Biochemical Changes During Decomposition

The decomposition is the essential process found in the nature; carried out by microorganisms. Plants are no exception to decomposition. There dead remains get decomposed; and the nutrients locked up in the litter as well as a number of new substrates formed in the process of decomposition, pass down to the soil profile, this increase the “ humus” and fertility of soil. The plant material generally made up of lignocellulosic materials. Due to complexities involved in the separation of microbial material synthesized from the unchanged residues, the analysis of biochemical changes further more difficult. Some efforts have been made to develop techniques for the biochemical analysis of decomposing plant litters. It has been observed those water soluble fractions (Amino acid, simple sugars and peptides) are least resistant therefore first to be metabolized by microorganisms and followed by celluloses, hemicelluloses and lignin.