saprobionty
Saprobionty are organisms that obtain energy and nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter. They are the decomposers that drive the breakdown of litter, fallen biomass, and other detritus, returning inorganic nutrients to the ecosystem and contributing to humus formation. In many sources the term emphasizes organisms whose primary resource is dead material, in contrast to parasites or obligate symbionts.
The principal saprobionts are microorganisms—fungi, bacteria, and to a lesser extent certain protozoa and invertebrates. Fungi
Ecological role and environmental factors: Saprobionts facilitate nutrient cycling by releasing inorganic nutrients that plants can