Decomposers are crucial for keeping Earth habitable, breaking down dead biomass and returning key nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, to the ecosystem. Most decomposers, including ...

When a tree dies, it forms the foundation for new life: In a slow, invisible process, leaves, wood and roots are gradually decomposed—not by wind or weather, but by millions and millions of tiny ...

Soil fungi are the primary decomposers in temperate forests. Scientists found that fungi species reared in nitrogen polluted soils were able to decompose far less plant material than the same species ...

Patrice looks at the important role decomposers and scavengers play in the natural world. Patrice looks at the important role decomposers and scavengers play in the natural world. She then visits with ...

An analysis of leaf litter breakdown in climatically diverse habitats shows that decomposition by larger invertebrates dominates in hot, dry regions and warmer seasons. Researchers have shown that ...

With all our monsoon rain, it feels more like a rain forest than a desert around here. Even mushrooms have burst from the wet soil. They remind me to appreciate the overlooked but important workers of ...