Decomposition

Decomposition occurred to the corpse of this bear’s head that I found in the woods of Virginia on February 17, 2017. Decomposition is the process where non-living organic substances changes its arrangements or break down to smaller matter. Decomposition is a part of the nutrient cycle but in order for the plants to uptake the nutrients, they have to be released from the organic matter.

 

Decomposition takes place in three stages. Detritivores, small organisms that feed on dead organic matter, bacteria, and fungi are always required to break down the dead organic matter. The first active stage of decomposition is leaching by water. Leaching removes loose compounds like sugars and free amino acids. The second stage is fragmentation by animals. The surface are of the detritus for microbial colonization is made possible my animals like worms, rodents, and wood lice that assist in breaking down more loose fractions. The third stage of decomposition is chemical breakdown. Microbes break down compounds that are resistant to change. Without detritivores and decomposers, decomposition is nearly impossible. Eventually, mineralization occurs and organic matter material is transformed into inorganic material. Now, the nutrients are available for plants to use.

 

 

Sources:

aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/landscape/dont-bag-...

blog.brightagrotech.com/nutrient-cycling-and-decomposition/

 

 

Done