composting process?
6. What are the essential elements of a compost bin?
7. Are all fungi mushrooms??
8. Are all fungi helpful to other plants?
9. What is the difference between a scavenger and a decomposer?
10. True or False. Decomposition is faster in a hot moist
environment.

WRAP-UP
Students will be expected to unplug and clean microscopes with the
proper equipment as learned from Lab 5. Blender and wire mesh will be rinsed
out in the side sinks and gloves thrown away. All unused paper will go back
into the recycling and soil taken from compost bin will be put back into bin.
The main points of the lab will be reviewed the following week when students
pick up their compostable product and any further questions can be asked at
that time.
REFERENCES
http://www.howtocompost.org/info/info_wormfaq.asp
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~rlenet/Earthworms.html
http://www.carolina.com/category/life+science/microscope+slides/moneran+s
lides.do?s_cid=ppc_gl_moneranslides&gclid=CMKu7dDplqECFQcQswodbB3mNw
www.org.northwestern.edu
http://mycology.suite101.com/article.cfm/introduction_to_mushrooms#ixzz0lj
RoOyWc
http://mycology.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_fungal_kingdom#ixzz0ljUkNzxP
http://mycology.suite101.com/article.cfm/introduction_to_mushrooms#ixzz0lj
VzQhGr
http://academics.uww.edu/cni/webquest/HallOfFame/decomposers/decompo
ser.htm
http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html
http://www.sunchips.com/healthier_planet.shtml
http://www.sunchips.com/resources/pdf/SunChips_BehindtheScenes.pdf