Decomposition
This lesson explores decomposition within leaf litter and how decomposers are part of the food web.
All living things will eventually die but this is just the beginning, as the decay and decomposition (rot) which follows provides material for other new life.
When an organism dies, bacteria and fungi both work to break down the organism. This is called decomposition.
There are thousands of types of bacteria and single-celled fungi that live in the soil, while other decomposers live in the guts of dead animals or in the leaves.
Insects, worms and other invertebrates will join in with the decomposition process after the bacteria and fungi have kicked things off.
“Life would end without rot,” observes ecologist Knute Nadelhoffer. “Decomposition releases the chemicals that are critical for life. Decomposers mine them from the dead so that these recycled materials can feed the living.”
Carbon is the most important element recycled by decomposition. Following death, carbon is released into the air, soil and water through the decomposition process. Living things capture this liberated carbon to build new life. Scientists call this the carbon cycle.