Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover the living world, from microbes to ecosystems. Decomposer fungi are central to breaking down dead material across ...

With all our monsoon rain, it feels more like a rain forest than a desert around here. Even mushrooms have burst from the wet soil. They remind me to appreciate the overlooked but important workers of ...

There are lots of factors in how quickly organic material decomposes into compost, including creatures called decomposers. Find out what kind of things are part of nature’s clean-up crew. Major ...

An isopod, well-adapted to the harsh conditions of arid-lands, crawls on the desert floor in search of plant litter. New study reveals that in arid ecosystems, larger arthropods such as termites and ...

Two independent studies exploring how biodiversity impacts plant decay in forests worldwide could help predict the potential effect of species loss on ecosystems Scientists have provided new insights ...

No matter where the body is buried, the microbial network behind the cadaver’s decomposition remains essentially the same. Researchers from Colorado State University (CSU) and the University of ...

Sept. 12 (UPI) --Scientists have developed a better way to study the necrobiome, the collections of big and small organisms that help plants and animals decay. Death and decomposition are vital to ...