Saprophytes:
use non-living organic material.
important scavengers in ecosystems.
Along with bacteria, fungi are important in recycling Carbon, Nitrogen, and essential mineral nutrients.
Notes:
Saprophytic fungi, along with some bacteria, are the great recyclers in nature. Of course, recycling is important because it involves the breakdown of complex materials, like cellulose and lignin and complexed minerals, into simple molecules that can be used by fungi and other organisms