Why did I hardly find any organisms living in/on a very decomposed log?

Question

I did an experiment to investigate the different organisms living in the different parts of fallen logs and noticed that there were barely any organisms to be found in/on a very decomposed log. Shouldn't this be where there are the most? Why was there hardly any?

I did an experiment to investigate the different organisms living in the different parts of fallen logs and noticed that there were barely any organisms to be found in/on a very decomposed log. Shouldn't this be where there are the most? Why was there hardly any?

We were pretty much just looking for different types of insects and vegetation growing and living in/on the logs.

Answer 1

it may have been too decomposed. also, what types of organisms were you looking for? microbes? remember that very few microbes can be cultivated in a lab, they may have been abundant on the log but not cultivatible in the lab. give me some more info on exactly what you were doing and i can try to give you a better answer.

Answer 2

Were you looking at variety of organisms or total organism population on the tree? If you were looking at number of different species, then you might fail to notice the quantities of the lifeforms living on the log. What the organisms lack in variety, they might be making up in quantity.

There must be some nutrients in the wood to attract organisms. Once the nutrients are gone, the organisms move on or die. The rest of the decomposition is done by weathering and what few organisms remain.

Answer 3

type of log ,cedar you may not find many,also if the water around has high salt or other contaminates

Answer 4

was the ground moist, or have water, i think that's where most of them go, to cool off