Soil Improvement – Compost Critters

The pile of leaves that you might have in a compost bin or you see in a forest floor is full of insects and other creatures. They help turn the dead leaves, grass and even other insects back into nutrients that become part of the soil. The dead plants, insects and animals is called organic matter and when it breaks apart and decomposes, all of those nutrients can be drawn up by the roots of living plants.

Look closely to find some of the creatures that are working in your compost and try to identify them. Click below the pictures to see if you were correct!

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Most photos above courtesy J.Jackman and B. Drees, http://insects.tamu.edu