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  2. Decomposition - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition

    Soil disturbance like tilling increases decomposition by increasing the amount of oxygen in the soil and by exposing new organic matter to soil microbes. [ 64 ] The quality and quantity of the material available to decomposers is another major factor that influences the rate of decomposition.

  3. Soil organic matter - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_organic_matter

    Soil organic matter (SOM) is the organic matter component of soil, consisting of plant and animal detritus at various stages of decomposition, ...

  4. Humus - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus

    In classical [1] soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Latin word for "earth" or "ground". [2]

  5. Detritus - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritus

    In terrestrial ecosystems detritus is present as plant litter and other organic matter that is intermixed with soil, known as soil organic matter. The detritus of aquatic ecosystems is organic substances suspended in the water and accumulated in depositions on the floor of the body of water ; when this floor is a seabed , such a deposition is ...

  6. Humic substance - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humic_substance

    Role in Soil Fertility: HSs are the primary components of soil organic matter. They are important for soil quality and fertility. Impact on Aquatic Systems: In aquatic ecosystem, HSs affect pH, alkalinity, and the chemical cycling of elements. Though Humic acid contributes to water pollution by altering colour and forming harmful by-products ...

  7. Detritivore - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritivore

    Only fungi produce the enzymes necessary to decompose lignin, a chemically complex substance found in wood. A decaying tree trunk in Canada's boreal forest. Decaying wood fills an important ecological niche, providing habitat and shelter, and returning important nutrients to the soil after undergoing decomposition. Detritivore nutrient cycling ...

  8. Soil - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil

    Water is a critical agent in soil development due to its involvement in the dissolution, precipitation, erosion, transport, and deposition of the materials of which a soil is composed. [39] The mixture of water and dissolved or suspended materials that occupy the soil pore space is called the soil solution. Since soil water is never pure water ...

  9. Microbiology of decomposition - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbiology_of_decomposition

    Decomposition fluids entering the soil represent an important influx of organic matter and can also contain a large microbial load of organisms from the body. [8] The area where the majority of the decomposition fluid leaches into the soil is often referred to as a cadaver decomposition island (CDI). [ 9 ]