Lesson 2 of 11
Producers, consumers and decomposers
Show on a big screenA plant, a fish and bacteria share one pond. What job does each one do?
Step 1 of 4
- A plant, a fish and bacteria live in one pond.
- The plant is a producer. It makes its own food, using sunlight.
- The fish is a consumer. It eats plants or other animals.
- Bacteria are decomposers. They feed on dead matter.
Switch each job off. See what stops.
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Without there is no food. Without , dead matter piles up.
New words
- Producer — a living thing that makes its own food, using sunlight.
- Consumer — a living thing that eats plants or other animals for food.
- Decomposer — a living thing that feeds on dead matter. Bacteria and fungi are decomposers.
- Nutrients — the substances plants take from the soil to grow.
The rule
A makes its own food, using sunlight. A gets food by eating plants or other animals. A feeds on dead matter and returns to the soil.
| Part | Job |
|---|---|
| A water plant | Producer |
| A fish | Consumer |
| A mushroom on a dead log | Decomposer |
A garden works the same way. A rose bush is the . A bee visiting it is a . Bacteria and fungi (mushrooms and moulds) in the soil are .
The three jobs fit together. If one job stops, the others suffer. With no , dead leaves pile up. The soil gets fewer .
Try the lab to finish this lesson.