What influences the rate at which nutrients are released during decomposition?

Answer 1

* Temperature- more heat may cause objects to decompose faster, where as freezing things usually causes them to take longer to decompose. * The enzymes in microbes function more quickly at higher temperatures and so allow for quicker microbial growth. Of course if things get too hot the microbes' enzymes will start to denature and growth will slow again, 40oC is a good temperature for many species. * Humidity - similar to the heat factor, but more about the effect that the moisture in the air has on the object that is decomposing. Usually the more humid it is, the faster something decomposes. * Microbes need water to grow so some water is essential. A high salt concentration could limit microbial growth by making water unavalible to the microbes, for example in salted fish. * Oxygen Avaliablity (If surrounded by water) -lack of oxygen will limit the species of microbes which can grow. Typically those microbes which can grow will grow more slowly if less oxygen is avalible as less ATP is generated per glucose molecue using anearobic resipation. Anearobic repiration can produce acids which will limit the growth of many microbes just like pickling food!

Answer 2

Temperature will have an influence. There will be an optimum temperature at which organisms will most efficiently decompose at. This is usually warm, as when it is cold, enymes (which help the organisms 'breakdown' matter, releasing nutrients) are usually inactive. The pH of the matter that is decomposing, will also influence the rate.

Answer 3

The rate and manner of decomposition in an animal body is strongly affected by a number of factors. In roughly descending degrees of importance, they are:

• Temperature;
• The availability of oxygen;
• Prior embalming;
• Cause of death;
• Burial, and depth of burial;
• Access by scavengers;
• Trauma, including wounds and crushing blows;
• Humidity, or wetness;
• Rainfall;
• Body size and weight;
• Clothing;
• The surface on which the body rests;
• Foods/objects inside the specimen's digestive tract (bacon compared to lettuce).

Answer 4

When other elements or compounds take electrons from something, that is decomposition. The actual matter is just "relocated" to something else.