Editing Compost (section)

=== Organisms ===
Organisms can break down organic matter in compost if provided with the correct mixture of water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen.<ref name=":5" /> They fall into two broad categories: chemical decomposers, which perform chemical processes on the organic waste, and physical decomposers, which process the waste into smaller pieces through methods such as grinding, tearing, chewing, and digesting.<ref name=":5" />

==== Chemical decomposers ====
* [[Bacteria]] are the most abundant and important of all the [[microorganism]]s found in compost.<ref name=":5" /> Bacteria process carbon and nitrogen and excrete plant-available nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium.<ref name=":5" /> Depending on the phase of composting, [[Mesophile|mesophilic]] or [[Thermophile|thermophilic]] bacteria may be the most prominent.
** Mesophilic bacteria get compost to the thermophilic stage through oxidation of organic material.<ref name=":5" /> Afterwards they cure it, which makes the fresh compost more bioavailable for plants.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Compost Physics - Cornell Composting|url=http://compost.css.cornell.edu/physics.html#:~:text=Compost%20heat%20is%20produced%20as,microbial%20breakdown%20of%20organic%20material.&text=Compost%20managers%20strive%20to%20keep,help%20to%20dissipate%20the%20heat.|access-date=2021-04-11|website=compost.css.cornell.edu|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109215044/http://compost.css.cornell.edu/physics.html#:~:text=Compost%20heat%20is%20produced%20as,microbial%20breakdown%20of%20organic%20material.&text=Compost%20managers%20strive%20to%20keep,help%20to%20dissipate%20the%20heat.|url-status=live}}</ref>
** Thermophilic bacteria do not reproduce and are not active between {{cvt|-5|and|25|C}},<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Marchant|first1=Roger|last2=Franzetti|first2=Andrea|last3=Pavlostathis|first3=Spyros G.|last4=Tas|first4=Didem Okutman|last5=Erdbrűgger|first5=Isabel|last6=Űnyayar|first6=Ali|last7=Mazmanci|first7=Mehmet A.|last8=Banat|first8=Ibrahim M.|date=2008-04-01|title=Thermophilic bacteria in cool temperate soils: are they metabolically active or continually added by global atmospheric transport?|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1372-y|journal=Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology|language=en|volume=78|issue=5|pages=841–852|doi=10.1007/s00253-008-1372-y|pmid=18256821|s2cid=24884198|issn=1432-0614|access-date=29 April 2021|archive-date=13 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713211321/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-008-1372-y|url-status=live}}</ref> yet are found throughout soil. They activate once the mesophilic bacteria have begun to break down organic matter and increase the temperature to their optimal range.<ref name=":1" /> They have been shown to enter soils via rainwater.<ref name=":1" /> They are present so broadly because of many factors, including their spores being resilient.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zeigler|first=Daniel R.|date=January 2014|title=The Geobacillus paradox: why is a thermophilic bacterial genus so prevalent on a mesophilic planet?|journal=Microbiology|volume=160|issue=Pt 1|pages=1–11|doi=10.1099/mic.0.071696-0|doi-access=free |issn=1465-2080|pmid=24085838}}</ref> Thermophilic bacteria thrive at higher temperatures, reaching {{cvt|40|–|60|C}} in typical mixes. Large-scale composting operations, such as [[windrow composting]], may exceed this temperature, potentially killing beneficial soil microorganisms but also [[pasteurizing]] the waste.<ref name=":1" />
** [[Actinomycetota]] are needed to break down paper products such as newspaper, [[Bark (botany)|bark]], etc., and other large molecules such as lignin and cellulose that are more difficult to decompose.<ref name=":5" /> The "pleasant, earthy smell of compost" is attributed to Actinomycetota.<ref name=":5" /> They make carbon, ammonia, and nitrogen nutrients available to plants.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Fungi]] such as [[Mold (fungus)|mold]]s and [[yeast]]s help break down materials that bacteria cannot, especially cellulose and [[lignin]] in woody material.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Protozoa]] contribute to biodegradation of organic matter and consume inactive bacteria, fungi, and micro-organic particulates.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=Trautmann|first1=Nancy|last2=Olynciw|first2=Elaina|title=Compost Microorganisms|url=http://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-12|website=CORNELL Composting|publisher=Cornell Waste Management Institute|archive-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115202006/http://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html}}</ref>

==== Physical decomposers ====
* [[Ant]]s create nests, making the soil more porous and transporting nutrients to different areas of the compost.<ref name=":5" />
* Beetles as [[Grub (larva)|grubs]] feed on decaying vegetables.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Earthworm]]s ingest partly composted material and excrete worm castings,<ref name=":5" /> making nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium available to plants.<ref name=":5" /> The tunnels they create as they move through the compost also increase aeration and drainage.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Fly|Flies]] feed on almost all organic material and put bacteria into the compost.<ref name=":5" /> Their population is kept in check by [[mite]]s and the thermophilic temperatures that are unsuitable for fly larvae.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Millipede]]s break down plant material.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Rotifer]]s feed on plant particles.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Snail]]s and [[slug]]s feed on living or fresh plant material.<ref name=":5" /> They should be removed from compost before use, as they can damage plants and crops.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Sow bugs]] feed on rotting wood and decaying vegetation.<ref name=":5" />
* [[Springtail]]s feed on fungi, molds, and decomposing plants.<ref name=":5" />