What Role Does the Weather Play In the Decomposition Process?

Decomposition of organic material is basically the breakdown of the material as it rots and decays. There are two basic types of decomposition: aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic decomposition utilizes oxygen in the breakdown of organic material such as in the process of composting. Anaerobic digestion, also called fermentation, is the breakdown of organic matter completely absent of the presence of oxygen, as in the creation of biogas and biofuel.

Weather plays a huge part in the decomposition process. Arid conditions drastically affect the rate at which organic material breaks down.

"The most obvious cause of the break down of soil organic matter is a high level of biological activity: A large number of bacteria, fungi, and larger organisms feeding on the organic material in your soil for food. A biologically active soil is a healthy soil, so as you improve the soil in your garden, you should expect a faster decomposition of organic matter." Dry, arid land would not have the biological activity that wetlands would have, and therefore, would have a slower decomposition rate.

Temperature plays a distinctive role in the speed at which an item will decompose. Heat makes things decompose faster than they would if they were in an area that experienced cooler temperatures.

"In the decomposition process, bacteria will eat compost, which will then cause it to slowly disintegrate. When the atmosphere is cooler, the air will kill the bacteria, which would then slow down the process of decomposition. This happens because when the bacteria is weaker, the decomposition of the object will not happen as fast."

"The lack of heat generated in the anaerobic destruction of organic matter is a definite disadvantage if contaminated materials are used for composting. High temperatures are needed for the destruction of pathogens and parasites. In anaerobic decomposition the pathogenic organisms do eventually disappear in the organic mass, as a result of the unfavorable environment and biological antagonisms.

The disappearance is slow, and the material must be held for periods of six months to a year to ensure relatively complete destruction of pathogens, such as the eggs of Ascaris, nematodes which are among the most resistant of the fecal-borne disease parasites in wastes."

"In aerobic decomposition, living organisms, which use oxygen, feed upon the organic matter. They use the nitrogen, phosphorus, some of the carbon, and other required nutrients. Much of the carbon serves as a source of energy for the organisms and is burned up and respired as carbon dioxide (C0₂).

Since carbon serves both as a source of energy and as an element in the cell protoplasm, much more carbon than nitrogen is needed. Generally about two-thirds of carbon is respired as C0₂, while the other third is combined with nitrogen in the living cells.

However, if the excess of carbon over nitrogen (C:N ratio) in organic materials being decomposed is too great, biological activity diminishes. Several cycles of organisms are then required to burn most of the carbon. "

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