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 contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns". The compost pile contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns". The compost pile contained aerobic bacteria. The compost pile contained aerobic bacteria. The compost pile was sufficiently moist. The compost pile was sufficiently moist. The compost pile was placed in the sunshine.

Answer 1

The most likely explanation for John's compost pile not decomposing well despite the presence of microorganisms is that the compost pile contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns". When composing, it is important to have a balance of nitrogen-rich "greens" (such as kitchen scraps, grass clippings) and carbon-rich "browns" (such as dried leaves, cardboard) to provide the necessary nutrients for the microorganisms to thrive. If the balance is off, the decomposition process can slow down, leading to a cold compost pile.