Your friend John is having trouble with his compost bin. The material in his compost pile doesn’t seem to be decomposing well. You take a sample of the pile and check for the presence of microorganisms under the microscope. You see that there are indeed microorganisms; however, they don’t appear to be growing very fast. John says that he regularly mixes his compost pile to expose it to oxygen but has noticed the pile feels cold. What is the most likely explanation for this problem?(1 point)
Responses
The compost pile was sufficiently moist.
The compost pile was sufficiently moist.
The compost pile contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns".
The compost pile contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns".
The compost pile was placed in the sunshine.
The compost pile was placed in the sunshine.
The compost pile contained aerobic bacteria.
The compost pile contained aerobic bacteria.
1 answer
The most likely explanation for John's compost pile not decomposing well and feeling cold is:
The compost pile contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns."
A proper balance of "greens" (nitrogen-rich materials) and "browns" (carbon-rich materials) is essential for effective composting. An imbalance can result in slower decomposition and may lead to a cooler pile, as the microbial activity that breaks down the materials relies on the correct ratios of these components.
