Class 12 Botany simulations · Ecosystem

Decomposition of detritus

Watch leaf litter break down. Warmth, moisture and nitrogen-rich litter speed it up; lignin and chitin slow it.

Open the simulation

What to notice

Low temperature and anaerobic conditions inhibit decomposition, so organic matter builds up.

Key relation

Fragmentation → leaching → catabolism → humification → mineralisation

Try this

Make the litter lignin-rich and the soil cold. How much remains after a year?

What you can change

• Temperature: 0 to 40 °C
• Moisture: 0 to 100 %
• Lignin / chitin content: 0 to 60 %
• Time: 0 to 24 months

More in Ecosystem

• Pyramid of energy (10 per cent law)
• Gross and net primary productivity

See all Class 12 Botany simulations or every Physica simulation.