chloe.kesey
Composting
The picture above is of an enormous composting pile next to the Research Greenhouse at UMD. From my estimation it is about 7 ft tall, and 8 ft wide. People bring any soil, plants, or food left over from their research at the greenhouse and they throw it into the compost pile. Composting is the natural process of decomposition of plants and food into organic matter that can fertilize plants and soil. While everything alive decomposes eventually, composting speeds up the process because the heat from the dead material stacked in a heap speeds up the metabolic process and creates an ideal environment for bacteria and fungus (Hu). Decomposition is the first stage of nutrient recycling of plant or animal bodies, where dead tissue is broken down and turned into simpler organic forms. Decomposers are the animals (such as earthworms and maggots), fungus, or bacteria that aid in the decomposition process (Featherstone et al.).
Composting relates to Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns- meaning that we need to minimize our use of natural resources, and cut down on the waste and pollutants we produce (United Nations). By composting, you are taking what many people would throw out in the trash, and instead of producing waste, you turn it into something beneficial to plants and soils. Which also rids the need to buy fertilizer and cuts down on consumption.
Featherstone, A. et al. (2021). Decomposition and Decay. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/habitats-and-ecology/ecology/decomposition-and-decay.
Hu, S. (2020, July 20). Composting 101. NRDC. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101.
Sustainable Development Goals: 12 Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. United Nations. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12.
Composting
The picture above is of an enormous composting pile next to the Research Greenhouse at UMD. From my estimation it is about 7 ft tall, and 8 ft wide. People bring any soil, plants, or food left over from their research at the greenhouse and they throw it into the compost pile. Composting is the natural process of decomposition of plants and food into organic matter that can fertilize plants and soil. While everything alive decomposes eventually, composting speeds up the process because the heat from the dead material stacked in a heap speeds up the metabolic process and creates an ideal environment for bacteria and fungus (Hu). Decomposition is the first stage of nutrient recycling of plant or animal bodies, where dead tissue is broken down and turned into simpler organic forms. Decomposers are the animals (such as earthworms and maggots), fungus, or bacteria that aid in the decomposition process (Featherstone et al.).
Composting relates to Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns- meaning that we need to minimize our use of natural resources, and cut down on the waste and pollutants we produce (United Nations). By composting, you are taking what many people would throw out in the trash, and instead of producing waste, you turn it into something beneficial to plants and soils. Which also rids the need to buy fertilizer and cuts down on consumption.
Featherstone, A. et al. (2021). Decomposition and Decay. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/habitats-and-ecology/ecology/decomposition-and-decay.
Hu, S. (2020, July 20). Composting 101. NRDC. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101.
Sustainable Development Goals: 12 Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. United Nations. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12.