Final answer:
Decomposers and detritivores are crucial for the nutrient cycling and stability of ecosystems by breaking down dead material and waste, thereby releasing essential elements like carbon and nitrogen back into the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Decomposers and detritivores are essential parts of all food webs due to their role in recycling nutrients and maintaining ecosystem stability. Decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms and animal wastes, leading to the release of nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen. These elements are vital for plant growth and the overall functioning of the ecosystem. The decomposition process also allows for the cycling of nutrients back into the environment, making them accessible to living organisms.
Detritivores, such as certain invertebrates, contribute similarly by consuming organic detritus and releasing nutrients back into the soil, which can be taken up by plants. Thus, these organisms underpin the detrital food web, which operates alongside the grazing food web within ecosystems. Without the actions of decomposers and detritivores, nutrients would remain locked within dead material, halting the continuation of life cycles in the ecosystem.