Isopods are important detritivores that are able to digest leaves because of bacteria that live in their gut.

Isopods are very sensitive to environmental impacts, ranging from increases in carbon dioxide to the presence of industrial waste. For this reason, they are being used by scientists as biological indicators of ecosystem health.

Isopods are often a nuisance in houses, which they enter seeking cool, moist places. They are often found in basements but they do not cause any damage to clothes, books, or other human materials.

Because isopods feed on tender foliage, stems, and roots of young plants, they cause damage to vegetable transplants. They also feed on cucumbers, causing blemishes and deformed growth.