1. Decomposition Noadswood Science, 2011

2. Decomposition To understand decomposition, and know why this is important Saturday, August 29, 2015

3. Fruit The following pictures show three pieces of fruit: - One has been kept for a week in warm conditions One has been kept for a week in cold conditions One has been kept for a week without oxygen Decide which fruit was left in which condition, and try and explain why they look like they do… It is all due to decomposition…

4. Decomposition Living things are made from materials they take from the environment around them When they decompose the elements they contain are returned to the soil where they cam from originally These elements are then used by plants to grow, and the whole cycle repeats itself… Fruit Decomposition

5. Decomposition Decomposition is carried out by bacteria and fungi All plant matter and dead animals are broken down and decomposed by soil bacteria and fungi This happens everywhere in nature, as well as in human systems such as compost heaps and sewage works A variety of crucial elements are recycled (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen)

6. Decomposition Decay is both important and useful, since it recycles raw materials and gets rid of waste at the same time Decay is the decomposition of organic matter by decomposer micro- organisms Bacteria and fungi feed on the organic matter to provide themselves with energy – during the decay process both carbon and nitrogen are recycled The carbon from dead or waste materials is made into carbon dioxide which plants need for photosynthesis The nitrogen from proteins in dead or waste materials is converted to nitrates in the soil which plants use to produce new proteins

7. Decomposers Complete the decomposers worksheet

8. Decomposers

9. Ideal Conditions For decomposition to occur there are a variety of ideal conditions, including the presence of: - Warmth Moisture Oxygen Decomposers (bacteria and fungi) must be present, along with the organic matter Woolly Mammoth – frozen in time

10. Compost Heap Your task is to design a container for a compost heap to allow the best decomposition? Consider the temperature; atmospheric conditions; organisms contained within the compost heap etc… Add explanations to the features you have chosen – why did you choose the feature, and of what benefit is it?

11. Compost Heap Compost heap – must not get too wet, must have a good supply of air (oxygen for the microorganisms), and the microorganisms need to be present!