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 aerobic bacteria.
The compost pile contained aerobic bacteria.
The compost pile was placed in the sunshine.
The compost pile was placed in the sunshine.
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".
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1 answer
The most likely explanation for John's compost pile not decomposing well is that the pile contained incorrect amounts of "greens" and "browns." For successful composting, a balance of nitrogen-rich "green" materials (such as food scraps, grass clippings, and coffee grounds) and carbon-rich "brown" materials (such as leaves, straw, and paper) is needed. If the balance is off, the microorganisms responsible for breaking down the materials will not be able to work efficiently. Therefore, John should adjust the ratio of greens to browns in his compost pile to promote decomposition.