The rainforest floor is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves called leaf litter. Millions of insects, tiny creatures and fungi help to break down the leaves. Anything that falls to the forest floor is not there for long!
Everything that falls to the ground is recycled.
The hot, wet conditions in the rainforest are perfect for rotting, or decomposing. Insects and fungi help to break down dead plants and animals into simple nutrients. These are quickly absorbed by the shallow roots of trees and plants. Rainforests are so good at recycling that 99 percent of nutrients never leave the cycle!
This rainforest fungus recycles dead animals and plants.
There are about 70,000 species of rainforest fungi. They come in different colours, shapes and sizes – some even glow in the dark! Unlike most plants in the rainforest, fungi cannot use sunlight to make their food. Instead, they feed on dead plants and animals.
This termite eats wood!
Termites play a very important role in recycling rainforest nutrients. They break down 30 per cent of the rainforest leaf litter. They are specially adapted so that they can digest cellulose, the material from which wood and plants are made. Termites live in huge colonies and build mounds from mud that can measure up to six metes tall.