ABSTRACT
Decomposition is the progressive breakdown of organic matter ultimately into inorganic constituents. In soils, the decomposition of organic matter, such as plant, microbial, and animal remains and metabolic wastes, is mediated by decomposer organisms, which derive energy and nutrients from the organic matter. The majority of decomposer organisms exploit organic matter for the energy in the chemical bonds of the organic molecules as well as for the nutrients, such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), they contain. The release of inorganic C from the organic matter as CO2 through the respiration of decomposer organisms is the major return route of C to the atmosphere as CO2, balancing the flux of CO2 from the atmosphere into biomass through photosynthesis. Since CO2 is relatively simple to detect, many studies of terrestrial decomposition use CO2 as the principal indicator of decomposition. However, mass loss of the original resource is also widely used, though it can often be difficult to separate mass loss from the original organic matter and the resynthesis of decomposer biomass and
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 53 3.2 Decomposition and Turnover ................................................................... 54 3.3 Factors Affecting Decomposition ............................................................ 55
3.3.1 Resource Quality ............................................................................ 56 3.3.2 Environmental Factors .................................................................. 57 3.3.3 Presence and Activity of Organisms ........................................... 61
3.4 Can Ecological Principles Be Applied to Forensic Investigations? ..... 62 References .............................................................................................................. 64
to detect mass loss in the terminal phase of decay when discrete remains have all but disappeared.
