The world would be a different place without decomposers Dead plants trees and animals would just lie there Manure piles would build up More and more organic matter would clutter Earth’s surface and important resources wouldn’t be recycled for future organisms to use 6 frogs foxes snakes birds rodents insects leaves fruit and nuts grass fungi worms bacteria Food chains combine and intertwine to create food webs like this one As you can see the web of life can be complicated with different organisms often playing more than one role Decomposer vs Scavenger What’s the difference between a decomposer and a scavenger Scavengers eat dead things breaking them into smaller pieces Vultures hyenas and even raccoons are examples of scavengers Decomposers such as bacteria and fungi take it one step further than scavengers they convert organic matter into basic chemicals that can reenter the soil
All organic matter is eventually turned into compost When we humans get involved in composting we can help speed up the process By supplying decomposers with the right environment and balance of ingredients what might take years in nature can happen in months or even weeks leaves woody materials grass food scraps manures compost water air compost happens macro-organisms earthworms insects etc micro-organisms bacteria fungi microbes 7
Composting is amazingly good for the environment When compost is mixed with soil it adds nutrients vital for life It also improves the soil’s structure making nutrients water and oxygen more accessible All of these things help plants grow In turn healthy strong plants clean the air help stabilize the soil and feed other creatures By sorting organic matter from other trash and composting them we can Sorting it Out reduce the amount of waste going into landfills by 60 percent or more When organic matter is dumped into a landfill it produces methane a powerful greenhouse gas By keeping organic matter out of landfills we can reduce the amount of methane We can also save on the fuel and electricity used to transport and process wastes All this while creating a valuable resource PAPER ORGANIC 8
TEAM COMPOST MEET THE PLAYERS Soil is teeming with life The types and numbers of organisms found in soil are astounding from microorganisms such as bacteria actinomycetes and fungi to more complex creatures such as nematodes earthworms snails and slugs All of these soil-dwelling organisms can also be found in a compost pile Whether in soil or compost they are part of a system that cycles nutrients through the environment bacteria hyphae protozoa 9 fungal 40,000 different species A Little Soil A Lot of Life What’s in a teaspoon about one gram of soil The answer depends on the type of soil The more organic matter a soil has the more life it can support Forest soils contain up to one billion bacteria about several hundred yards of fungal hyphae fungi are measured in length several hundred thousand several hundred nematodes Per square foot of soil there are also 10 25,000 insects 10 50 earthworms protozoa As organisms in the soil food web eat grow and move through the soil they contribute to clean water clean air and healthy plants
