4.7 TRIPLE decomposition and environmental change Flashcards
What is compost?
decomposed organic matter
What can compost be used for?
natural fertiliser for crops and plants
Rate of decay is affected by…
temperature
oxygen availability
moisture
number of microorganisms
Why does temperature speed up the rate of decay?
increases the rate at which enzymes involved in decomposition work at
Does increasing or decreasing temperature speed up decay?
increasing
Why do micro-organisms need oxygen to carry out decay/decomposition?
Microbes are living things and they need oxygen to respire
Why do microbes need water to carry out decay?
decay is faster in moist conditions because water is needed for biological processes
What is biogas mainly made from?
methane
How is biogas made?
decomposition of animal and plant waste material
What conditions are necessary to biogas production?
anaerobic
What can methane be used for?
as a fuel for heating, cooking, lighting, to power a turbine to generate electricity
Where is biogas made?
in a fermenter called a digester or generator
In biogas generators what needs to be kept constant to ensure the microbes respire?
temperature
can biogas be stored?
NO - need to use straight way
Name the two types of generators (for biogas production)
batch and continuous
Which type of generator makes biogas in small batches?
batch
Which type of biogas generator makes biogas all the time?
continuous
In a generator what key features does it need to have?
inlet for the waste material
outlet for the digested material to be removed
outlet for the biogas and piped to where its needed
Name some environmental changes that can affect the distribution of organisms
temperature
availability of water
changes in the gases in the atmosphere
