Role of Fungi in Nature Decomposition

Try these questions

5 questions from this lesson’s quiz. Start the lesson to answer them and see the right answers.

1. 1. How do saprophytic fungi digest dead wood on the forest floor?

   • A. They chew the wood with tiny mouthparts and swallow it
   • B. They release enzymes onto the wood and then absorb the dissolved food
   • C. They use sunlight to make food from the wood
   • D. They wait for insects to digest the wood for them

2. 2. What would most likely happen in Kakamega Forest if all fungal decomposers suddenly disappeared?

   • A. Dead wood and leaves would vanish faster than before
   • B. Plants would grow faster because they would have more sunlight
   • C. Dead material would pile up and nutrients would stay locked inside it
   • D. The soil would become richer in humus

3. 3. What do we call an organism, such as a fungus, that feeds on and breaks down dead organic material?

   Type your answer in the lesson.

4. 4. A farmer in Kenya adds maize stalks to a compost pit. Which is the main benefit of fungi growing in the pit?

   • A. They make the maize stalks grow back into plants
   • B. They kill all the other organisms in the soil
   • C. They make the compost dry and hard
   • D. They break down the stalks into nutrient-rich manure for future crops

5. 5. Which statement correctly describes fungi in an ecosystem?

   • A. Fungi make their own food by photosynthesis, like green plants
   • B. Fungi return minerals such as nitrogen from dead matter to the soil
   • C. Fungi are producers because they grow in the soil
   • D. Fungi break down dead matter only when sunlight is present

More in Fungi

• ▸Spotting Fungi
• ▸Mushrooms, Toadstools, and Puffballs
• ▸Investigating Moulds
• ▸Microscopic Fungi Yeast
• ▸Harmful Fungi Diseases and Food Spoilage
• ▸Economic Importance Food Production
• ▸Economic Importance Medicine and Industry
• ▸Safety Precautions and Waste Disposal

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