decomposition

…and, because the foam retards biological degradation of organic material in sewage, it caused problems in sewage-water regeneration systems. In countries where sewage water is used for irrigation, the foam was also a problem. Intensive research in the 1960s led to changes in the alkylbenzene sulfonate molecules. The tetrapropylene, which…

…humans in that they help decompose dead plants and animals into substances that can be used by plants to manufacture new organic compounds. In both field and forest, as in ponds, rivers, and oceans, gastropods are an important part of the decomposer community, and some are significant predators.

…organisms are considered critical to decomposition and nutrient cycling and include fungi, certain bacteria, and funguslike organisms known as water molds (phylum Oomycota).

…from microscopic cells that digest decaying organic material to small mammals that live primarily on other soil organisms, play an important role in maintaining fertility, structure, drainage, and aeration of soil. They also break down plant and animal tissues, releasing stored nutrients and converting them into forms usable by plants.…

The process of decomposition of dead materials is of crucial importance to the continued health of the forest because plants depend on rapid recycling of mineral nutrients. Bacteria and fungi are primarily responsible for this process. Some saprophytic flowering plants that occur in tropical rainforests rely on decomposing…

…dead organic matter—approximately 30 percent—is decomposed through the feeding activities of termites. Thus, a significant proportion of released mineral nutrients may be stored for long periods in termite mounds where they are not readily available to plant roots. In savannas in Thailand it has been shown that soil fertility can…

…wood in savannas are quickly decomposed, primarily by termites, or burned, releasing mineral nutrients to be reused in subsequent production. This rapid nutrient turnover helps explain the relatively high productivity and therefore the diverse and abundant faunas typical of savannas.

These insects aid in wood decomposition and nutrient release. Some beetles have outer shells with specialized indentations specifically matched to the shape and size of the spores of wood-decomposing fungi. Fungal spores become securely lodged in these cuplike structures. As the beetles burrow into wood, they inoculate it with fungi.

…land use changes could enhance decomposition, leading to the release of increased amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere in the form of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. (For further discussion of biological productivity, see biosphere: The flow of energy.)