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  2. Decomposition - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition

    Prime decomposers are bacteria or fungi, though larger scavengers also play an important role in decomposition if the body is accessible to insects, mites and other animals. Additionally, [ 3 ] soil animals are considered key regulators of decomposition at local scales but their role at larger scales is unresolved.

  3. Biogeochemical cycle - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogeochemical_cycle

    The cycles are interconnected and play important roles regulating climate, supporting the growth of plants, phytoplankton and other organisms, and maintaining the health of ecosystems generally. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and using large amounts of fertilizer can disrupt cycles, contributing to climate change, pollution, and ...

  4. Decomposer - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposer

    Decomposers are organisms that break down dead organisms and release the nutrients from the dead matter into the environment around them. Decomposition relies on chemical processes similar to digestion in animals; in fact, many sources use the words digestion and decomposition interchangeably. [ 1 ]

  5. Detritivore - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritivore

    Fungi, acting as decomposers, are important in today's terrestrial environment. During the Carboniferous period , fungi and bacteria had yet to evolve the capacity to digest lignin , and so large deposits of dead plant tissue accumulated during this period, later becoming the fossil fuels .

  6. Ecosystem - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem

    Tansley devised the concept to draw attention to the importance of transfers of materials between organisms and their environment. [ 4 ] : 9 He later refined the term, describing it as "The whole system, ... including not only the organism-complex, but also the whole complex of physical factors forming what we call the environment". [ 3 ]

  7. Natural environment - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment

    It is the common understanding of natural environment that underlies environmentalism — a broad political, social and philosophical movement that advocates various actions and policies in the interest of protecting what nature remains in the natural environment, or restoring or expanding the role of nature in this environment.

  8. Ecological effects of biodiversity - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_effects_of...

    The diversity of species and genes in ecological communities affects the functioning of these communities. These ecological effects of biodiversity in turn are affected by both climate change through enhanced greenhouse gases, aerosols and loss of land cover [citation needed], and biological diversity, causing a rapid loss of biodiversity and extinctions of species and local populations.

  9. Mineralization (soil science) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineralization_(soil_science)

    The microbial decomposers assimilate the monomers (3) and either mineralize these into inorganic compounds like carbon dioxide or ammonium (4) or use the monomers for their biosynthetic needs. N mineralization leads to a loss of ammonium to the environment (5), but this process is only relevant if the organic matter has a low C:N ratio.