He rauropi ka nakunaku, ka whakangāwherewhere i ngā matū pararopi. Hei tauira, he kaiwhakapopo te hekaheka, te noke me ētahi huakita. He wāhi nui tonu tō te kaiwhakapopo i roto i te pūnaha hauropi, inā ka tukuna e ia he matū matua ki te kōhauhau, ki te oneone rānei (pērā i te hauota [N] me te waro [C]).
An organism that digests and breaks down organic matter. Fungi, earthworms and some bacteria are examples of decomposers. Decomposers play an important role in the ecosystem in releasing essential chemicals into the atmosphere or the earth, such as nitrogen and carbon.