Fungi that are saprophytes are an important part of the ecosystem because
they are the source of food for the secondary consumers
they are the decomposers and clean up all of the waste materialc
they are the producers
they are parasites on plants and animals

They are the decomposers and clean up all of the waste material.

Explanation:

Fungi are the saprophytic organisms which means they obtain their food from the dead and decaying organic matter generated by the decomposition of plants and animals matter in the soil. The fungal colonies grows over the decaying matter and helps in it's decomposition. This way the fungi act as biological cleaning agents which clean up the biological waste from the soil.

that scientist would be robert hooke