decomposition

The Lives of Dead Trees

decomposition, ecology, environment, Features, forests / Stephen Ornes

MARK HARMON CROUCHES LOW next to log number 219: a moss- covered western hemlock tree trunk, five meters long, lying dead on the ground in the lush green woods. It’s marked by a thin aluminum tag. The forest ecologist leans in close, his unruly white beard nearly brushing against the decomposing cylinder. Dark, flaky patches […]

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Life Among the Dead

biology, body farm, decomposition, Features / admin

Decomposing animals host diverse ecosystems that reveal the inner workings of microbial life. A threadlike rain has started falling sideways. Jennifer DeBruyn slows down to consider whether to drive us off the pavement and onto parallel tracks of matted grass leading up a steep, slick hill. I can’t see the top, but there’s a faint

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