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Glite Dictionary
detritivorous

detritivorous

9.9
A living thing that eats dead plant and animal matter, like earthworms
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈtraɪtɪvərəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : detritívoro
  • The health of the forest soil depends on various detritivorous insects that process organic matter.

Examples

  • The replacement of native catchment vegetation by exotic plant species could alter or perhaps entirely change the species composition of detritivorous sediment biota in streams.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Many detritivorous organisms play a crucial role in breaking down dead plant material in the ecosystem.

  • The huge stocks of detritivorous haplochromines observed before the collapse of the 1980s might have been at least partly a reflection of the increase in primary productivity.

    Academic text (1992)

  • For example, the diversity of above-sediment primary producers near wetlands may be linked to the diversity of detritivorous sediment biota because detritivores influence nutrient regeneration.

    Academic text (2000)

  • In aquatic environments, detritivorous species help recycle nutrients by consuming decaying matter.

Synonyms

saprophytic
vsdetritivorous
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Getting food by breaking down dead plants and animals

places emphasis on being part of ecosystem recycling rather than nutrition
necrophilic
vsdetritivorous
  • Specialized
9.9

Living on or feeding on dead plants and animals

focuses on feeding as part of ecological decomposition rather than mere attraction

Surface Forms

detritivorous positive

Morphology

detritivorous = detritivore (semi-transparent) = detritus + vore + ous

The adjective is a regular derivation from the specialized noun 'detritivore' with -ous, but the detritus/vore base is technical and not readily inferable for most learners.

Etymology

Detritivorous comes from the Latin detritus, meaning 'dead bits' or 'debris', and the part -vorous from Latin vorare, meaning 'to eat' (the same eating root in carnivorous and voracious). So a detritivorous animal or insect eats dead plant and animal material and helps recycle nutrients in nature.