Decomposition
Decomposition is the engine of cycling - transforming dead matter into available nutrients.
Decomposition is biological warfare and collaborative feast happening simultaneously. A fallen tree becomes battleground where thousands of species compete for resources while inadvertently cooperating to unlock nutrients. Without this chaotic, competitive, collaborative process, nutrients would accumulate in dead tissues, unavailable for living organisms.
Decomposition proceeds through overlapping stages: Physical fragmentation (invertebrates mechanically break apart tissues), Enzymatic digestion (fungi and bacteria secrete enzymes breaking down complex molecules), Mineralization (microorganisms release inorganic nutrients through respiration and waste), and Humus formation (recalcitrant compounds accumulate as long-term storage).
Business Application of Decomposition
Decomposition is the engine of cycling - transforming dead matter into available nutrients. Decomposition rates depend on chemical composition (simple sugars decompose in days, lignin in decades), environmental conditions (warm, moist, aerobic conditions favor decomposition), and nutrient content (high nitrogen materials decompose faster).