Saprotrophic bacteria

Saprotrophic bacteria are bacteria that are typically soil-dwelling and utilize saprotrophic nutrition as their primary energy source. They are often associated with soil fungi that also use saprotrophic nutrition and both are classified as saprotrophs.

A saprotroph is a type of decomposer that feeds exclusively on dead and decaying plant matter. Saprotrophic organisms include fungi, bacteria, and water molds which are critical to decomposition and nutrient cycling, providing nutrition for consumers at higher trophic levels. They obtain nutrients via absorptive nutrition, in which nutrients are digested by a variety of enzymes and subsequently secreted by the saprotroph.

Community composition and proliferation rates of saprotrophic indicator bacteria are often considered signals of community health in soil, aquatic, and bodily systems.