Decomposition
Decomposition includes the biological processes controlling the breakdown of organic matter which results in the production of CO2 and CH4. Almost all soil organisms play a role in Decomposition[1]. However, microorganisms in general are responsible for the vast majority of CO2 respired [2], while methanogenic archaea specifically are the primary CH4 producers[3]. The quantity and efficiency of microbial respiration is influenced by micro- and mesofauna that graze on the microbial populations [1],[4]. Furthermore, meso- and macrofauna are essential for Decomposition because they mechanically fragment course organic material and ingest and partially digest a portion of the litter they process[2],[5].
[1] Hättenschwiler S et al. 2005. Biodiversity and litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 36:191-218.
[2] Nielsen UN et al. 2011. Soil biodiversity and carbon cycling: a review and synthesis of studies examining diversity–function relationships. European Journal of Soil Science 62: 105–116.
[3] Serrano-Silva N et al. 2014. Methanogenesis and Methanotrophy in Soil: A Review. Pedosphere 24: 291–307.
[4] Eijsackers H & Zehnder AJB. 1990. Litter decomposition: a Russian matryoshka doll. Biogeochemistry 11: 153–174.
[5] Frouz J. 2018. Effects of soil macro- and mesofauna on litter decomposition and soil organic matter stabilization. Geoderma 332: 161–172.