Final answer:
If decomposers were removed from an ecosystem, it would severely disrupt the ecosystem's stability and functioning. Nutrient recycling would be halted, leading to a shortage of nutrients for producers, impacting their growth and productivity. The absence of decomposers would also limit the availability of essential elements like carbon and nitrogen, affecting the survival of organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
If decomposers, the organisms that chemically break down dead plant and animal material, were removed from an ecosystem, it would have a significant negative impact on the ecosystem's stability and functioning. Decomposers play a crucial role in recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Without decomposers, the dead organisms and wastes would accumulate, and the nutrients within them would not be released back into the environment. This would lead to a shortage of nutrients for producers, affecting their growth and overall productivity.
Additionally, carbon and nitrogen, essential elements for building organic compounds and cells, would become insufficient, limiting the growth and survival of organisms in the ecosystem. Other necessary nutrients would also become scarce, further impacting the functioning of the ecosystem.
Essentially, the removal of decomposers would disrupt biogeochemical cycles and threaten the existence of many organisms within the ecosystem.