BRAINCAKEConditions for Recycling Nutrients
Decomposers are living organisms, so the rate at which they recycle nutrients depends on the conditions they need to grow and respire. Decomposition is fastest when conditions suit their enzymes.
- Temperature: warmth increases the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions, so decomposition is faster in warm conditions. Very high temperatures denature enzymes. In cold places such as the Arctic tundra, decomposition is very slow.
- Water: decomposers need water for their reactions and to absorb dissolved food. Dry conditions slow decomposition, which is why dried food keeps well.
- Oxygen: most decomposers respire aerobically. In waterlogged soils there is little oxygen, so decomposition slows and dead plant material builds up as peat.
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Key terms in this lesson
- peat
- Partly decayed plant material that builds up in waterlogged, acidic, anaerobic conditions such as bogs, forming a long-term carbon store.
More in The Efficiency of Ecosystems
- Net Primary Productivity
- The Limitations of Efficiency Calculations
- Energy Transfer and Food Chain Length
- Nutrient Recycling
- Microorganisms in the Nitrogen Cycle
- Microorganisms in the Carbon Cycle
- Short-term Carbon Sinks
- Long-term Carbon Sinks
All 20 lessons in The Efficiency of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics