Organic matter

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-019798",
  "term": "Organic matter",
  "field": "Environment",
  "term_source": "Organic Matter",
  "definition": "1. The organic fraction that includes plant and animal residue at various stages of decomposition, cells and tissues of soil organisms, and substance synthesized by the soil population. Commonly determined as the amount of organic material contained in a soil or water sample.\n\n2. Carbonaceous waste contained in plant or animal matter and originating from domestic or industrial sources.\n\n3. Organic matter pertains to any of the carbon-based compounds that abound in nature. Living things are described as organic since they are composed of organic compounds. Examples of organic compounds are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Since they are comprised of carbon-based compounds they are broken down into smaller, simpler compounds through decomposition when they die. Living organisms also excrete or secrete material that is considered an organic material. The organic matter from living things becomes a part of the environment. Thus, organic matter abounds in the ecosystem, e.g. soil ecosystem. The organic matter moves into the soil or into the mainstream water where it then serves as a source of nutrition to living organisms. Organic matter may move to soil, sediment, and water. It becomes an important source of coal and kerogen (i.e. a fossilized organic material in sedimentary rocks and shale). Soil organic matter comes from the organic material from plants (e.g. leaves and woody materials), animals (e.g. decaying components), and microorganisms. The presence of organic matter in the soil is essential as a source of nutrients for crops and other garden plants. It also helps store water in the soil and promotes activity of soil microorganisms and earthworms. The organic matter in the soil also regulates the soil pH, temperature, and aeration.\n\n4. The organic component of the soil consisting in living organisms, dry plants and residues of animal origin. In a mass unit, this organic component is the most chemically active of the soil. Such a component stores several essential elements, stimulates the proper structure of the soil, is a source with capacity for the exchange of cations and regulates the pH changes, supports the relationship between air and water in the soil, and is a huge geochemical storage of carbon.",
  "subject": "Water",
  "references": [
    "Sediment Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Glossary",
    "RCRA Glossary of Terms; Aquatic Biodiversity Glossary; Terms of Environment",
    "How's My Waterway Glossary",
    "Federal Land Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/organic-matter/"
}