Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening

Soil Biology and Ecology

Unit 2.3 | 45

SIMPLE HEMI-
PROTEINS FATS CARBOS CELLULOSE CELLULOSE LIgNIN ASH

Oak leaf (young) 9 8 22 13 16 21 6

Oak leaf (old) 3 4 15 16 18 30 5

Pine needle 2 24 7 19 16 23 2

grass leaf 2 2 13 24 33 14 0

Corn stem 1 2 15 18 30 11 8

wood 0 4 2 22 47 22 1

Horse manure 7 2 5 24 28 14 9

Bacteria 50 to 60 10 to 35 5 to 30 4 to 32 0 0 5 to 15

Fungi 14 to 52 1 to 42 8 to 60 2 to 15 0 0 5 to 12

Earthworm 54 to 72 2 to 17 11 to 17 0 0 0 9 to 23

Arthropods 38 to 50 13 to 26 14 to 31 5 to 9 0 0 0

Steer carcass 39 50 0 0 0 0 11

Appendix 1: Major Organic Components of Typical

Decomposer Food Sources

Appendix 1